Hillary Can Be Beaten

All the news coverage about Hillary Clinton’s email and private server is taking its toll on public opinion. A recent  Rasmussen poll indicates the belief that Hillary Clinton is likely to be next year's Democratic presidential nominee has dropped noticeably over the past month.Rasmussen says “63% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that Clinton is likely to be the next Democratic presidential candidate, but just 26% say it is Very Likely. That compares to 78% and 43% a month ago…. Thirty percent (30%) consider that outcome unlikely, with 11% who feel it is Not At All Likely. That overall figure is up 10 points from the previous survey…..Among likely Democratic voters, 74% think Clinton is likely to be their party’s nominee, but that’s down from 87% in the previous survey and 93% earlier in July.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Those stats and a host of other considerations lead our Florida political guru Tim Bryce to conclude that Hillary is NOT unstoppable.  Here’s Tim’s latest column:

“Regardless of how the liberal media and Democrats try to portray the invincibility of Secretary Hillary Clinton as candidate for president of the United States, she can certainly be beaten. She has many weaknesses, one of which is the myth that it is "her turn" to be president as touted by her supporters. Obviously, presidents should be elected based on qualifications, not turns, but these are strange times we are living in and her supporters are willing to overlook her dismal record.

First, there is the issue of treating the Clintons as American royalty which can be intimidating for the faint of heart. In the 2008 election, then Senator Barack Obama, who was her biggest Democratic competitor, overcame this problem by simply leveling the playing field. By refusing to recognize her celebrity and kowtowing to her, voters discovered Mrs. Clinton was nothing more than an ordinary person. This time around though, she has the liberal media (NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBC) squarely in her corner and are charged with protecting her reputation.

To depose Mrs. Clinton from her throne, she needs to be embarrassingly beaten in the presidential debates, something she has never mastered. Her competitors, be it Democrat or Republican, cannot afford to pull their punches and must ask the tough questions the media will not.

Second, Hillary has an excessive amount of baggage she is carrying. There is, of course, the 2012 Benghazi attack and cover-up, and the Clinton Foundation scandal. These two incidents alone have already taken a toll on her credibility and trustworthiness. However, if you dig further, you will inevitably rediscover, the Vince Foster suicide the Whitewater controversy, Travelgate, Filegate, Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, and, of course, the Monica Lewinsky scandal involving her husband and a presidential intern. Let us also not forget her allegiance to radical Saul Alinsky, of whom she wrote her senior college thesis.

Hillary's defenders will claim this is all "water under the bridge." Not really. Instead, it speaks volumes about her character and the family's pattern of abuse of power.

Third, her record of accomplishments is abysmal. As I have written in the past, the nagging question is in all her years as First Lady, Senator from New York, and Secretary of State, "What has she accomplished?" Unfortunately, nothing of substance.

Further, her positions on immigration, the economy, the Iran nuclear deal, and the president's foreign policy, most of which she implemented, are naive attempts to sway voters. It also reveals her socialist ideology.

Unlike her competitors who clamor for the attention of the press, Mrs. Clinton wants to keep the press at bay, presumably in fear she will say something out of turn. Everything issued to the press is highly crafted and orchestrated for delivery. This means she is afraid of making an extemporaneous remark, and why she will again fail in the debates (assuming she agrees to participate in them). Her Achilles' heel is answering any embarrassing questions which might be used against her in Congressional hearings or a court of law.

Before Hillary can face the Republicans, she must get by her Democratic challengers which currently includes Gov. Lincoln Chafee (RI), Gov. Martin O'Malley (MD), Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT), Sen. James Webb (VA), and possibly VP Joe Biden. If "Uncle Joe" jumps into the race, it is a sure sign he sees Mrs. Clinton's vulnerability and is ready to pounce on it.

If and when she faces the Republican candidate, she will have the uncomfortable task of distancing herself from President Obama. It's a Catch-22 for her. If she aligns herself with the president, she makes herself an easy target for his unpopular policies and programs. If she tries to divorce herself from the president, she risks losing the liberal Democratic base she desperately needs. Either way, it is a lose-lose scenario for her.

The only way she can survive is if the Republican challenger fails to openly challenge her. If they show any signs of fear or weakness whatsoever, she will own her political opponent. The Republicans must take the argument to her and put her on the defensive whereby she will crumble under pressure. They cannot afford to retreat.

As should be apparent, her highness' slip is showing.

Keep the Faith!"

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com