# I voted for Obama & I don't think Hillary Clinton has prayer of being the next POTUS **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 15, 2014, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404 "2014-02-15T07:26:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/61 "2014-02-16T16:41:51Z")
Obama has learned he has nothing whatsoever to lose by telling the R’s to yell as loudly as they want, he’s going to do the right stuff for Americans. Well, some things. Obama has restored most of what we think of as ‘normal’ for America. Ironically, the R’s have been so warlike, we start to think of a warlike foreign policy and sock it to the poor and middle class domestically as being normal. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/62 "2014-02-16T17:32:53Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I like it just fine because it demonstrates how insincere the RW hatred for the Clintons was and that the hatred of Obama is just as phony… Be fair. It could just be an admission that their racism is stronger than their misogyny. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/63 "2014-02-16T17:35:33Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Many of us like Clinton. And almost all of us like Clinton better than Obama. How do ya like them apples? I’m sure none of us are surprised to learn you prefer Democrats who are out of office to Democrats who are in office. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/64 "2014-02-16T17:42:31Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Really? There has been discussion about this in a number of places, including on this board. There are two major parties in this country Republican and [Democratic](http://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=Democratic+Party&submit.x=44&submit.y=25). Referring to one as the [Democrat](http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/07/060807ta_talk_hertzberg) [Party](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_(epithet)) is commonly considered pejorative. It wasn’t intended as an insult. But I notice that when somebody referred to the Pubbies earlier in this thread you didn’t raise any objections. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/65 "2014-02-16T17:59:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It wasn’t intended as an insult. But I notice that when somebody referred to the Pubbies earlier in this thread you didn’t raise any objections. Pubbies doesn’t have the long history of intent to degrade the other side that “Democrat Party” does. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/66 "2014-02-16T18:15:29Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > [Which party](http://freepatriot.org/2014/01/08/maricopa-county-arizona-gop-votes-censure-john-mccain-weekend/) told which politician to stop working with who? Yeah, I don’t think the GOP can win a national race as long as they keep talking like this: > [@](#): > > Whereas McCain has abandoned our core values and has been eerily silent against Liberals, yet publicly reprimands Conservatives in his own Party, therefore > > BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the Maricopa County Republican leadership censures Senator McCain for his continued disservice to our State and Nation Sure, they do mention some specifics like the debt ceiling and immigration reform, but those issues are big losers that won’t take the GOP anywhere. You really want to damage the faith and credit of this country because you don’t understand math? Please. This endless talk of ‘liberals’ has become meaningless drivel that gets the desired emotional reaction from a shrinking number of people. Probably the only thing that makes the GOP look more stupid is when they talk about policy specifics they endorse, which is pretty rare anymore (just listen to the [newspeak drivel](http://www.c-span.org/video/?316796-2/gop-response-state-union-address) they deliver to their base. Can you identify a policy specific? Does it even respond to Obama’s speech?) I think the GOP needs a miracle to win in 2016. That said, I don’t think Hillary is it. Focusing as much attention as possible on her takes attention away from emerging, more viable candidates, and that’s probably the point of it. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/67 "2014-02-16T18:29:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m sure none of us are surprised to learn you prefer Democrats who are out of office to Democrats who are in office. Ah, but you miss the point. We like someone who is about to become President, possibly, better than the current one. We haven’t just changed our talking points because it’s convenient like your side did with John McCain once he actually became a threat. If you want to know who would drive us crazy, it’s Liz Warren. O’Malley wouldn’t go over well either. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/68 "2014-02-16T18:30:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It wasn’t intended as an insult. But I notice that when somebody referred to the Pubbies earlier in this thread you didn’t raise any objections. The point of my original post was that there is no party in the the US named the Democrat Party. Hillary is not likely to seek the nomination for President from a non-existent party. The additional explanation was because I was surprised you weren’t aware of the history of the term. You generally strike me as being pretty savvy in that regard and it struck me as unusual. My failure to comment on the use of the term “Pubbies” is irrelevant to that point. Frankly, there isn’t enough time in the day for me, or anyone else, to point out every potentially disparaging political term used here. All I can do is avoid using them myself. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bellhorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Bellhorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bellhorn)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/69 "2014-02-16T20:31:03Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > … > My failure to comment on the use of the term “Pubbies” is irrelevant to that point. Frankly, there isn’t enough time in the day for me, or anyone else, to point out every potentially disparaging political term used here. All I can do is avoid using them myself. 🙂 Where I come from “Republican” is the most disparaging political term that you can call someone. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/70 "2014-02-17T13:32:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It wasn’t intended as an insult. But I notice that when somebody referred to the Pubbies earlier in this thread you didn’t raise any objections. > [@BobLibDem](#): > > Pubbies doesn’t have the long history of intent to degrade the other side that “Democrat Party” does. Object away. Admittedly, I chose the term because it’s shorter to type on my phone (and “Pubs” just sounds stupid to me), but I proudly declare my sneering contempt for the GOP and I actually prefer it for my expressions of that contempt to _sting._ ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/71 "2014-02-17T22:35:42Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Ah, but you miss the point. We like someone who is about to become President, possibly, better than the current one. We haven’t just changed our talking points because it’s convenient like your side did with John McCain once he actually became a threat. > > If you want to know who would drive us crazy, it’s Liz Warren. O’Malley wouldn’t go over well either. To be honest, when you say ‘conservatives like Clinton better than Obama’ I hear three things. 1. You like democrats who aren’t in power, or a theoretical democratic president (Hillary) more than a democrat in power (which isn’t persuasive). I like Romney a little more now that there is no risk of him becoming president. That doesn’t really matter much. 2. Your side is rewriting history about how it felt about Clinton (remember the stories about the serial rapist, murdering, Clinton of the 90s?) 3. Clinton is white, Obama is black. There may be some flak for saying that, but lets be honest here. None of those arguments are very persuasive. If it makes you feel better, if Elizabeth Warren actually decided to run for president she would have a really good chance of beating Clinton in a primary. Warren represents the repressed progressive populist urges of the democratic party that have had no outlet for 30+ years. But she said she doesn’t want to run this cycle. A major reason Obama won the primary against Clinton was he pretended to be more progressive than he really is. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/72 "2014-02-18T02:57:45Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > 1. Your side is rewriting history about how it felt about Clinton (remember the stories about the serial rapist, murdering, Clinton of the 90s?) You forgot drug dealing. > [@](#): > > If it makes you feel better, if Elizabeth Warren actually decided to run for president she would have a really good chance of beating Clinton in a primary. For whatever it’s worth, that’s not what the polls say (though again, it’s very very early). ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/73 "2014-02-18T16:00:53Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > I think any democratic candidate starts off with about a 75% chance of winning, Hillary bumps that to 90-95%. It’s funny – this board has existed since 1999, and not once has the prevailing mood here countenanced the election of a Republican president. According to the general tone and majority predictions of this board, Gore won in 2000, Kerry in 2004, Obama in 2008 and '12. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/74 "2014-02-18T16:10:38Z")
Depending on what you think happened in Florida and Ohio, that’s what \*did \*happen. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/75 "2014-02-18T16:44:48Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > It’s funny – this board has existed since 1999, and not once has the prevailing mood here countenanced the election of a Republican president. According to the general tone and majority predictions of this board, Gore won in 2000, Kerry in 2004, Obama in 2008 and '12. The Republicans don’t get much respect here. For good reason. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/76 "2014-02-18T16:52:38Z")
Right, we aren’t practicing affirmative action here. We aren’t treating the Republicans equally just to “be fair” to them - in fact, we \*are \*being fair to them. \*\*Bricker \*\*is also confusing support with prediction. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/77 "2014-02-18T19:33:52Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > It’s funny – this board has existed since 1999, and not once has the prevailing mood here countenanced the election of a Republican president. According to the general tone and majority predictions of this board, Gore won in 2000, Kerry in 2004, Obama in 2008 and '12. Even if we take your statement at face value that would make us right 75% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/78 "2014-02-18T19:39:48Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > It’s funny – this board has existed since 1999, and not once has the prevailing mood here countenanced the election of a Republican president. According to the general tone and majority predictions of this board, Gore won in 2000, Kerry in 2004, Obama in 2008 and '12. Which is true- Florida was stolen for Bush in 2000 and Ohio was stolen for Bush in 2004. The last Republican to win a convincing presidential election was Bush The Smart One in 1988. Based on that, I predict Hillary wins without breaking a sweat. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/79 "2014-02-18T21:12:42Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Yeah, that’s not even close to what happened. Her support didn’t melt away (she kept winning states until the very end), although some people did jump ship to Obama when they realized he had a chance. What happened in 2008 was that she was a major favorite, but there was another very strong candidate in the race. Just adding some additional stuff in support of your comment: As you say, there was another strong candidate in the race. And this was recognized early on: on the Sunday after the 2006 midterms, the front page of the WaPo Outlook section was all about Hillary v. Obama for the 2008 Dem nomination. (You’d think for just one Sunday they’d have been able to focus on the Dems retaking Congress for the first time in a dozen years, but I digress.) So it wasn’t like _the political world_ was regarding Hillary’s nomination as inevitable. Hillary’s _campaign_ was based on her supposed inevitability, but that’s a whole 'nother thing. And while the polls back then gave Hillary the edge, it was nothing like the edge she’s got now. I’m trying to think of when a non-incumbent Presidential candidate has come into an election cycle with quite the set of advantages Hillary has, and I’m drawing a blank. (Maybe Ike in 1952, but that’s before my time.) I really don’t see how she fails to win the Dem nomination in 2016. And while it’s certainly possible for the Dem nominee to lose the election, the GOP needs to thread a needle in the Electoral College to win, and I don’t see that happening unless (a) the economy sucks in 2016 more than it sucks already, and (b) the GOP actually nominates someone that the relative handful of remaining swing voters can see as a plausible President. So assuming Hillary runs, I’d take her against the field, and give away points. > [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > The level of hatred Obama has engendered in spite of his numerous efforts to reach across the aisle (e.g. appointing Gates and backing off from single payer and even the public option ), tells me the Democratic candidate will be rabidly hated by the right wing nuts at Faux and on hate radio no matter who he or she is. > > I’ll totally ignore that factor this time around. Tru dat. And while I know there are people out there who don’t like Obama because he’s black, having lived through the 1990s, I think it’s pretty clear that the level of antipathy would have been there regardless of the color of the nominee. Or gender, for that matter, though I’m sure the wingnuts will do their best to portray Hillary as a castrating bitch. That won’t be the main source of their hate for her, but it’ll be an available weapon, so they’ll use it. But I doubt it will do much good; as Little Nemo pointed out upthread, the right-wing attack dogs have already been throwing everything but the kitchen sink at her for over two decades now, and reprising the old favorites isn’t likely to do any good at this late date. > [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > I wouldn’t mind seeing her as President, but I’d be a bigger fan of Terry McAuliffe or (even better) Heidi Heitkamp!!! You mean Terry McAuliffe has _fans?_ Who knew?? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404/80 "2014-02-18T21:32:00Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > It’s funny – this board has existed since 1999, and not once has the prevailing mood here countenanced the election of a Republican president. According to the general tone and majority predictions of this board, Gore won in 2000, Kerry in 2004, Obama in 2008 and '12. Hey, Gore **did** win in 2000, so we’re 3 out of 4. And it should make you somewhat nervous that John Kerry, the weakest Dem candidate in the last 6 elections, running against an incumbent GOP President, was able to get 252 electoral votes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-for-obama-i-dont-think-hillary-clinton-has-prayer-of-being-the-next-potus/681404.md?page=5)