# Where is the excitement for Hillary? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 26, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925 "2015-05-26T23:52:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/81 "2015-06-01T22:35:03Z")
Seriously people, the election is about a year and a half off. Jeb Bush hasn’t even announced he is running yet. There are phases to a campaign cycle, especially one this long and especially if you are very confident that your primary portion will present little serious challenge. Frankly the general public has a short attention span for serious issue and policy discussions. They will be discussed some during the primary season and with building vigor as the general season commences, but now is not the time to do anything more than lay out general themes, establish a tone, and build the infrastructure especially in particular key states. “[[T]he central theme of her candidacy](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/13/us/politics/hillary-clinton-2016-presidential-campaign.html): improving the economic fortunes of the middle class, with an emphasis on increasing wages and reducing income inequality.” Push specific positions and policy hard now and most of the public will be bored and tired of it _way_ before election day. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/82 "2015-06-01T23:42:33Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I re-read this thread title as “Where is the excrement for Hillary?”, and thought ‘I am sure it’s on it’s way’. > > That is all. Holy, um, something, the exact same thing just happened to me. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/84 "2015-06-02T10:27:05Z")
Where did all this straw in here come from? It’s like someone built a whole bunch of straw men and then knocked them down again. Nobody ever sweeps up after themselves. \ \ ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/85 "2015-06-02T18:48:02Z")
**Dr. Loveless** , I would recommend you look around here a little more before you continue posting, especially on the topic of Hillary. \*\*John Mace \*\*handed you a slam-dunk reason in the other Hillary thread you started as to why people are supporting her. Go read that. When come back, bring other material. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/86 "2015-06-02T19:56:14Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Where did all this straw in here come from? It’s like someone built a whole bunch of straw men and then knocked them down again. > > Nobody ever sweeps up after themselves. > > \ > > \ See, now you’re just adding to the straw. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/87 "2015-06-02T20:28:02Z")
Mmm, yeah. Got a match? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/88 "2015-06-02T20:37:12Z")
_paleas jacta est_ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/89 "2015-06-02T20:45:32Z")
So, when is that first Iowa straw poll, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![LinusK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@LinusK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LinusK)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/90 "2015-06-05T16:17:18Z")
Mental health and addiction are Big Issues. But not the issue I would build my campaign around. “Full Employment”, I think, is both the vote-getter, and what would do more to increase economic equality than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/91 "2015-06-05T16:40:13Z")
Lincoln Chaffee’s official announcement speech has made Clinton a bit more exciting to me. ---
**Author:** ![LinusK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@LinusK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LinusK)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/92 "2015-06-05T17:45:12Z")
Also, and FWIW, a Republican win in 16 would an absolute disaster: assuming Republicans retain control of the House and the Senate, they’d gut Obamacare, and very likely begin setting the scene for another recession. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/93 "2015-06-05T17:58:36Z")
If Hillary doesn’t get out there with some concrete proposals for dealing with the wealth gap, she will lose this voter. And by concrete proposals, I don’t mean, “I want to see a more fair economy!” or “I want an economy that creates better jobs!” This vague third way crap ain’t gonna cut it. I know she may be thinking “Well, I can get elected if I just don’t say anything too extreme,” and maybe she can, but so what? That would be an election without a mandate to do anything. Does she just want to hold the office for the sake of holding it? Bernie Sanders is eating away at her support because he is getting out in front of her with ideas for addressing inequality. Good ideas. What’s Hillary’s big announcement today? She wants to expand voting. Oh, that’s not self-serving at all. OK, let’s say you get your expanding voting. Now why should people give those votes to you? We are 8 months away from Iowa and you are a declared candidate. Time to start putting some cards on the table. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/94 "2015-06-05T18:27:54Z")
> [@LinusK](#): > > Mental health and addiction are Big Issues. But not the issue I would build my campaign around. “Full Employment”, I think, is both the vote-getter, and what would do more to increase economic equality than anything else. To repeat again what others have said. If you ignore the headline and read the article there is no indication that she is “building her campaign around this”. The most she has done is send some of her staff to video conference about this issue with a bunch of politicians and Law enforcement officers, and then answered some questions to indicate that yes she is interested in the issue. What was she supposed to answer, “No, I plan to completely ignore drug and mental health issues because they aren’t important”?. Until we see Clinton herself devote a large amount of time to the issue, I will just put it in the pile with all of the other issues that Clinton wants to work on. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/95 "2015-06-05T18:34:34Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > We are 8 months away from Iowa and you are a declared candidate. Time to start putting some cards on the table. Those two sentences are not connected. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/96 "2015-06-05T19:34:58Z")
How do you mean, **E**? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/97 "2015-06-05T19:48:49Z")
It’s way too early is how. Nobody who’s mind is really susceptible to convincing is paying attention yet, and won’t until winter at the earliest. Being overspecific now just means giving the snipers a target. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/98 "2015-06-05T20:00:43Z")
Hillary tried the same sort of cautious campaign in 2008 and it didn’t work out. I am only one voter, but I am not voting for a sphinx. Is there any “there” there? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/99 "2015-06-05T20:06:31Z")
She also has no charismatic opponent intent on winning this time. If you’re really interested in what positions she holds and how she would govern, there’s a wealth of information at your fingertips. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/100 "2015-06-05T20:37:41Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If you’re really interested in what positions she holds and how she would govern, there’s a wealth of information at your fingertips. Oh, I tried. And I found this: [Economic Plan Is a Quandary for Hillary’s Campaign](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/us/politics/economic-plan-is-a-quandary-for-hillary-clintons-campaign.html?_r=0). What little is there is not reassuring. > [@](#): > > Although people close to Mrs. Clinton say she has not yet settled on a specific platform, she is expected to embrace several principles. They include standard Democratic initiatives like raising the minimum wage, investing in infrastructure, closing corporate tax loopholes and cutting taxes for the middle class. So far so good… > [@](#): > > Other ideas are newer, such as providing incentives to corporations to increase profit-sharing with employees and changing labor laws to give workers more collective bargaining power. This is starting to sound like third way gobbledygook. And then this… > [@](#): > > **Behind many of these proposals is a philosophy, endorsed by Mrs. Clinton’s closest economic advisers and often referred to as inclusive capitalism, that contends that a majority of Americans do not want to punish the rich; they just want to feel that they, too, have a chance to succeed.** It also calls for corporations to put less emphasis on short-term profits that increase shareholder value and to invest more in employees, the environment and communities. Oh, hell. I think we can safely assume they are defining “punish” as “tax.” So I think we can expect continued silence on a more progressive tax code, transactional taxes, capital gains taxes, tax on interest, estate taxes, etc. Convince me I’m wrong, Hillary, but this does not make me optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925/101 "2015-06-05T22:29:32Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > She also has no charismatic opponent intent on winning this time. > > If you’re really interested in what positions she holds and how she would govern, there’s a wealth of information at your fingertips. I dunno. There’s Sanders. :dubious: Martin O’Malley Bernie Sanders Lincoln Chafee Jim Webb [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-excitement-for-hillary/720925.md?page=6)