Reply #55: that's nonsense.

[paulk]

I'm sorry, that's just plain nonsense.

Any Democrat is going to be an alternative to Bush's failed policies.

Hagel might present what some independents so as an alternative to Bush, but that's only if they're willing to put yet another Republican in charge. That's a big "if", IMO. I don't think his criticism of Bush is going to get him any more of a free pass than HRC gets. He still voted for the IWR and he's still voted to fund the war, just like Hillary did. And Hillary has been just as critical of Bush's Iraq policy as Hagel has. Hagel gets more press for it than she, but that's mostly because of where that criticism is coming from (a Republican). And that is going to hurt him from the right, an area that HRC doesn't have to worry about, because those people aren't going to vote for her anyway.

I'll agree with you that Hagel, of all the Republicans who might run, could make the case better than the others, but I don't think that automatically is going to be enough for him to beat her, if he decides to run. And I'm not convinced the Republicans are smart enough to nominate him if he does run.