Have you noticed how eager the Republicans are to face Obama in the election?

[glarius]

I have been struck by how every one of them that I have heard talk about it on TV has said they think Obama would be a formidable opponent. I wonder why they are all trying to give the impression that Hillary would be easy for them to beat? I just this morning saw both Tucker Carlson and Peggy Noonan singing the praises of Obama. Has anyone else noticed the same thing? Do you think they are trying to influence the Democratic vote for the remainder of the primaries?
The reason I'm suspicious is because I think if they really did want to face Hillary Clinton, they would not ALL be saying it.

[Sulawesi]

1. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...

[papau]

4. and sometimes GE/NBC sells political right wing crap - opps - make that all the time-They have

been pushing Obama since Dec of 2007 - and dissing Hillary for 16 years.

but some folks here have short memories

[Cronus Protagonist]

53. Since when did people start trusting the media in this country?

Just because the guy's cute and a nice speaker doesn't mean the media suddenly started telling the truth. They're telling people what they want to hear and what the media wants them to hear. Later on, they'll crap on his head, but only once it's too late to change to the better candidate.

[Lerkfish]

2. The fact is Clinton comes with predelivered negative baggage to a republican audience

fairly or unfairly, they love to hate her with the intensity of a thousand suns.
Put her in the GE, and the repuke voter turnout goes up, which only helps them.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. And they will trip over their own d*cks

Just like they did in New York.

--p!

[Lerkfish]

15. sure, that's a possibility

a remote one.

[Labors of Hercules]

38. So... if that's true, then...

Wouldn't they WANT her to be the nominee?

[Tweed]

5. No I haven't. I have noticed some Republicans I know are eager to VOTE for Obama in this election

It's not even an issue of policy. It's an issue of leadership. They want someone who wants to lead all Americans not 50+1.

[Laurab]

57. That's what I've noticed, too.

They're not too fond of McCain, they dislike Hillary, but they look at Obama as a possibility. The media WAS pushing Hillary as inevitable, and that's what they wanted, but it's not happening. Anyone who thinks the repugs are afraid of running against Hillary is delusional IMO. She'd be their best GOTV candidate ever, and they're really going to need one for their candidate.

[hedgehog]

6. Maybe they're actually saying what they think? I think if it's

McCain v Obama, Conservatives will stay home rather than vote for McCain. If it's McCain v Clinton. Conservatives will come out to vote against Hillary.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. No, I haven't

[cali]

8. go to Freeperville of the slightly more upscale version Redstate

or any other site on the right side of the blogosphere. The overwhelming consensus is that they want Hillary as the dem nominee, and believe that's their only possibility of winning. Not saying they're right, but you're being silly about this.

[Dawgs]

9. Links?

I haven't heard one Republican say they are eager to face Obama.

Many have said that they Hillary will unite them to vote for McCain, and Obama will be tough to beat, but not that they are "eager" to face Obama. I also think they are right.

[TexasObserver]

10. Republicans fear Obama. They want Hillary to run against.

And it's easy to see why.

The more rightwing the wonk, the more they talk up Hillary. Like Pat Buchanan and Bill Bennett.

I suggest you ask some Republicans, or go read their boards. Nothing unites them like their hatred of Hillary, and it's not even based upon votes. She's an emblem for all that is Clinton to them.

Most Republicans still think Hillary is a liberal. They really don't know that liberals can't stand Hillary.

[doc03]

11. It's the old reverse Psychology

ploy, they don't want tho face Obama because the MSM is in love with him. That's one problem I do have with Hillary she will have an uphill climb it will energize the Wingnuts and the MSM has always been nuts about McCain. The Clintons have always been able to face them down in the past though.

[ctaylors6]

12. I know a few who are. Say things like "blank slate" and rezko

The polls don't seem to back that up though.

[boricua79]

13. CLinton's an easy kill, Obama is not

so they're trying to tarnish Obama's reputation by seeming to love him.

The statistics don't lie. He's getting a lot of Republicans and independents to leave their prior political sensibilities aside and vote for him. And they are scared of him. Even Frank Luntz mentioned on Bill Maher's show, "If they run Obama, I don't know how to beat him".

Anti-Clinton hatred and the power of her symbol to unify Republicans is already well known.

The smart bet is on Obama.

[BringEmOn]

16. Luntz was saying, "Please don't throw me into the briar patch!"

[boricua79]

20. actually

he mentioned that he thought Hillary would be an easy kill, and that she would unite republicans...but then he totally looked baffled when Bill Maher asked him how the Republicans could play the "word game" against Obama.

He said, "with Obama, I really don't know how to beat him".

[in_cog_ni_to]

29. And you believe that?! ""with Obama, I really don't know how to beat him".

:rofl::rofl: They are foaming at the mouth over an Obama candidacy! They will destroy him in the GE. Ask yourself why all we've had is a MSM Obama lovefest? The repukes OWN the MSM. The MSM is owned by CORPORATIONS. CORPORATIONS hate Democrats.

Look at the big picture here. There's a reason for everything we DON'T know about Obama. They will kick his ass in the GE. The repukes are the RACIST party. Just remember that. Obama will not win against the repuke slime machine. Hillary has survived it already and came out of it to win 2 Senate campaigns.

[glarius]

32. I agree with you that I believe it is racial and in my answer #28, I say this.

I have been so struck with the way every Republican of note who has appeared on TV (I have no links, this is an observation) has sung the praises of Obama. It looks to me as if they want to face him for the reason I have given.

[boricua79]

42. Obama did just fine with whites in many states that have historically

been "racist" states. Hillary won 2 senate campaigns in liberal New York.

Hardly a test of her pedigree in middle America. Middle America went for Obama in the last primaries.

[in_cog_ni_to]

43. You have NO clue what you're up against in the GE...which is COMPLETELY different than a Primary!

The repuke slime machine can't wait to go up against your guy. He will lose.

[boricua79]

61. as opposed to YOUR candidate?

if I had to bet money on who a Republican would hate more, it's Hillary. So what are you talking about?

What do they have on Obama? Obama-Osama? Hussein? Black? Muslim? Used coke when he was in college?

That's the big weapons? WE already heard them...nobody cares.

The Repuke slime machine's DREAM would be a Hillary candidacy, and you know it.

[displacedtexan]

14. I can't find a single R quote against Obama.

I researched most of yesterday, and the only thing I could
find was a generic "I don't care if Obama wears a flag pin
or not" quote, and that was a FOX story.

Otherwise, crickets chirped.

Alas, the same is not true of R quotes against Clinton.

[Cronus Protagonist]

54. That should make a lot of people pause

But instead, it seems, a lot of people have their heads in the sand.

[thetaoofterri]

17. I was thinking the same thing...

but I brushed it off as just paranoid on my part. So, here's my thought (just humor me)...

I think the Repugs know they can't beat Hillary because she's been through such intense scrutiny and is still standing. But, they believe they can beat Obama because he (Obama) has not felt the real scrutiny of the press or the wrath of the right wing machine (which I, personally, do not think he will be able to withstand). So if they help Obama get the nomination they will retain the White House. With McCain as the virtual Repug nominee, Ann Coulter has said (jokingly, I am sure) that she would help raise funds for Hillary and Rush Limbaugh is now saying the same thing. Just passing comments? But what if they continue this rhetoric, engaging more Repugs to look like they "embrace" Hillary as the nominee and is continues to be covered by MSM, couldn't that be damaging? The more they can appear to embrace her candidacy, the less desirable she is to the left because she then appears to be one of them and is less likely to win the nomination.

I know it's far fetched. My head hurts. I am thinking too much.

[ctaylors6]

19. I think Hillary's negatives are probably maxed out for indeps; Obama's can only go up

[Cant trust em]

45. Republicans are talking up Hillary because they hate McCain so much

I heard Glen Beck talking about this twice. He's talking about voting for her so that republicans will see how terrible democrats are and then "find their voice.", therefore backing a real conservative the next time around.

[thetaoofterri]

50. I was right...

I am thinking too much. I think I need less internet, less tv and more wine.

[Cant trust em]

55. Trying to think like republicans drives me to drink.

Trying to use logic by thinking like people who are illogical doesn't work.

[crawfish]

18. That's funny. I've noticed the exact opposite.

There seems to be a feeling that, while McCain can't galvanize Republican voters, Clinton can. I haven't met many R's that say McCain CAN beat Obama.

And I live in Texas...

[CyberPieHole]

21. K&R n/t

[denem]

22. Sometimes it's a simple as this: THEY DON'T LIKE HILLARY

They've spent 16 years loving to hate her and the still do. It's beyond politics. And has little to do with this election cycle.

[Vinca]

23. Actually, they've been pushing Hillary on us for more than a year.

They still want Hillary - why else is Limbaugh suggesting a fund raiser for her?

[elixir]

24. I totally agree. The MSM/GOP push Obama because he would be easier to beat in the GE.

[Barack_America]

25. They're pushing for Obama because they're the media and he is more marketable.

People are interested in Obama and tune in more to hear about him.

Making money is their primary motivation, any partisanship comes secondary to this.

[Mr.Fitzgibbons]

26. I totally agree with you -- it concerns me greatly because they sound just so eager

and therefore I am very suspicious regarding motives. And Obama is completely untested on the national stage, in debates and with all media scrutiny focused completely on him, which also worries me.

[glarius]

28. I hate to say this but I think it's because they don't believe a black man can be

elected.....particularly in the south. That's why they are pulling for Obama to be the candidate.

[in_cog_ni_to]

31. That's IT in a nut shell. They cannot wait to run against him. n/t

[OmahaBlueDog]

27. I think you have 3 factors here

1. Some Republicans genuinely support Obama. They like his positive optimism (a beloved Reagan trait), and see a need for change. Overall, though, I'd hypothesize that this is a small group.
2. Some Republicans and Indys are giving money to Obama because they see him as the easier target. The reasoning here is that conservative, white voters will be motivated to keep a man of color with a foreign sounding name out of the WH. I hypothesize that this is a small group.
3. Some Republicans, Indys, and even Dems are sending money to Obama -- even if he is not the man they will vote for in the GE -- because they HATE Hillary Clinton. I don't know why, but she does incite a love-her-or-hate-her reaction. To these people, Hillary getting elected would be as bad as, for example, Rush Limbaugh getting elected would be from our perspective.

[LittleClarkie]

30. Oh sure, that's why Rush offered to do fa undraisers for Hillary

and why the conservatives in my area are thinking about voting for her in our Wisconsin primary since their side has been decided. Keep her in so we can win, said Rush.

[glarius]

34. Do you honestly believe Rush would be telling you who they want to run

against in order to win? Couldn't he, and the others be trying to lull you into false security?
The reason I'm sounding sort of paranoid is that the Republican right wingers had some of their people come up here during our last election and showed the Conservative Party how to use the media to fool enough of the population into believing that the leader, Stephen Harper was a middle of the roader. Canada has always leaned left but enough were fooled about him that he is now our Prime Minister. Thank God he only got a minority government, but even with that he has done some damage already.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

33. Of course we've noticed.

[sidwill]

35. No, not really.

BUt every Repub I know hates Hillary with the white hot passion of a million fiery suns.

[AtomicKitten]

36. FACT: They are praying for Hillary because she and only she can unite their base - in hatred.

[jackson_dem]

39. Obama will too just like Kerry and Gore did

Obama's negatives will be high by November just like Kerry and Gore's were. Hillary's will stay the same since they have already thrown the kitchen sink at her for 16 years.

[AtomicKitten]

51. The GOP reserves a particular brand of ugly for all things Clinton.

Perhaps you missed the 1990s?

[jackson_dem]

60. Remember the swiftboating and what they did to Harold Ford in 2006?

[loveangelc]

37. It's beyond obvious that they want to face Hillary in the general election

but if her supporters can't see that...oh well. we see how quickly she has already squandered her huge national leads, do you not think that has any implications for a general election? its frustrating how people cannot see the obvious in nominating hillary...

[SteppingRazor]

40. When you consider that Republicans say the same thing when talking among themselves...

it becomes a bit difficult to believe that all of this "we can beat Hillary but not Obama" stuff is merely a grand exercise in reverse psychology.

[COFoothills]

41. Seriously...facing Obama scares the crap out of the Repubs

They have been preparing for and building for an opposition to Hillary for years. That's easy. They've got that gig canned and ready to roll out as soon as she is the nominee.

Obama is much much trickier to defend against for them.

[mopinko]

44. 1st rule of politics- excite your own base, lull theirs to sleep.

hillary is not going to do either of those things.

[COFoothills]

46. She will do EXACTLY the opposite

Excite the opponents base. Lull your own base to sleep.

[mopinko]

48. yup

be a real shame if dems don't wake up to that fact before it is tooooo late.

[JKaiser]

47. my point exactly! Reverse psychology..

[JKaiser]

49. They want to run against Obama so they the republicans will win.. Obama is weak

[maximusveritas]

52. So were Democrats lying when we said we wanted to face Romney

No, it was just the truth. And this is probably the same thing.
Could they be lying? It's possible, but why should we care what they think anyway?

[burythehatchet]

56. I think Obama should drop out of the race. Those crafty Repuiblicans

can't trick us.

[PATRICK]

58. The real media

about face two face will be their switch toward McCain because that will be strict marching orders as opposed to the peer fun talking points thing. What they are saying now is the initial acknowledgment of their belief Obama is getting the nod. They have been wrong before, but there is an additional reason to hype Obama.

Maybe they want to goad the still very powerful and possible Clinton candidacy into procedural and backroom moves that will destroy our party. They have openly speculated on this on air, scenarios based on 1968 all from their own GOP bias.

No, there isn't anything particularly smart about their bias and even when dishonest, not too hard to read. And when it is confused or given marching orders contrary to honest logic it certainly gives no impression of successful brilliance.

Who gives a damn what they say at this point? They are so anti-Dem this year and so plain stupid otherwise that nothing they say should be counted seriously. Now views by real Republican people ARE important. Many are considering Obama. Are there GOP enthusiasts on the more specific issues of a woman candidate or experiences that were SUPPOSED to be part of the Clinton victory in November? I don't know in all this hoopla. What is least worth paying attention too gets all the emotion and the noise, disgracefully so on a discussion board with better available to the more informed.

What not to count: media sportscaster pundits with heavy personal money on the GOP, slanderers, catcalling sadists(and if you check out their activities on topics unrelated to politics they are remarkably consistent in their pleasures and displeasures), the ignorant. Sure, the melting pot of politics has all of this stuff stinking up the brew, but just maybe we can strain out the meat and potatoes for DU. Someday.

[femrap]

59. My aunt is one of those crazy born again

evangelicals...talking to her is like talking to a brick wall. She says Obama is a Muslim. The Bible says they are going to infiltrate and take us over. McCain puts Huckabee on the ticket and this will get very nasty.

And all of those born agains will be voting. If you think convincing the American people that Saddam and Iraq were the attackers on 9/11, just think how easy it will be to convince them that Barack Hussein Obama is a Muslim.

Go to one of those crazy churches this Sunday and as they enter/leave, just ask about Obama and his religion. My aunt knows what the crazy people are doing and thinking.