Trump is helping Bernie in NH and Iowa...

[kentuck]

By bringing up Bill Clinton's past, it is planting seeds of doubt in the minds of some Democrats that might have been supportive of Hillary in the presidential campaign. However, if Trump is bringing it up now, in the Democratic primary, then there is no reason to believe he and the Repubs will not bring up the "blue dress" and "rape charges" in the general election. Some Democrats may find that too much to cope with again. Some Democrats may think it helps Hillary or that it really doesn't matter? But is that playing with fire? Bernie may be a "socialist" but Hillary may be an "enabler" for a "sexual predator". Republicans will use the label that they think will benefit them the most.

[emulatorloo]

1. Hillary 'enabler' meme could backfire in the GE if it is Trump v HRC

I don't think it is impacting IA and NH democrats either. Democrats don't blame spouses for their partner's infidelity.

There are many reasons to vote for Bernie over HRC, that is why he is doing well in IA and NH.

For what it is worth, the 'enabler' meme was floated on DU yesterday, was not not well received by most Sanders supporters:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251996694

Article on General election from USA Today:

GOP women urge Trump to drop talk of Bill Clinton sex scandals
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/01/06/trump-bill-clinton-sex-scandals-republican-women/78352482/

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. It's amazing ...

For what it is worth, the 'enabler' meme was floated on DU yesterday, was not not well received by most Sanders supporters:

How many republican memes find their way to this message board.

[emulatorloo]

6. Yeah, amazing and incredible.

Maybe I am blinded by nostalgia, but DU didn't used to be that way in the past.

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. And, the few DUers that did it ... weren't around for long. eom.

[book_worm]

2. Well, it is interesting that she is starting to slide in both IA & NH just as Bill began actively

campagining for her. Not sure his presence on the trail is very helpful right now.

[kentuck]

7. You noticed.

Bernie has made a substantial jump in the polls in the last few days.

[Punkingal]

3. I have thought about this a lot, and wondered if it will garner the sympathy for them it once did.

I think Hillary was a victim personally, and don't consider her an enabler. And I think most democrats feel the same way.

At the same time, I just don't want to go there again....Clinton and sex. Not because Hillary is an enabler, but because I simply had enough of it back in the 90's. And I have less sympathy for him than I did then, now that I no longer hero-worship and see some of his policies for what they were, and see his character in a different light.

None of it would cause me not to vote for her if she is the nominee, but I wish it would just go away.

[restorefreedom]

27. i agree with the premise, that many will see her as a victim

but that is not enough. we don't need a victim of 20 year old crap in the wh. we need a warrior. we need bernie

and people want it to go away imo as much as you and i do.

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. You might be correct about trump helping Bernie in N.H, and Iowa ...

But, I would suggest it is NOT the G/E that trump is looking at ... Bill's zipper problem has never gone away; but, HRC survived it to become a Senator and was confirmed SoS. Trump is gaming the Democratic primary, hoping that he faces Bernie in the G/E.

[kentuck]

9. I think you are right.

This is not something the Clintons wanted to confront again, I don't think?

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. True; but, then, I have no doubt they knew it was coming ...

however, I think the Clintons thought ..."Democrats" would be more supportive than to pile onto ... NO, promote ... republican talking points.

[kentuck]

12. I'm not sure the Clintons thought it would be brought up...

They did not have to bring it up the last time she ran because she lost to Barack Obama. It will never go away.

[emulatorloo]

13. Trump's vigorous pounding of Bill Clinton's penis has limited appeal to mainstream voters

tea-baggers and free-republicans no doubt love it but they will never vote for a Democrat.

For example, The article I posted above indicates this nonsense is not playing well with Republican women.

Besides, as Bernie so eloquently put it, Hillary Clinton is not Bill Clinton.

[kentuck]

15. I think it may be the opposite of "appeal"...

and Democrats are not immune from such disgust. Many still think Al Gore would have done much better if he had not distanced himself from Bill Clinton?

[emulatorloo]

24. Sounds like you did not read the article I linked to about Republican women's reaction to Trump

strategy of Clenis obsession and painting HRC as an enabler.

before we go any further I don't beleive anyone is justifying BILL Clinton's infidelity. Nor is Bill Clinton for that matter

Aricle might be worth a quick skim if you get the chance but I'll summarize:

- some say use the smear
- some more say it distracts from real issues and he should drop it.
- some more say they would vote for Clinton if he keeps blaming HRC for her husband's infidelity.

If GOP women voters can see thru this BS, so can Dem Voters in IA and NH.

Here's a couple paragraphs:


GOP women urge Trump to drop talk of Bill Clinton sex scandals
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/01/06/trump-bill-clinton-sex-scandals-republican-women/78352482/

Republican women have a message for Donald Trump: Enough with Bill Clinton’s sex scandals.

It’s not that they’re waving Trump off the issue to help Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. On the contrary, they’re worried that the more Trump talks about a troubled period of the Clintons’ marital history, the more likely it could backfire and rally independent and even some Republican women to the side of the former first lady.

<snip>

Women voters are likely to recoil over Trump’s contention in recent interviews that the former first lady was an “enabler” of her husband’s liaisons, including his affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, said Nancy Dwight, a former National Republican Congressional Committee executive director.

“I’m uncomfortable with it, I just am,” Dwight said, adding that she particularly didn't like a candidate discussing it. “She was as aghast by her husband’s behavior as the rest of us," she said of Clinton. The Democratic front-runner has "a ton of trip-ups” that’ll be ignored if Bill Clinton's past becomes a dominant theme.

<snip>

[1StrongBlackMan]

14. Sure they knew it would come up ...

they just thought it would come up in the G/E ... not in the primaries ... by "Democrats".

[kentuck]

16. Trump is bringing it up...

and Bernie's poll numbers have surged in Iowa and NH. Perhaps it is just a coincidence? Maybe if we ignore it, it will go away?

[1StrongBlackMan]

25. True. Trump is bringing it up ...

and certain "Democrats" are pushing the "Oh, this is big" narrative.

[kentuck]

28. True.

[CoffeeCat]

30. Why would Trump want to face a tougher opponent?

In most national GE polls, Bernie beats Trump by wider margins than Clinton. Bernie trounces Trump.

The most recent polls show Bernie amassing even stronger GE numbers against Trump.

The recent WSJ poll showed Bernie beating Trump in Iowa in the GE by 13. Clinton only beats Trump by 8

The same poll also shows Bernie beating Trump in New Hampshire by 19, while Clinton only beats Trump by 1.

http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/poll-neck-neck-2016-races-iowa-new-hampshire-n493361

[kentuck]

31. That same poll showed Bernie defeating Ted Cruz by 19 points also...

Mostly from the strength of independents.

[1StrongBlackMan]

33. Trump is calculating that HRC would be the tougher opponent ...

Yes ... the polling has Bernie beating trump by larger margins than HRC; but, 1) not by much, and 2) this is after HRC has been thoroughly vetted, whereas, Bernie has not.

Trump's estimation, and I agree, is Bernie has farther to fall when attacked.

[CoffeeCat]

35. False arguments

Bernie has been vetted. There is no "there" there. He's run for office several times. It's not like he's some obscure figure who suddenly emerged from a cave to run for President.

Please.

And Hillary and her "Foundation" have not been vetted. That thing is a petri dish of potential scandals.

Hillary has been vetted quite a bit. That's what scares me. All of the scandals and sexcapades are all ready hurting her in the primary--with Democrats! What happens, when this shineola is drudged up even more by the Republicans?

Nothing positive, I can tell you that much.

I'll take my chances with Bernie.

[1StrongBlackMan]

36. Wait ... Bernie has been vetted ... He's not obscure figure ...

But people will love him when they just get to know him and what he's about?

HRC has been attacked for 20+ years by the right (and now the left) and she has acquitted herself well ... Bernie, has yet to be hit at, at all, and he leads in some head to heads, by 5 points.

That does not speak well for his prospects; but, more importantly, the prospects of Democrats.

[NCTraveler]

37. Sanders has not been vetted nationally.

I simply thought that was known.

The op throws this garbage out there.

"Bernie may be a "socialist" but Hillary may be an "enabler" for a "sexual predator""

Yet there are two direct quotes from Sanders that have been repeatedly hidden by juries here. Sanders is so hands of with respect to being vetted that du's own system won't even allow for vetting.

[1StrongBlackMan]

38. I suspect ...

In America, the former critique would be far more damning; than, the latter ... as the first, comes directly from the candidate, himself, with literally hundreds of sound bite clips ... whereas, the latter is an unsubstantiated, once removed, narrative of partisans, opposed by the candidate.

[CoffeeCat]

39. Oh, so there's a special "national vetting" now!

What you're suggesting is not only ridiculous. It's laughable.

Plenty of Senators and Congress people who've never run for President have been thrown out of office, due to the rigorous (and somewhat vicious) spotlight and vetting process that members of Congress endure.

Bernie has been vetted. He's had a 26-year record of public service in the House and Senate.

You just can't stand it that Hillary is scandal-ridden and has so many problems. You have to continually pound the argument that Bernie maybe, could be, sorta-kinda might have something that could be possibly revealed sometime in the future. Or something or other.

You have no evidence of any wrongdoing by Sanders. None, whatsoever.

[Ferd Berfel]

10. THe ENTIRE Clown Car is helpiing Bernie EVERYWHERE

[libdem4life]

17. I can't believe she has him out campaigning. Chelsea, even with her baby, makes better

sense...although not much. Bill is not well, he has lost a lot...naturally...of what he had decades ago...as we all do. But this freezing weather can not be good for his heart. That's all she'd need...an ambulance to one of his events. Campaigning is hard work.

[MoonchildCA]

18. The only effect of Trump bringing up Bill Clinton's past is having on me...

...is making Trump seem even more disgusting and despicable than he already is.

And I'm a Sanders supporter...

[Glamrock]

22. Right on

What moonchild said!

[kentuck]

23. But is it possible...?

...that there may be other Democrats out there that would think differently from you?

[MoonchildCA]

34. Well, anything's possible, certainly.

But I would venture to guess that very few democrats base their decision about whether to vote for Bernie or Hillary on what Trump says about either of them.

[Skwmom]

19. He brought it up to shut them up about him - and it worked. n/t

[kentuck]

20. You are correct.

It worked. But Trump has not stopped talking about it, as far as I know?

[Skwmom]

32. It seems like he is pulling back. He wants to wait for the general. n/t

[Ivan Kaputski]

21. This is just the beginning of all the trash that's going regurgitate on Hillary.

[Mass]

26. Trump is helping Trump. Period.

And here, his hope is there may be some independents in NH who would have voted Hillary, do not want to vote for the big bad socialist and vote for him in the GOP primary. His success depend on independents showing up and voting. The more, the better for him.

Anyway, nobody in their right mind would have considered the GOP would not have brought the Clinton saga back in the election. You have to be very stupid to think this is behind us.

[kentuck]

29. But, it might be best for Hillary to get this issue out front now...

rather than later in the campaign? This could be the best thing to happen to Hillary?