The Establishment on the Rocks

 

shutterstock_304544159The base is done with The Establishment. They’ve had it with the same tired, compromised, money-soaked power-brokers who feel entitled to votes and they’re looking for someone to shake things up and send a message. Yes, it seems New Hampshire Democrats are fed up:

It is part of Mrs. Clinton’s play to win New Hampshire, which is shaping up to be a vital state for the candidate once seen as the inevitable 2016 Democratic presidential nominee. With Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders drawing close in Iowa, and Vice President Joe Biden weighing a South Carolina launch pad, New Hampshire may wind up as critical to Mrs. Clinton’s path to her party’s nomination.

New Hampshire turned her husband into the self-declared “comeback kid” in 1992 after a second-place finish, and it revived then-New York Sen. Clinton’s 2008 run after a loss to Barack Obama in Iowa. Now, the Clinton campaign is trying to win it again by closing the gap with Mr. Sanders, who has moved ahead in polls. While Mrs. Clinton still leads in Iowa, neither she nor her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has prevailed in the caucuses when there was a competitive race.

[…]

Last week, Mrs. Clinton drew about 600 people to a forum on college costs at the University of New Hampshire, and she told the crowd she was thrilled that an overflow room was needed to accommodate them. Two days later, some 3,000 people came out to see Mr. Sanders on the same campus.

Here’s something to consider: Clinton’s not going to get better. There’s no untapped potential here, no latent talent waiting to burst forth if only given the chance. Moreover, Democrats have seen Hillary Clinton perform at this level before and — eight years ago — they decided to pass on her in favor of the new shiny.

Now, Clinton’s eight years older and has not only the burden of her husband’s baggage, but an increasingly heavy load of her own. She can’t blame the last eight years on the incumbent as she could in 2008, the good parts of her husband’s legacy are wildly out of date, and America’s already had a “transformative,” history-making election.

Betting against the Clintons is generally not a good idea, and it’s hard to see how Bernie Sanders ends up in the White House. Biden’s a slightly different matter — I mean, people clearly are willing to put him the proverbial one-heartbeat away — but it’s a tougher journey from the Naval Observatory to the White House than we generally credit. Sure, there may be some dark horse lurking in the shadows that will make us all wonder how we didn’t see him coming, but it’s also late in the season.

The Democrats may well be stuck with Clinton. That’s looking increasingly good for us.

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  1. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    “Establishment on the Rocks” is a perfect name for a drink in honor of Boehner.

    It should be the title of the post about His departure.

    • #1
  2. billy Inactive
    billy
    @billy

    Great news!

    So once either Jeb!, Kasich, or Trump finally emerges from the primaries, it will be smooth sailing staight to the oval office.

    Rejoice, conservatives!

    • #2
  3. BrentB67 Inactive
    BrentB67
    @BrentB67

    Jimmy Carter:“Establishment on the Rocks” is a perfect name for a drink in honor of Boehner.

    It should be the title of the post about His departure.

    Why don’t we get one soon and plan a DFW meet up.

    • #3
  4. BrentB67 Inactive
    BrentB67
    @BrentB67

    billy:Great news!

    So once either Jeb!, Kasich, or Trump finally emerges from the primaries, it will be smooth sailing staight to the oval office.

    Rejoice, conservatives!

    Sounds more like the three stooges.

    • #4
  5. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    She will say anything to win. It is hard for a responsible person to run against someone like that.

    • #5
  6. Z in MT Member
    Z in MT
    @ZinMT

    billy:Great news!

    So once either Jeb!, Kasich, or Trump finally emerges from the primaries, it will be smooth sailing staight to the oval office.

    Rejoice, conservatives!

    I can taste the sarcasm.

    • #6
  7. Mike Hubbard Inactive
    Mike Hubbard
    @MikeHubbard

    It’s entirely possible that Hillary Clinton is flaming out too soon.  I don’t think Bernie Sanders could beat ¡Jeb!, but Martin O’Malley or Elizabeth Warren probably could.

    Plus, if The Donald somehow wins the GOP nomination, it wouldn’t surprise me if, say, Ted Cruz decided to make a third party run for the presidency.  There are many, many ways in which 2016 can surprise us still.  Two months ago, I don’t think anybody would have predicted that Scott Walker would have flamed out before any votes were cast.  The Iowa Caucuses are set for February 1, which is fully four months away.

    • #7
  8. BrentB67 Inactive
    BrentB67
    @BrentB67

    Mike Hubbard:It’s entirely possible that Hillary Clinton is flaming out too soon. I don’t think Bernie Sanders could beat ¡Jeb!, but Martin O’Malley or Elizabeth Warren probably could.

    Plus, if The Donald somehow wins the GOP nomination, it wouldn’t surprise me if, say, Ted Cruz decided to make a third party run for the presidency. There are many, many ways in which 2016 can surprise us still. Two months ago, I don’t think anybody would have predicted that Scott Walker would have flamed out before any votes were cast. The Iowa Caucuses are set for February 1, which is fully four months away.

    I couldn’t agree more. We’ve seen the rage of Trump, the rise of Carson, the exit of Walker, and the early scrutiny of Fioirina  and that is just on Ricochet in the last 4 weeks.

    Either of us may be mentioned as potential VP’s before Christmas at this rate.

    • #8
  9. billy Inactive
    billy
    @billy

    BrentB67:

    billy:Great news!

    So once either Jeb!, Kasich, or Trump finally emerges from the primaries, it will be smooth sailing staight to the oval office.

    Rejoice, conservatives!

    Sounds more like the three stooges.

    Yeah, I’m still not over the fact that my top two choices in the GOP field have dropped out a full four months before the Iowa caucus.

    But given time, I am sure I’ll be on the John Kasich bandwagon.

    • #9
  10. BrentB67 Inactive
    BrentB67
    @BrentB67

    billy:

    BrentB67:

    billy:Great news!

    So once either Jeb!, Kasich, or Trump finally emerges from the primaries, it will be smooth sailing staight to the oval office.

    Rejoice, conservatives!

    Sounds more like the three stooges.

    Yeah, I’m still not over the fact that my top two choices in the GOP field have dropped out a full four months before the Iowa caucus.

    But given time, I am sure I’ll be on the John Kasich bandwagon.

    I hope not. That is one bandwagon I would like to see off the cliff and bouncing on the jagged rocks to the bottom of the canyon.

    • #10
  11. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    BrentB67: Sounds more like the three stooges.

    The Three Stooges were funny…

    • #11
  12. Rightfromthestart Coolidge
    Rightfromthestart
    @Rightfromthestart

    We’ll know where the media is when they start telling us any day now that Biden is brilliant , he’s just been hiding it all these years.

    • #12
  13. Big Ern Inactive
    Big Ern
    @BigErn

    I believe the big news here is that Boehner’s resignation has cleared the way for his Presidential bid.

    • #13
  14. profdlp Inactive
    profdlp
    @profdlp

    BrentB67:

    Either of us may be mentioned as potential VP’s before Christmas at this rate.

    I hereby state, and mean all that I say, that I never have been and never will be a candidate for (Vice) President; that if nominated by either party, I should peremptorily decline; and even if unanimously elected I should decline to serve.

    • #14
  15. John Hendrix Thatcher
    John Hendrix
    @JohnHendrix

    Rightfromthestart:We’ll know where the media is when they start telling us any day now that Biden is brilliant , he’s just been hiding it all these years.

    Then I’d like Biden to take some that that “brilliance” out of wherever he’s been hiding it and show it to us.

    • #15
  16. BrentB67 Inactive
    BrentB67
    @BrentB67

    John Hendrix:

    Rightfromthestart:We’ll know where the media is when they start telling us any day now that Biden is brilliant , he’s just been hiding it all these years.

    Then I’d like Biden to take some that that “brilliance” out of wherever he’s been hiding it and show it to us.

    He showed it at the 2012 VP debate. It is fun joking about Old Joe, but when he is in the ring he is formidable. The years may have dulled some of his punches, but he knows when and how to throw them.

    • #16
  17. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    Play out this scene in your mind.  Sanders continues to gain momentum while Clinton loses it, until it’s clear that Bernie is very likely to be the nominee.  Wouldn’t you like to be in the room when a Clinton staffer has to tell Hillary about the offer from Team Sanders to let her by Bernie’s VP?  There would be some broken furniture and/or bones.

    • #17
  18. John Hendrix Thatcher
    John Hendrix
    @JohnHendrix

    BrentB67:

    John Hendrix:

    Rightfromthestart:We’ll know where the media is when they start telling us any day now that Biden is brilliant , he’s just been hiding it all these years.

    Then I’d like Biden to take some that that “brilliance” out of wherever he’s been hiding it and show it to us.

    He showed it at the 2012 VP debate. It is fun joking about Old Joe, but when he is in the ring he is formidable. The years may have dulled some of his punches, but he knows when and how to throw them.

    (Snicker)  Wasn’t that the debate where Biden–while thumping his chest about his own Constitutional prowess–wrongly placed the Executive Branch in Article I of our Constitution?

    • #18
  19. Brian Clendinen Inactive
    Brian Clendinen
    @BrianClendinen

    profdlp:

    BrentB67:

    Either of us may be mentioned as potential VP’s before Christmas at this rate.

    I hereby state, and mean all that I say, that I never have been and never will be a candidate for (Vice) President; that if nominated by either party, I should peremptorily decline; and even if unanimously elected I should decline to serve.

    Sorry but that is against the law. If the president says your the V.P. your the V.P. can’t do much about that. I mean the only real power you have is breaking tied votes in the Senate and do you actually have to set foot in D.C. to due that?

    I mean there is a good probability you would not even have to due that since the last time there was a tied vote in was in 2008. There has been many time periods were 4 or more years went by were the V.P. did not have to break a single tied vote.

    I mean you get paid 240k a year to due nothing plus a cushy pension and a mansion to stay in free of charge if you actually want to set foot in D.C.

    Is that not pretty much everyone’s dream job?

    • #19
  20. profdlp Inactive
    profdlp
    @profdlp

    240K per year?  Hmmmm, I may have to reconsider.  Or do it for the people, or something.

    • #20
  21. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Big Ern:I believe the big news here is that Boehner’s resignation has cleared the way for his Presidential bid.

    McConnell has made Boehner’s job very difficult and thus performance evaluation difficult for those of us who would like to see Democrats , including the President, vote on issues and defend their positions. I’d like to see a different kind of leader in the Senate.

    • #21
  22. Carey J. Inactive
    Carey J.
    @CareyJ

    Bob Thompson:

    Big Ern:I believe the big news here is that Boehner’s resignation has cleared the way for his Presidential bid.

    McConnell has made Boehner’s job very difficult and thus performance evaluation difficult for those of us who would like to see Democrats , including the President, vote on issues and defend their positions. I’d like to see a different kind of leader in the Senate.

    I’d like to see a leader in the Senate, period.

    • #22
  23. E. Kent Golding Moderator
    E. Kent Golding
    @EKentGolding

    BrentB67:

    billy:Great news!

    So once either Jeb!, Kasich, or Trump finally emerges from the primaries, it will be smooth sailing staight to the oval office.

    Rejoice, conservatives!

    Sounds more like the three stooges.

    Do NOT insult Curly, Larry and Moe by comparing them to Jeb!, Kasich and Trump.     Anyone of them would be better candidates, and more entertaining.

    • #23
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