Running against Hillary!

[camaraderie]

ALL Repubs here..So...assuming Hillary gets the nomination and we are at June of '08...what will be the key issues on which the election will turn and what should the republican positions be??
I am going to list a few topics and suggest that we consider WHAT WILL HILLARY SAY?...and how to beat her.
1. National Security
2. The Economy
3. Medical Care
4. Immigration/Borders
5. Abortion
6. Taxation

Pick an issue...tell us what Hillary will say...and what RudyMittFredHuck should say. Dems here may feel free to pick apart the responses as "simulated Hillary's" !! (g)

[Fstbttms]

A Republican beating the Democratic nominee? ANY Democratic nominee? Bwahahahahahahahahaha!

[TSteele65]

Hillary is their wet dream, so they can drag out all the ******** we heard during Bill's administration. And really, that's the only thing the GOP nominee will have to run on; the GOP's record over the last six years is an absolute disaster in every sense of the word, so they're stuck with the "blame Clinton" defense (which they drag out at every opportunity anyway).

[CapnHand]

Did anyone see South Park episode 119? Life imitating art. Again.

Episode 1104 may also be relevant.

Sorry if I appear cynical. We recently had a provincial election. The choices were:

The lying liberal weasel
The flip-flopping conservative ninny
The socialist without a chance
The green party without a clue

I voted for the weasel, at least you can be pretty sure that he's not going to do what he says. With the flip-flopper, you never know what could happen. Voting for the other two in this riding was equivalent to staying home.

[joeybkcmo]

I'm going with FSTBTTMS on this one

[Sailormon6]

For the most part, Hillary, or...whomever...is not going to run against the Republican presidential nominee. She's going to continue the drumbeat attack on George Bush and his administration. They're going to blame him for every bad thing that happens in this country, from bird flu, to the west coast fires, to the murder rate in Baltimore, to poverty in Mississippi, to the bankruptcy rate, and on and on, ad infinitum.

The Dems won't suggest any specific solutions for the nation's most difficult and complex problems, because the plain truth is that, notwithstanding their delusions to the contrary, they and their expert advisers aren't really any smarter than President Bush and his expert advisers, and it's really, really hard to solve really complex problems. If they don't have the answer to a particularly difficult problem, or, if they don't think the voters will like their proposed solutions (such as a massive tax increase or a spending increase), then they'll just suggest that they have an answer, but they won't tell you what it is. If you vote for them, you'll be buying a pig in a poke.

For the past several years, the Dems have been beating the drums to force President Bush to get us out of Iraq, but they have always known that it is unrealistic. They haven't demanded it of the President because they really believe it's the right thing to do---they have demanded it because they want to engender hope for a quick peace among their liberal constituency. Their liberal constituents now expect that a Democrat White House will put a quick end to the war and occupation, but the truth is that it won't happen. Hillary has already made it clear that she won't pull our troops out of Iraq, and I'll predict, right now, that American voters will neither nominate, nor elect anyone who proposes that we pull out now. American voters are smart enough to know that withdrawing from Iraq is not the right thing to do, and Hillary is smart enough to jump on that bandwagon, if it'll get her elected.

Because the Dems are going to base their campaign on the relentless disparagement of everything that has been done by the administration of President Bush, the Republicans' only alternative is to defend the Bush administration against the onslaught. That won't be difficult to do. President Bush successfully prosecuted three wars [(1) The war in Afghanistan, (2) the war to depose Saddam Hussein, and (3) the war against the Baathists, Al Quaeda, Syria, Iran, and all the interlopers who tried to prevent the establishment of a new Iraqi government]. In addition, President Bush removed both the Taliban and Saddam Hussein from power, defused the North Korean nuclear threat, which was once considered the greatest threat then facing the United States (through diplomacy, I might add), secured this country from terrorism, and generated a vibrant economy. The list of successes of the Bush Presidency is really breathtaking, when you think about it. No President since Franklin Roosevelt has been confronted by such serious crises, and has faced them so successfully. The 9/11 attack was an invasion of our homeland, but President Bush didn't just fight the invaders here, at home. He took the battle to them, and fought it on their turf. Far more was at stake here than was at stake in Korea or Vietnam. In those wars, our safety and security in our own homeland was not in jeopardy. President Bush has been unwavering in his determination to succeed, despite any opposition at home or abroad. Oh no, it won't be difficult to defend President Bush's record.

I know most Republicans have been tremendously dispirited by the ceaseless and brutal attacks the Dems have made against President Bush, and some of us are even more dispirited by the fact that many misguided, but otherwise loyal Republicans have abandoned one of the greatest Presidents of our time, and those good Republicans have to be brought back into the fold, but they're thoughtful people, and it can be done. The Republicans have to screw up their courage, and be bold, and defend their man, and regain their lost unity, but the door is standing wide open for them to walk back into the White House.

[TSteele65]

...of course, all of the above ignores the fact that the Bush administration deserves every bit of "disparagement" it has coming. Or was it some other nefarious Bush administration which has turned everything it has ever touched to ****?

The war in Afghanistan has not been successfully prosecuted; witness the resurgence of the Taliban in most areas outside Kabul and the booming opium industry.

The war to "depose Saddam Hussein"? Is that the latest explanation? From what I remember, it was to remove the imminent threat of WMDs. Of course, none were found, so I guess this will have to do. In any case, Bush screwed that one beyond recognition, too.

As for the war against the "interlopers" and their quest to disrupt the Iraqi Govt, I'd say the Iraqi gov't (such as it is) has managed to to screw itself without any outside help. The sectarian divisions that existed in Iraq prior to the invasion are centuries old and frankly beyond the understanding (or fixing) of most westerners, and those issues are what is driving the current stalemate within the Iraqi Parliament.

You'll excuse me if I laugh rather openly at your description of Bush's "success". But by all means, I encourage any GOP candidate to embrace them as you have - all the better for the Dems to sweep into the White House with a firm mandate.

[camaraderie]

Hillary on Immigration: (This from the HillaryClinton.com website)


Our immigration system is in crisis. The laws we currently have on the books are inadequate and no longer serve our best interests. As a nation, we place a premium on compassion, respect, and policies that help families, but our immigration laws don't reflect that.
Hillary has consistently called for comprehensive immigration reform that respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law. She believes comprehensive reform must have as essential ingredients a strengthening of our borders, greater cross-cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to our state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar.
Hillary strongly believes we need to do more to know who is in our country by securing our borders and ensuring that employers comply with the law against hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. She supports deploying new technology that can help stop the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country and an employer verification system that is universal, accurate, timely, and does not lead to discrimination and abuse by employers.
Along with these changes, Hillary believes we need to repair those broken portions of our immigration system that irrevocably damage families and force citizens and lawful immigrants to choose between their newly adopted country and living with their spouse or children. We have a national interest in fostering strong families. This is why she introduced an amendment during consideration of the immigration reform bill that would have taken steps to protect the sanctity of families. Our American values demand no less.
And Hillary understands that our immigration policies have a direct impact on American workers. She opposes a guest worker program that exploits workers and creates a supply of cheap labor that undermines the wages of U.S. workers. Hillary believes all workers deserve safe conditions and decent wages. She supports an Ag Jobs program, which will keep our agricultural industry vibrant while enabling agricultural workers to receive the fair wages and labor protections they ought to receive.
When Hillary is president, comprehensive immigration reform will be a top priority.
*********************
As vague as the above is...I think there is plenty to attack here for repubs that will resonate with the party faithful AND with independents.

First...she wants comprehensive immigration reform...that is DemSpeak for AMNESTY for the illegals that are here (with perhaps an exception for those 500,000 criminals also incarcerated). Most Americans want the border fence built and the border sealed. Hillary wants to issue drivers licenses!

Most Americans recognize the need for "guest workers" but don't want "guests" who are here illegally to get a pass to the front of the line over those who would come here legally. And they don't want ANYTHING done on this while the border is porous.

Second..she advocates "deploying advanced technology" to stop illegal immigration. That is DemSpeak for "I don't want to build a wall. Walls work and we can't have that". The Republican candidate must pin her down on this and make her support or disdain the wall. The American people want the wall.

Third..she wants a path to earned legal status for those already here. Most Americans want no such thing for those who have already broken our laws, entering illegally, presenting false documentation for work, not paying taxes, and using our hospitals and schools for free medical and educational services.

Fourth..Hillary wants to " repair those broken portions of our immigration system that irrevocably damage families and force citizens and lawful immigrants to choose between their newly adopted country and living with their spouse or children." That's DemSpeak for come here illegally and have a baby who is now an American Citizen and change our laws so you can stay here to be with your American Citizen baby." Oh this one is really good...it's all about the children!! I have a better idea. Change the law so that merely being born here does not make you a citizen unless ONE of your two parents IS a citizen. Then we won't have to split up families when we send you back home south of the border!

Finally.. The Republican Candidate should offer his OWN vision for immigration reform.
1. A BUILT fence and sealed border first.
2. Sending illegals HOME as they are found and HARSH penalties for employers of illegals.
3. Strict controls on cross border money transfers
4. Proof of legal status required for non-emergency medical care, social programs and schools.
4. A national guest worker ID system for those who wish to work here legally AND who are needed.
5. Citizenship opportunities for those who come here legally and make America their country rather than simply their home.

NOTE...Feel free to attack or expand on this "plan". We have OTHER threads to discuss the pros and cons of immigration. THIS is about how republicans should EXPLOIT Hillary's weaknesses and win the election NEXT November.

[TSteele65]

So how do you propose to round up the millions of illegals and ship them home, and how are you going to pay for it? There are (conservatively) 5 million illegal immigrants in this country right now. Assuming the ridiculously low figure of $100 per head to find them, detain them, process them and put them on a bus or a plane, that still comes to over $500 billion; figure at least three times that.

And while you're contemplating that figure, include the loss of revenue from 5 million people who would not being buying goods and paying sales taxes.

[gclayton]

Impeach Hillary Now !!