As Republicans Compete for Extreme Rightimages.huffington...
As Republicans Compete for Extreme Right
Added 2007 days ago in Opinion
online.wsj.com — As Hillary Clinton huddled with advisers not long ago, she was pressed to stake a position popular with the party's left-leaning voters on one issue. But the presidential front-runner resisted. It wasn't her position.

"If I do what you all want me to do, I'll look great for the next couple months," she said, according to one insider's account. "But what if I'm the nominee? I'll be ripped apart by the Republicans. And what if I'm the president? My hands will be tied."

The New York senator's response captured the tension at the core of her 10-month-old presidential bid, and helps illuminate why she has hit a dangerously bumpy stretch as January's first nominating votes near. Sen. Clinton actually is running two campaigns at once - courting left-leaning Democrats to get the nomination, but mindful even now of maintaining a sufficiently centrist course to withstand Republican attacks and win election next November.

Beyond that, Sen. Clinton views her campaign as a template for her possible presidency. Having witnessed Bill Clinton's early struggles reconciling campaign promises with governing - and guided by his private advice now - she knows first hand that what candidates say now for political points can haunt them as president. Close advisers call this caution her "responsibility gene."

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Posted by Jane60
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What political position would win your vote for the Democratic Presidential Race?
Very Liberal
17%
Liberal
19%
Moderate Liberal
23%
Conservative Liberal
13%
Voting Republican
29%
This is not a scientific survey, click here to learn more. Results may not total 100% due to rounding and voting descrepencies.
User Comments
HStern
Posted 2007 days ago
0 up votes, 0 down votes
It's pretty interesting that Liberals are fighting for some middle ground while the Republicans are fighting and competing for who's more conservative trying to out do each other.
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