During a press conference ealrier today, Hillary Clinton stated without hesitation that she'd bring the troops home from Iraq if they're still there when she takes office. So far as I can tell, the MSM is warming to that statement like a thirsty man to water. As I predicted, this gauntlet has been thrown down in a direct effort to undermine the Republican position.

Here's my question for the panel. How does a 2008 GOP hopeful counter this very specific statement of intent?

I think her whole statement was a mistake. First, she said if she was President in 2003, we wouldn't have gone to war...but yet as a Senator, she voted for it! What does that mean?

Plus, saying unconditional withdrawal starting Jan 20, 2009 no matter what the situation is is also a mistake. It may look attractive now, but who really knows what the situation will be by then. For all we know things could be going very well and most of troops are out anyway but the Iraqi gov't still needs some help, or we could be locked in a fierce regional war including Iran and maybe other countries.

I already have my vote reserved for McCain. He is the best man we got going for this country, and I think he has the potential to be the best President since Reagan.

Hillary is trying to connect to her core supporter base but she cant change the vote that she voted for the war in Iraq. I have dealt with Iraq elsewhere on ATS so I wont go into what I think of Hillary plan for a withdrawl from Iraq.

Originally posted by xpert11
Hillary is trying to connect to her core supporter base but she cant change the vote that she voted for the war in Iraq.

She's already recanted as much as she can by saying that she was lied to like everyone else. Sticking to that, while still supporting the troops, will be her formular for overcoming that deficit. Anyone who doesn't like her will remember that she voted for the war when they vote.

The maneuvering on Capital Hill to craft a non-binding resolution which would express a lack of faith in the President's war plan is a calculated risk, but one worth taking when you look at this in pure political terms. If Bush's gamble fails, those up for re-election in '08 who voted agaisnt it will be irevocably smeared.

I'm not looking forward to seeing my team get kicked in the teeth again, but I do think that Mr. Bush's planned surge will be too little too late. I like the change in tactics which I do think would have worked if they had been used from the start. In this context, I think the GOP will suffer even if the final resolution out of Congress is ewak and watered down.

For this reason, I think Hillary will be the biggest beneficiary of the anti-war backlash.

I will be very truthful to any Republicans that wants to see their party win the presidency in 2008 . . .

With the candidates that the Repulican party have . . . none will take Hillary but Gulliani if she makes it to the primaries but she been a woman is another candidate that is no obama that can take away that chance. . . within the democratic party.

McCain is a death duck, unfortunately he is not going to cut it for the party. . .

Remember People wants out of Iraq not more of Iraq.

Gulliani is right now the best man for the job against Hillary and even Obama.

Now I will leave what I think about the democrats that can take Hillary in the primaries on the demcorats thread.

Rudy is looking to me like a man with cold feet. His hesitation to file for an exploratory committee is telling. It's worth remembering that establishing those organizations also means opening certain types of bank accounts which the law requires.

The money has started to flow early in this race. Current indications are that most ofthe conservative money is moving toward McCain, who already has the necessary accounts in place. Conservative backers are at this time divided, and it shows in the lack of declared candidates.

In the same way that Al Gore has a lot to think about now, so does Rudy. He's in demand as a consultant and he is for the most part his own man. those who really know what goes on in a President's world can tell you that it's a hard life. My read on Giuliani is htat he just doesn't want it and he can't afford to say 'no' without offending the people who can make him or breka him. If he stalls long enough, the matter will be decided for him.

From A Republican perspective if Rudy dosnt run the party will lose its best chance of winning in 2008.
On the Republican side who else is as well known and not some how connected to the mess in Iraq ?

Well people it seems that perhaps the Republican party may have a change after all, Gulliani will run for president after all.

So I guess Hillary will have to work harder, because so far he is the one to be the best choice to go against her.

And I even will forgive him his personal life littler dirty rags.

Just for the sake of discussion, how would you advise him to come out on the Iraq war? Would you suggest that he do a Hillary, or be more like McCain? It's not an easy question to answer when you stop to think about it. What might you say to him?

Actually the strategic for the 2008 will be Iraq, and more Iraq and how to get the heck out of that mess.

Hilary pull her best line, now Gulliani will have to come with something that will have to hang between Hilary and McCain . . . I imagine that he will do a neutral . . ."We most fight terror and keep the nation safe" pulling a couple of his best moments after 9/11 as the mayor . . . and a strong stance on how long he will get our troops of Iraq . . .

This one will be worth waiting and see.

Sorry Marge.

Do you get TIME Magazine?

They did a great article on dems and reps running for pres using a rating system in their last issue.

Rudy is not conservative enough to win primaries..

McCain has the best shot .. as of right now anyways.

I know I am voting for him. I will NOT vote for Rudy. Hes a liberal if you ask me.. and if Hilary wins im moving out of the country. Seriously.

You will not move anywhere, remember politicians comes screw the country for their best interest and private agendas and then another will come to take their place.

I liked McCain in 2000 better than I did Bush. Now the issue of Iraq is not going to give McCain a chance, I rather have Gulliani that he will turn very much moderate to be able to win the primaries and people will like him.

McCain doesn't have a chance against hillary. . . she is to popular and well known.

But she will have a hard time against Gulliani because he is also popular and well known.

[edit on 5-2-2007 by marg6043]

I think hat Giuliani will have to stake out a position on the war that is not wishy-washy. He's got to be for it or against it if he's going to have any chance of getting the 'stank' off him that will plague any Republican in 2008. If he can't show that he's different-different, he won't get traction.

If I were to advise hm, I'd have to say that he would need to speak out against the failings of hte war. He can hug the middle ground by saying that the war is neccesy, but it is being run badly. He would need to be much more firm and passionate on this issue than his competition. With the right speech writer, he could be passionate and positive.

Would that be enough? My sense ofthe country's mood just now is one of frustation and intolerlance of failure. Rudy would have to carry a lot of his team's water to convince the right people...which would be you and me, by the way.

I agree Justin, I pretty much already can see how he will become a player, he needs to be out there with the public, take criticism well and laugh at the jokes coming his way.

Hillary is doing just that.

He will have to sugar coat his stand on abortion and gays, also he will have to start going to church or at least use his challenge with cancer to put up a faith front and he will have to become very moderate.

With the right team he will make it.

LOL no I swear I am not kidding I will move. I see economic hard times under her rule.

McCain just comes off as a real guy to me.. I loved his book.

McCain to me is also much much more moderate then some of the other Republicans wanting to run.. and I HATE hardcore Republicans as much as I hate hardcore Liberals lol. Gulini comes off to left for my liking, won't vote for him.. he seems fake. Hillary. Don't get me started. I honestly think shes as evil as Condi.. who I think may be a spawn of Satan lol.. ever see her eyes? creepy as hell thats what I think. I know many people won't vote for her because shes a female. I know several democratic women who refuse to vote for her because she let Bill treat her like crap cheating on her like that and not doing anything out of ambition. I think shes over hyped... when I see her rallies... I see middle aged white suberbanite women. Obama has no stance on ... anything at all actually lol.. but I know whites won't vote for a black man yet... people won't admit race matters, but most people wouldnt tell a fat person their fat to their face either. IMO ... anything is possible though

This what people wants, Rock, they want, changes, they want fresh candidates with fresh Ideas. . . they want new faces and somebody that can take our troops of Iraq.

If McCain keeps talking bout the war and defending sending more troops into it . . . with not a very good and credible agenda that he can prove that is gong to work Americans will turn their backs on him.

People are fed up with Iraq been priority over our nation.

We survived Bush we will survive any other politician that takes the white house, we never know how this people turn like until they are in the presidential seat.

But between Hillary and Gulliani, people will vote Gulliani.

The news cycle for this week is being dominated by the Lisa Nowak astronaught scandal. So far as I can tell, the front runners in both major political parties are using the down-time to plot and scheme without having to get in front of the camera.

If Giuliani is the new front-runner for the GOP, he could be using this week to think about how he needs to craft his message or re-invent. To what extent does he need to re-invent? I would think that he should come out with a documentary of some sort that reminds everyone why he's great and why we should vote for him.

Originally posted by Justin Oldham
I would think that he should come out with a documentary of some sort that reminds everyone why he's great and why we should vote for him.

It seems to me that the 9/11 theme has been played out by the current administration to the point that it is of no use to most Republican candidates for any office, but particularly the presidency. Americans want to put 9/11 and the subsequent US military actions in the rear view mirror and move forward in a new direction. This is real bad news for Rudy, because his strength is inextricably connected to the subsequent military actions in the ME.