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Please help Hillary STAY in the Senate!
This is going to be a very short post. But a positive post. And to my knowledge this is a new topic and a new insight.
Let's try positive reinforcement. We know it works better than negative reinforcement. Till now the message has been a negative call for a certain candidate to "drop out." Naturally, that call sounds like a call to eat something awful. And we should not be surprised that it doesn't seem to be working.
So let's refrain from negative reinforcement. And try a positive message instead:
Dear Hillary,
Please stay in the Senate!
Thanks!
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Comments (29)
Let's keep this thread positive. Help Hillary all you can - to keep her Senate job!
May 9, 2008 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
There needs to be another campaign to keep McCain in the Senate as well. But that one can wait.
May 9, 2008 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Keep Hillary as NY Senator!
I realize I made a major error. We must encourage her to remain in her current job... not seek VP (which would leave her in the Senate - but under a different title)
I apologize for any misunderstanding that may have occurred.
May 9, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll play along...
If Hillary Clinton stays in the Senate, AND if she's willing to re-focus her attention on her work in the Senate sooner rather than later, all of us can stop all the re-examination of the 90s that we're being forced to conduct. Since every day of her Presidential campaign brings more revelations about Bill and Hillary's true colors, I'd be happy to return to a time when I simply thought of him as the distinguished, admired Former President and her as the Junior Senator from Illino... Arkan... New York! I won't have to think about Presidential coattails and the end of 40 years of congressional dominance. I won't have to think about Newt Gingrich's contract on America. None of us will have to weigh the merits of elitism when it is being proposed by someone whose spouse made over $100 million... for talking, not influence peddling. We won't have to think about the "past due" notices stretched out from coast-to-coast, wherever her speaking tour has touched down.
And best of all, with Hillary Clinton back under that awful glass ceiling in the U.S. Senate, we can focus on getting a woman elected President. Hell, maybe her name will be Chelsea!
May 9, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bless you, my child!
Points off purgatory for that! Maybe a direct route to heaven!
Positive reinforcement for all who play along!
♪♪♪
May 9, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not just Hillary. All her peeps are needed elsewhere. Bill Clinton back to the lecture circuit! Chelsea Clinton back to McKinsey! Mark Penn back to fetid hole from whence he crawled!
PS Dick Cheney back to his undisclosed location!
May 9, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remission of many sins is yours, my son!
You have a great future. Go and sin no more!
♪♪♪
May 9, 2008 8:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
A rec from me, TheraP. I love the twistedness of your humor.
May 9, 2008 8:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
As you may know, clearthinker, "Logos" means "Mind" as well as "Word." Your name is therefore a worthy one and with this recommend, you have thereby earned twice the remissions, one for commenting and recommending; another for "your Name."
"twistedness" of my humor... well, better twisted than never, I guess!
May 9, 2008 8:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm a bit worried about that actually. Now that she's burned her bridges with the left and African Americans she might turn into another Lieberman.
May 9, 2008 8:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can well understand your concerns. But ultimately that's up to the voters of NY. In 4 more years. Unless she works to repair those bridges, they won't return her to her current job.
However, based on your concerns, it sounds like you're not in favor of her having any place on the Dem ticket.
At the moment I just want to make sure she feels encouraged to return to her Senate seat. (rather than keep dragging this out) It's carrot being offered - instead of a stick.
However, your comment is a positive one, even if a questioning one. And for that you earn the right to question any purgatory sentences you may have incurred to this point.
Go in Peace.
May 9, 2008 9:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Make sure she feels encouraged to return to her Senate seat."
Sounds like herding a cat. "Here Hilly. I've got some tuna treats."
Good luck with that.
May 9, 2008 11:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
"herding a cat"
Can't disagree with that!
For your excellent analogy
I'm ok with an apolalogy!
Yes, it may not succeed, but neither does a cat fight with this "cat."
You win many purgatory points on honesty! And put in such a positive way too!
May 10, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll play along too...by not playing.
Much as I want Obama as my next President, I would like to see Hillary stay in the Senate so that she can finally champion all of her causes that she has fought for all these years.
Children's welfare. Education. Health care issues. Women's rights.
As my state Senator (I'm from NY), I'm sure she's been championing these things already...although I haven't seen any indication, but then again, I don't have kids. Nor do I have an education. My health is good, I think. And last time I checked, I have rights.
I think.
May 10, 2008 1:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Your willingness to take her back - and rescue the whole country - shows you as a true blue Dem! And I suspect St. Peter will definitely give you a "pass."
Bravo!
May 10, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sure, let's keep her in as the junior senator from NY.
For now.
Come 2012, I am doing everything in my power to get her OUT, whether it means supporting her opponent in the primary, voting Republican, whatever. Hillary's GOTTA GO. Marginalize the Clintons, by any means necessary.
May 10, 2008 1:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I can see you are a strategic thinker! And thus will have no trouble navigating both purgatory and heaven on your own. Clearly your words indicate strategic thinking to avoid the dark side. And we're mighty glad to have you on our side!
Dark side avoider gets you lots of points. But beware willingness to use any and all means... though something tells me you have a conscience and you didn't mean it to its utter "dark side" connotations. (I'm choosing to trust you.. and I think St. Peter will too.)
May 10, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
MonicaL is posting a cover story from tomorrow's NYT that indicates a new tone.
"Aides now say she regrets" the race comments from USAT.
And more importantly: "Clinton advisers say attacks on Mr. Obama are no longer enough to change the momentum or the outcome of the nomination race. So continuing to attack him on the campaign trail, at this point, would probably inflict more long-term harm on Mrs. Clinton than on Mr. Obama, her advisers said."
That's not quite a concession speech. But it's close enough for me.
May 10, 2008 1:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
The carrot works?
This is welcome news! I doubt it's shame that's the motivator here. Perhaps "political life support" is the purpose.
Maybe she can see that in order to keep her Senate job, she needs to rebuild some bridges. Reconstitute the ashes from those she's burned!
Well, I'm a believer that if someone changes in the direction you want to see, whatever the motivation might be.... good! (for now!)
For your good news, you're halfway to heaven!
May 10, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary could do some good things in the senate. I think more than half of the blame for her embarrassing performance has to do with her "handlers" trying to create a "brand."
There was a Republican analyst on NPR the other day talking openly about McCain's "brand" as a "maverick."
So odd to think of political canidates openly being packaged and advertised as if they were products.
But I do feel that this has happened to Hillary, and has been painful to watch. From overseas. If I were actually in the country, it might be even more horrific.
May 10, 2008 1:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
You are a generous soul - willing to think the best of a person. Though your analysis does also suggest you view her as gullible and malleable. And blinded somehow. If such is the case she may be "tempted" by the carrots being held out here - by these new advisers - us - the blogging and voting public. Who are less gullible. Not living by a "brand."
You've given us all a warning! And for that, you may have not only bypassed purgatory yourself - but you may have brought the rest of us along with you - if we only stop our ears to the siren call of "The Brand."
May 10, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dear Hillary,
Reasons for remaining in the Senate:
1) As POTUS your time will end after 4 to 8 years.
2) Before you leave office:
a) your poll numbers will drop.
b) the Democrats will hate you
c) the Rethuglicans will hate you
d) everyone will blame you for the things you never did while in office.
3) Whereas as Senator:
a) you can remain in office forevah.
b) Just look at Strom Thurmond. He's still there, drooling into his bib, having more children and acquiring new wives. Oh, ooopsie, he's not there any more, but you get my point.
c) Longevity in office means long term power instead of the short-term power of that rinky-dink office of POTUS.
Thanks!
May 10, 2008 1:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is a lovely analysis of the kinds of things she needs to take into account!
Well Done!!!
Much soul searching could come from your analysis. One must ask: What do I really want to do with the rest of my life? Perhaps even... How can I atone? (maybe not she... but you never know...)
I think you're headed for a big role in the afterlife! A kind of administrative position up there! Rewards and Punishments meted out! Warnings given!
May 10, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
An architect I once knew said that if a building element was ugly but could not be changed, one should "paint it red and make a feature of it."
An element of Hillary's M.O. that is ugly (and frightening), but probably unchangeable, is her compulsion to gamble -- to beat the odds and "get away with something." She seeks not only escalating challenge, but also escalating risk -- hence her most recent antes of "obliterate Iran" and blatant racial divisiveness.
Let's take Hillary's compulsion for risk, "paint it red and make a feature of it" by offering her alternative career choices -- ones that represent even greater challenge and greater risk than the presidency.
I'll start the list; feel free to join in:
1) claiming ties to Pennsylvania, Illinois, Arkansas, and New York, Hillary can run for four Senate seats simultaneously;
2) claiming her wish to reconcile racial polarities, Hillary can run as the first female Caucasian head of the NAACP;
3) she can ask Al Gore for a job;
4) ?
May 10, 2008 8:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
You could join my profession! Not only are you an astute judge of character, you know the fun carrots to hold out!
Bravo!
I think you may have won heaven outright!
May 10, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
TheraP, I disagree with you. I don't think she should remain in the Senate. It will feel too small to a "fighter" like her, too constricted, and her fellow senators will seem like little people-with-big-bad-teeth to her.
I think she should dream bigger.
After a run like that where she pushed the race envelope, she pushed the gender envelope, she trafficked in flying kitchen sinks and became a generic working class white person, I think she should take her talents and put it into a big organization – something extra-legislative in intent, a uber-national NGO. Something like a National Association for the Advancement of All Americans (NAAAA)(if you wish to add more A's, feel free).
From there, with the help of her friends like Streptoccolupus, Carville, Begala and the grimly determined Lanny Davis, etc, she can formulate, outline and write big legislative bills and give them to her minions and get followers to picket Congress until all those bills pass.
Impossible, you say? Frankly, I cannot think anyone else could do it except Hillary. As for Bill, she can send him all over the world so he can get paid for speeches. Since she clearly has a very low opinion of speeches and speechmakers, he'll be out of her hair. So what if he's cavorting with ne'er-do-well females in every town he gives speeches in? This new position will also enable her to groom her daughter to run for Governor of NY in a few years.
Hillary needs BIG dreams, damn it!
Don't limit her to the Senate!
She's too big for the Presidency!
May 10, 2008 2:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
"She's too big for the presidency!"
Ok, I concede. With all the "balls" she's shown, the race is now beneath her.
Alright, I now call on Hillary to please learn to levitate! And enlighten us from that bird's eye position. Keep trying till you get it straight. I'm sure you can do it!
Evainne: You have lifted this task into the stratosphere! And I suppose that means you are already in heaven!
Thanks for setting me straight here.
Your humble servant, TheraP
May 10, 2008 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, I forgot to include -- -- -
Other functions of the NAAAAAA would be to give tutorials to people in Clin-tones.
Establish a couture house on creating and marketing a line of clothing and other gear for the aspiring pol.
Create a whole new line of kitchen sinks.
Create many theme amusement parks all over, where we can go to as tourists to hang out with hard working white Americans who slug back Crown Royal, hunt behind their cabins and guzzle beer.
May 10, 2008 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
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