Fuck me sideways with a chainsaw.

Oh, geez. As far as I can see from a very distant perspective, she’s one of the toughest politicians in the US at present, well capable of punching at the level of the GOP kleptocrats.

She is handicapped not by having a vagina, but by people’s opinion of her having Teh Vagina. In a Parliamentry system she’d have been co-opted into the front rank of some party long ago, regardless of her gender or who her husband is.

I think she’s a cold, calculating pol. I don’t like what little I know of her policies much. I also respect her, and recognise her talent. Your country is lucky in that both her and Obama are running, both of whom seem to be well capable of doing the job (and, not coincidentally, both of who are not drawn from the Pasty Male Pool).

That’s how she got to be a Senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn’t win it on her merit, she won because everybody felt, “My God, this woman stood up under humiliation, right? That’s what happened! That’s how it happened.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/01/09/chris-matthews-says-the-only-reason-hillary-became-a-senator-is-because-bill-messed-around/

All of our candidates have flaws. But, you know what? They aren’t anywhere close to as bad as the Republican choices. I mean, we have the option of voting for people who aren’t insane!! In these days, that’s actually not bad.

What Jeff said. I’m so excited about this presidential primary in a way that I was not in 2004 or 2000 where I felt like I had to hold my nose and vote (sorry, Al! But like Jimmy Carter, I believe Al Gore finds statesmanship a better home than politics). And it thrills me to see the Repugs circling the drain. People are so sick to death of Bush and his merry minions; the turnout for Dems vs. Repubs seems to prove this.

The thing about the Repubs possibly trying to steal any election (*coughcoughliketheydidin2004and2000*)is that people seem far more savvy and on their guard this time around. Either 1) this will mean the Repubs might not try as hard for fear of being found out or 2) if worst comes to worst, the fit will hit the shan in the most widespread, possibly revolutionary way.

I like to think that somewhere Steve Gilliard is having a good laugh over that, too…

It’ll be novel to be able to vote when the nomination is still undecided, though.

@ 135 Jason B Says: Thanks Rachel Maddow for being a woman, like all women, and blaming men while you ran behind Hillary Clinton’s skirt. What a shame. Women came out in a big way because they were sure the big bad men were picking on the little ol woman. Hillary played the gender card and Rachel ate it all up. And the worst part is, she turned around and blamed it on the men.

Significantly more. And it’s even better news when you consider the state’s party enrollment as listed above.