Why I agree with Trump that there is a good chance that Hillary will drop out of the race and

[JDPriestly]

that the Democratic candidate will be Bernie.

It does go back to Benghazi, but not to hiding e-mails or claiming the raid on Benghazi was or wasn't terrorists.

Please see this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027082244#post40

It is true that Bush/Cheney set the stage, but I have long believed that the real problem has been over-optimistic assessments about the wisdom of arming and supporting the insurgents trying to unseat Assad.

The anti-Assad movement morphed into something that was foreseeable and preventable. And now it is completely out of control with money flowing in perhaps from the rogue state Qatar which also is alleged to have funded the building o the tunnels under Israel by certain Palestinian groups.

Hillary and Petraeus and maybe even Kerry are involved in some grievously erroneous bets in the Middle East.

Go, Bernie, Go.

Bernie is the curmudgeon we need in the White House. The only one with the life experience and the outspokenness to take on fools who think that there are easy solutions to the international chaos we now face.

Feel the Bern.

[Demeter]

1. More likely Hillary will be pushed out

I don't think Hillary would be realistic and get out while the getting is good. And I expect her to be a bad sport about it, too, and bad-mouth Bernie.

[artislife]

2. Remember how easily she gave up in 2008.

I think you are on to something.

[JDPriestly]

7. The Republicans, unlike many Democrats, are strategists.

When the whole hyperbole about Benghazi started, it was obvious that there was nothing there. Yet the Republicans kept talking and talking about it. Now the "scandal" over the e-mails and Jeb Bush's rather weak attempt to blame ISIS on Hillary.

The constant discussion of these matters, keeping this story that has little to it in the news, is intended to sensitize TV viewers and voters to watch out for scandals relating to Benghazi and Hillary.

Mystery stories are told by setting up a scenario and then dropping subtle hints as well as distractions (to keep the suspense and guessing up) and then at the end drawing the subtle hints into a time line and a story that solves the mystery. I don't think I explained that very well, but the fact is that stories have a certain course. Your curiosity as a reader or viewer is aroused. The mystery or issue that causes the suspense has to be just a bit hard to figure out or sometimes very hard to figure out to hold your attention. But in fact throughout the story, you are being fed information that helps you become a partner in solving the mystery.

That's how Republicans set up October surprises. They drop a lot of hints that make us curious, and then, whammy, theu provide us with information, true or false, that is confusing but that explains the mystery.

Unfortunately for Hillary, unless things change in the Middle East very quickly and ISIS becomes a story of the past, she is probably going to have a rough time explaining her role in the support of Syrian rebels who may have inadvertently or intentionally supplied arms to ISIS rebels and played a major role in getting ISIS on its way.

Benghazi as told up to now by the Republicans is a crackpot non-scandal. But Hillary has a problem with Benghazi. Why was her ambassador meeting with the Turkish ambassador in Benghazi when there were safer, better places to meet?

And now, I will go out on a limb. What are the names and roles of ALL THE PEOPLE who were present either in that meeting or in the nearby CIA compound at the time of the meeting.

And did we give weapons and material support to Syrian rebels? If so, who did we give them to and what did we provide? We need full disclosure on this.

Again, this goes to the question of Hillary Clinton's judgment.

We know that none of the Republicans have good judgment, but what about Hillary?

Personally the only candidate whose judgment I trust is Bernie. I think he would have handled the Middle East very differently and saved the country a lot of trouble.

[bigdarryl]

27. Hillary isn't the Current President unless American soldiers are

Attacked in a large scale as a whole the American people don't give a shit about Isis and what there doing in the middle east.The media would have you think that the people as a whole care but they don't she's been out of government for two years.And what's crazy about your theory is you say Hillary will get the blame and yet there are democrats who are cheering for Biden to get in the race.He's closer to the Administration than Hillary is so why wouldn't he get the blame for the mess

[JDPriestly]

29. There may be Democrats cheering for Biden to run. I am not among them, so

I don't disagree with you.

I think the ISIS problem is more important than you do. We disagree. That's OK>

I think we pulled another Afghanistan, repeating the same mistake we made in Afghanistan, in Syria.

I don't like Assad. He has killed his own people in sizable numbers.

But ISIS is a threat in that it will make a launching pad for terrorists if allowed to take and hold ground.

[delrem]

43. I don't think it's "OK".

I think there's something wrong about the person's casual dismissal of the destruction of two countries under SOS Clinton, fight after two were destroyed by the previous administration.

It's just wrong.

[Robbins]

3. I don't think she will drop out inless

she sees writing on the wall or the email mess morphs into something serious which it may be.not everything is right-wing plot.
I don't see anything In Benghazi.

If Bernie wins both Iowa and NH her lead collopses like house of cards.Iowa and NH always change the game.back in 2008 Hillary would have been done if Obama had won NH.NH allowed her to keep going.

Once Hispanics and Blacks learn more about Bernie the better he will do.

back In 2008 it took Iowa to cause Blacks to see Obama as viable candiate.also Hispanic voters were split with older ones liking hillary and younger one liking Obama.Younger voters like Bernie.which some might find a bit crazy that the oldest candiate is most
appealing to younger voters.

[merrily]

5. "Word" now is that New Hampshire and Iowa are not that important after all.

South Carolina is what really matters.

[Robbins]

12. Of course they will claim that

back in 2008 caucus were suddenly so terrable despite fact Bill Clinton won caucus In 1992.

soon it will be Iowa and NH aren't important because they are mostly white states.forgetting that Obama won Iowa in 2008.
Hillary won NH In 2008 but now is having trouble In 2016.That should be bigger story.

Iowa and NH have been won In GE by both clinton and obama plus gore and Dukakis won Iowa and Kerry won NH yet SC hasn't been won by dem since Carter In 1976 matters more.

I seem to remember back in 2008 Bill Clinton saying Obama winning SC didn't matter since Jesse Jackson won SC in 1984 and 1988.

[merrily]

18. Polls showed Obama was going to win NH. However, some woman--who ironically said

later that she voted for Obama--asked Hillary how she managed to keep up with her hair or some other appearance related item and Hillary started crying. Supposedly, crying made her seem more relate-able and turned NH for her. I'm not sure I believe that, but that's what they said.

Winning SC in the primary is different from winning in the general though.

[Robbins]

20. NH

She had NH organization but was helped by the feeling Hillary was being picked on by media and in debate just before primary and then she cried which i always thought even back in 2008 was staged for sympathy.

It's just laughable now SC is so important when back in 2008 when Obama won it wasn't viewed that way.of course clintons and supporters change rules to suit them at moment's notice.

[merrily]

21. Has there ever been a time when the feeling that Hillary and Bill just keep getting picked on

by media for no reason whatever has not existed?

[Robbins]

22. No

and they use it to explain away allegations against them.and to use it to get votes.She has used being wronged wife to get votes.

It's actully insulting for them to keep using the we're being picked on.

[FlatBaroque]

30. It got them through 8 years in the White House before

why not keep at it.

[merrily]

41. It's an all purpose response.

[senz]

40. One thing life has taught me

is to be wary of the pity play, both in real life and online. It's a favorite of manipulators, especially when used as a last resort.

[merrily]

42. Perhaps even more so when used as a first resort.

[cheapdate]

4. That would pretty unusual, don't you think?

A candidate for president saying in essence, 'While I once believed I had the right vision to lead our country, I now recognize that I was mistaken. I humbly resign.'

I can't see it.

[merrily]

8. Hmm.

[Android3.14]

10. That's what she did before

Thank goodness.
Not so unusual. No one has said she is an idiot.

[cheapdate]

13. Well, that's one way to say it.

Another way to say it is that she withdrew and endorsed Obama after the pledged vote count for Obama surpassed the number required for the nomination.

[truebluegreen]

16. Um, yeah.

This idea that she somehow stepped aside is nutty...she didn't "decide", the issue was decided for her.

[merrily]

19. She endorsed Obama well after he had the requisite number of votes AND they had a summit meetin

She made Obama use up time and energy he should have been able to devote to fighting McCain, who was already into his general campaign.

[JDPriestly]

15. The point is that the Republicans are saving this juicy story until time for an October Surprise.

They have been slowly preparing to release it. It's like watching an opera plot develop.

This is how Republicans run campaigns.

They spot strengths in a candidate -- like Hillary's foreign policy experience. They find where the crack is in that strength. They prepare to attack that strong spot with great patience, diligence and their influence with the press. And then, just before the election, there it is, an often half-baked story that proves later to be false.

Except, this time . . . . there is probably sufficient truth in the story I am pointing to that Hilary may have to drop out of the race.

This is a story that Hillary needs to talk about before the election if she does not want to be surprised with it. What was her role, what was Petraeus's role, what was Stevens' role and what was Kerry's role with regard to arming unreliable, unknowable rebels in Syria? What is the real story there? Who is funding ISIS now is also a question, but not the question that is relevant to Hillary's candidacy.

Mark my words. This is a serious problem for Hilary and those who have worked with her through the years as well as for the Bushes and Jeb and George W. Bush. They all have a problem with this.

[JDPriestly]

25. Actually, it happened in 2008. Gephardt is just one name that comes to mind.

If she cannot explain what happened with regard to Turkey and Syria and France and the arms and support given during her time as secretary of state to the rebels in Syria, she really should drop out.

Her problems are credibility and trust.

I don't trust her because I think she has poor judgment. If even a bit of this story is true, then it is yet another example of Hillary's poor judgment.

[cheapdate]

31. I don't disagree with your judgement

about the wisdom or rightness of the policies and concrete actions Hillary Clinton recommended and supported regarding arming and support of Syrian rebels. I've always believed that neutrality in the Syrian conflict was the right position.

But I just don't think it (her past and present positions on the Syrian conflict) will have a substantial impact on the election.

The Syrian conflict, and U.S. policy in the Middle East generally, is a complex and opaque subject, and at the risk of sounding haughty or condescending, one that I believe most Americans compartmentalize and simplify into simple either or categories.

Republicans are perfectly willing to talk out of both sides of their mouths -- that is, to criticize and question Hillary Clinton over Syria, while at the same time they were screaming for throwing more weapons into the conflict from the very beginning.

Hillary has always been a hawk. Among people for whom this is a problem, they have probably all already moved behind Bernie Sanders. There might be more of a chance that Bernie's non-interventionist stance becomes more of a problem down the line than Hillary's interventionism. Credible national opinion surveys have consistently shown that the American public leans toward strong counter-terrorism and national defense policy -- and away from the prevailing opinions here on DU.

[jalan48]

6. Hillary doesn't seem to have the passion or energy one would expect from a person who

really wants to be President. Bernie has a message he's fired up about and believes in. What does Hillary believe in? She believes she should be President, that's all I've seen so far.

[Demeter]

11. Like Poppy Bush--entitled by inheritance

[SoapBox]

26. There is something weird going on...

And I'm certainly not complaining.

She isn't holding large public meetings...just all these money grabs with billionaires and Banksters, as well as the invitation only meet and greets. She's "roped off" (pardon that pun)...so whether it's her or some twit in her campaign that thinks this is smart, well, it's not.

OR maybe they indeed think that she actually is super unpopular and that by hiding, they can let the Hillionaires spew their propaganda and keep her away from the masses as long as possible.

Whatever it is...she a fail.

[MissDeeds]

33. I agree

There is something going on. She seems exhausted at times, tired and really not into it. The election process is grueling and unrelenting, but it is still early on and Hillary hasn't had that many appearances. I know she wants to win the presidency, but am not sure she has the stamina to go the distance. That's not a criticism, just an observation.

[leftcoastmountains]

9. Hillary won't drop out. That's just my two cents.

[Politicalboi]

14. Married to an adulterer

I highly doubt she'll give up this ghost if she still hasn't gone for a divorce.

[TheProgressive]

17. Bernie is no curmudgeon...

[JDPriestly]

23. Why do you say he isn't?

I'm a Bernie supporter, one of the strongest.

[TheProgressive]

35. The definition of curmudgeon is...

noun

1. a bad-tempered or surly person

Senator Sanders is not a bad-tempered or surly person...

[JDPriestly]

36. When he needs to be, he can be.

That's one of the things people like about him. He is a non-nonsense guy.

Not mean, just surly in the face of injustice.

[TheProgressive]

37. Surly: bad-tempered and unfriendly...

I just don't think curmudgeon, is at all, an attribute of Senator Sanders...

[senz]

38. Curmudgeons are irritable, grumpy, unpleasant old men. That's not Bernie.

I know you support him completely, and I always respect your posts in support of him, but the term "curmudgeon" really is a put-down on Bernie and if it gains traction, he loses a little of his credibility.

Here's the online Webster's definition:

a person (especially an old man) who is easily annoyed or angered and who often complains

I doubt you see him that way.

[Maedhros]

24. Hillary is too nakedly thirsty for power.

She'll give up the nomination when they pry it from her cold, dead hands.

[INdemo]

28. OMG..There is no way.

This is like taking a Republican or a (Pat Robertson) wishful thinking statement and make it believable..
No way in hell this would happen. Hillary Clinton is in this for the long haul down to the last primary as she was in 2008.
In 2008 I never thought that Indiana's primary would have a bearing on the nominating process for the Dems. but it did.

Now with all that said, this email thing is probably the last thing on the minds of Hillary supporters and for those that stir up this cesspool, well really they should get a life.

Now I don't think Hillary will win the nomination but still , Hillary will most definitely with all her millions behind her she will stay till the last primary delegate is committed.

[left-of-center2012]

32. Nope

Hillary wants the crown too badly to quit. IMHO

[Indepatriot]

34. No way HRC drops out graciously if it comes to that. Do you not remember her petulance in 08'?

She stayed in way too long and only conceded after Bill and the DNC honchos couldn't talk the "superdelgates" into switching their support from Obama. The DNC Establishment will go after Bernie with both barrels blazing, as his campaign is a direct slap in the face to what most of them stand for. This will be the dirtiest primary in our lifetimes, and the stuff we'll see from Team HRC/DNC will make Karl Rove envious. Get a helmet and some fresh shoe leather, it's time to ROCK N ROLL!

[winter is coming]

39. Hillary will stick it out until the bitter end.

And make sure that it's bitter.