2006 Before 2008.
New York Republicans are busy thinking about how to defeat Hillary's re-election bid two years from now. This may be an especially tall order since the party took a drubbing across the state at the polls on November 2, and since the party was utterly unable to get a worthwhile opponent to run against senior Sen. Chuck Schumer. That said, beating the former First Lady, or at least tarnishing her image, will be a priority for the GOP nationwide in 2006. "You need someone who has instant name recognition," said prominent Republican Elliott Shaw. "If the candidate they name brings the instant reaction of 'Who is this?' you're going to have an uphill battle." The most prominent names mentioned to run against Sen. Clinton include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York Gov. George Pataki, but both have their drawbacks, as Giuliani has been rumored to want to run for President himself in 2008, and Pataki may either run for a fourth term or take a post in the second Bush Administration. Either man would be able to get votes from his own party and from the Democrats, which apparently is what's needed in a state that is heavily Democratic. But after Giuliani and Pataki, the list of potential candidates lacks name recognition or star power. Among those often mentioned as potential contenders for statewide office are Pataki's secretary of state, Randy Daniels, members of Congress such as Peter King, John Sweeney and Thomas Reynolds, and a handful of state and local legislators. The dearth of big-name Republicans has prompted some GOP state leaders to consider "pulling a Hillary," that is, to get a candidate who is not from New York, but who would be willing to run for the seat anyway. President Bush's national security advisor, Condoleezza Rice, has some Republicans hoping that she will carpetbag to the state in time for 2006. Despite the long odds of defeating Hillary, the state party remains upbeat: "I don't think there'll be any shortage of candidates, national money, or any resource to defeat Hillary Clinton," said the state party's executive director.
2006 Before 2008 II.
Meanwhile, in Washington, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is also positive about its chances against Sen. Clinton. NRSC spokesman Dan Allen explains, "There's obviously a lot of attention that'll be paid to Hillary Clinton, because there's a lot of passion out there amongst Republicans and conservatives across the country who have seen her vote time and time again against the Republicans and the President. If there's one candidate who emerges and is strong, they'll definitely have the resources to get their message out and tap into that polarization she causes." Hillary seems unconcerned, though, according to one of her chief strategists, Howard Wolfson, "Right now the Republican Party in New York seems to be in a state of crisis. Whether or not they can get their act together by '06 is an open question." He also pointed out that Mrs. Clinton has the advantages of high approval ratings and a sizable Democratic plurality among registered voters. "Under any circumstances it's difficult for a Republican to win statewide," he said. "Then when you have a popular incumbent with an outstanding record and the ability to raise money, it becomes even more difficult."
Congrats, Chuck.
Hillary showed up at the victory party for her senatorial colleague and sometime rival Chuck Schumer, who won re-election to a second term with 71% of the vote. She joked to those in attendance, saying that "this was a real cliffhanger" and that "we were working on a disaster declaration, because there has obviously been a landslide in New York tonight." For his part, Schumer graciously noted that Hillary is now the front-runner for the party's 2008 presidential nomination, although he added, "that's other people speculating. Her focus I believe is on New York."
Only Four More Years.
U.S. News & World Reports' "Washington Whispers" column says that Hillary has already begun running for President in 2008. Her friends told the magazine that "she already has organized a team to target fundraising prospects, create voter lists, and draw up a campaign agenda," and that her presidential effort will run in tandem with her 2006 senatorial re-election bid. In addition, a recent poll showed that Hillary is the leading possibility for the Democratic nomination in 2008. Her 27% easily beat other liberals such as John Kerry, John Edwards and Howard Dean.
