all those numbers are absolutely meaningless. Hillary hasn't even started running for Senate re-election in 2006 yet, let alone seriously campaign for the White House. And she is smart to hold her ammo until late 2007--remember all the pre-caucus hype and eventual flame out of Howard Dean? The people getting all the press early on only draw fire, falling aside for the shrewder candidates who avoid controversy. By December 2007, expect Hillary to have a solid campaign underway and numbers through the roof.

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it - ...

I have a similar saying that I keep repeating:

The Hildebeast will not run. Her numbers will continue to disintegrate until she becomes the "joke" candidate and even the pathetic Dems will turn their backs on her as unelectable. Other than a few hard-core Klintonistas, her backing will dissolve in steady waves until she will have to struggle just to keep her cushy Senate job. SHE WON'T RUN. Mark my words.

...the shrewder candidates who avoid controversy.

And this has what to do with Hillary?

She's not exactly a below-the-radar candidate, Gully. She's arguably the best known Democrat name out there, complete with an eight-year history as First Lady and all the baggage that comes with her actions and statements during those years.

"Avoid controversy"? Hillary? My friend, that ship has not only sailed, it's already hit the iceberg and sunk.

Gully,

Dean, however, was an unknown who was then pumped up by slick promotion and MSM cheerleading to be something he wasn't...Hillary's name recognition has simply got to be better than 95%, and hardly anyone would come out with a "no opinion" on her. She is an entirely known quantity - and talk of her Presidential aspirations dates back to at least 1999. It'd be a shock if Hillary didn't run - a shock I fully expect, but for non-political junkies it will be a shock when she backs out.

There has never been in American political history a person with a more known political quantity than Hillary Clinton.

That 36% who view Hillary as a "moderate" ought to be gathered into a focus group before an MRI unit to have their heads examined by top neurologists to determine why their gray matter is misfiring and their brains are so devoid of wrinkles.

Higgins,

I'll bet that most of those viewing Hillary as a moderate are the far-left fanatic freaks who make up the base the Democratic Party and the membership of MoveOn...to them, a communist is only "a bit left", so someone as leftwing as Hillary would be viewed by them as a moderate.

I little off topic but, has anybody else thought that ABC's fall series "Commander in Cheif" with Gena Davis as the president, an attempt to prep the public mind for Hildebeast? I'd bet that she is a democrat not a republican.

Paul,
It must be why they call it "fantasy TV." You are more likely to encounter a Borg from Star Trek crossing the street than the Hildebeast anywhere near the White House.

If Hillary wins the primary where is the left going to go? Ralph Nader? Hillary is pulling a Hackett. She will run a national campaign and look tough and conservative on many issues. She will also wink at her left-wing base assuring them of her liberal fidelidty. Her husband was a master at this. She will fool many moderates.

The only way for Republicans to beat her is to have a conservative candidate that unites and energizes all Republicans. Run a moderate and Bill Clinton will be first lady.

RA,

That is actually the conventional wisdom - that Hillary will be able to give a wink and a nudge to the left while she triangulates herself into the White House by grace of centrist votes...this forgets two things:

1. Bill only managed to do this because in 1992 Perot split the GOP vote.

2. The left, which constitutes the money, passion and primary numbers is not about to allow another non-leftist to gain their votes...they are determined that a full-blown leftwing candidate is what will win, and they wont accept anything else.

Because of these two things, I expect that at the end of the day Hillary wont even run.