Ray Malone's Commentary

Today much of the right wing media is full of stories about how Hillary is saying two things about one subject. They say it just goes to show that she is just plain sneaky. They infer that she can't help but tell us lies or that she dares not tell us what she will really do because no one would support someone as far left as Hillary.

The truth is a lot simpler. It has been going on a long time. Will Rogers 80 years ago said.. "I don't belong to an organized political party. I'm a Democrat!"

The Democratic party has always been a coalition of various groups with divergent views on many of the big issues of the day. During the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s, it was the southern Democrats that stood in the school house door and proclaimed that it was Segregation Today ,Tomorrow, and Forever. While other Democrats marched in support of civil rights.

JFK could claim to be for freedom for blacks as long as he didn't do anything about it. Harry Truman tried and the Southern Democrats walked out of his 1948 convention. Kennedy tried his very best to avoid the issue as long as he could, then talked one way while acting another. LBJ decided to spit the coalition on both civil rights and foreign policy and make himself and his party unelectable... at least until the media could promote a Republican scandal.

Yet in 1964 the LBJ campaign broke into the Goldwater campaign headquarters and stole schedules and phone numbers. They then called up the local officials and changed the Goldwater schedules so no one would be there when Goldwater arrived. And lots of people showed up at the times and dates given to Goldwater local staffers by the LBJ crew. The guy that did that wrote a book boasting of his successful exploits at screwing up the Goldwater campaign. The media reaction was the perpetrator was just a really neat practical jokester. Of course when Nixon' crew tried breaking into the Democratic headquarters to get inside information, that was crime that had to be punished to the fullest extent possible.

Today the issues are the war on terror, Hispanics, the economy, and socialized medicine. Hillary can't be for drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, or she will lose much of the working class hourly wage Democrats. They see Hispanics as a cheap labor supply that will keep wages down and for some as competitors for their jobs. The elite and wealthier Democrats as well as the media see Hispanics as the source of enough votes to make the Democrats the majority party. But Hillary can't have one group with out losing the other.. so she must straddle the fence and not take a real position. She is forced by the situation on the ground to talk out of both sides of her mouth.

The war on terror is the same sort of situation. If she supports the war on terror she gains the approval of about half of her supporters and loses the support of the other half. She has to ride the center line and speak like the Delphic Oracle . She must say things that can be taken either way.

Hillary can't be for things that might work to make the economy better. She can't be for tax cuts or she will lose the far left. She can't be for tax increases or she will lose the moderates she must have in order to win. She can't be for the status quo because that would be an endorsement of Dubya and Lord knows that would cost her big time.

On medicine she must talk about the Children and not the total socialization of medicine. For the same reason Bill dropped the issue in 1994. For every vote gained two are lost. But she dare not be against socialized medicine or she loses a big bunch of her base.

No Hillary is not an ignorant campaigner or a person incapable of remembering what she said yesterday. She must continue to try to attract support from both sides of her political street. And the two sides of her street have opposing positions on the issues. She has to talk out of both sides of her mouth, and avoid taking firm positions on any of the issues in this campaign. Because if she commits to a firm position on just about anything she loses. She must be all things to all Democrats and Moderates. It is a hard act to pull off. She will have a ton of media help in her effort to skirt issues. But if the Republican candidate plays it right they cannot protect her from the voters.

The Republican nominee must lay out his positions on foreign policy, the economy, illegal Hispanics, abortion and gun control. If he has the right positions on those issues he will unite the Republican party and half the moderates behind him. What remains is to motivate those Republicans and swing voters that support the Republican candidate to get out to the polls and vote. While at the same time reducing the number of moderates and democrats who will come out to vote for Hillary.

This election will in large measure be determined by who does the best job of getting out their voters while at the same time reducing the turn out for their opponent. Both campaigns will likely be playing this game.

The Republican must constantly present his positions, and contrast that with Hilary's refusal to do the same. He must ask over and over for Hillary do the same. His theme should be "Lets tell the voters where we stand and let them decide!" In the final 10 days before the election he must question why Hillary will not reveal what she will do if elected!

How can the Republican lose the election? He can accuse Hillary of being shady or dishonest. He can attack her and Bill personally. That ought to bring out enough females and unite the Democratic base enough to elect Hillary. NO ONE Needs to be reminded of the morals and dishonesty of the Clintons. That was clear by 1996. If enough voters disapproved of the Clintons as less than honest people, Bob Dole would have been elected president.

I remember many people back in the 2004 campaign demanding that Bush go after Kerry's jugular. What amateurs don't know is in today's world going after your opponents jugular only results in slitting your own throat

If Hillary can provoke the Republican candidate into personal attacks or make the campaign about the Republican candidate, she can win big time. But if the Republican candidate presents his views and demands that Hillary tell us her views, the election will be about what is Hillary hiding. Or Hillary will have to take positions that will cost her the election. If the Republican candidate can hold his cool, he can win.

The Republican Candidate should do TV spots with with the first 10 seconds stating his views on an issue. The second ten seconds show Hillary avoiding revealing her real intentions on the issue and the final 10 seconds asking why won't Hillary tell YOU? The final line should ask, "Do you think she would avoid telling YOU what she is going to do, if it would cause YOU to be more likely to vote for her?"

The use of the word YOU in the question is important. A huge number of today's voters only care about themselves. If Hillary won't tell me, or the VOTERS, or anyone but themselves they won't care. So the word YOU!!! must be used.

If that is done Hillary has just two options. She can make her positions clear and lose the support of many voters she must have to win the election or she can continue to stall and double talk and lose a significant amount of the support of both groups she must have to win the election.