Again On Hillary

I've been mulling around a post in my brain about the effects of Hillary Clinton being the Democratic nominee. It involved the bitterness and dislike (hatred) she would bring out in the electorate. It involved the residual dislike (hatred) of voters. I know many, many people that just would not vote for her because they "remember" her and Bill Clinton as those slimy, corrupt people from the 1990s. I was attempting to form these ideas into a coherrent post. Then I found Hilzoy's post on Obsidian Wings. I will yield to someone who has expressed my thoughts much more articulately.

As I said, I think that many voters are disenchanted with the Republican Party. They are, I think, poised to see through it. One of the things that I, as a citizen, would be happiest to have them see through is the sheer level of maliciousness that Republicans normally deploy in campaigns like this. I suspect that a number of people who might have been prepared to explain all this away when they were convinced that the Republicans stood for morality, strong national security policy, fiscal discipline, and so forth might be a lot less willing to do so now.

...

If we nominate Hillary Clinton, then I assume that the Republicans will go after her, and that they will not restrict themselves to attacking her policies and her record. When they do, then all those people who are already inclined to think the worst of Hillary Clinton will, for that reason, be prepared to find those attacks believable. Stories about her sleaziness, her underhandedness, her cold and calculating nature, etc., will be a lot less likely to strike them as implausible, overreaching, mean-spirited, malicious, or vile. And that means that the chances that people will see standard Republican attacks for what they are are dramatically reduced.

By contrast, if we nominate someone whom people like that are not antecedently disposed to think the worst of, that will have two good effects. First, those attacks will be less likely to be believed, since the Republican establishment will not have spent the better part of two decades preparing the ground for them. Second, in order to get people to the same point of loathing, they will have to attack harder.

UPDATE: LGM talks about Hilzoy's post. I haven't taken time to confirm all of this from their comments or how Obama's record compares count by count but I know some of it is true.

Hillary did nothing to prevent the Senate confirmation of John Ashcroft.
Hillary did nothing to prevent the Senate confirmation of Alberto Gonzales.
Hillary did nothing regarding the failed Senate confirmation of John Bolton.
Hillary voted FOR cloture on the nomination of corrupt corporatist Priscilla Owen, clearing the way for her confirmation to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Hillary voted FOR cloture on the nomination of unqualified fascist Janice Rogers Brown, clearing the way for her confirmation to the DC Court of Appeals.
Hillary voted FOR cloture on the nomination of religious zealot and homophobe William H. Pryor, clearing the way for his confirmation to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Hillary voted FOR cloture on the nomination of John Roberts, clearing the way for his confirmation as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Hillary said little or nothing during the Senate confirmation of Samuel Alito.
Hillary did nothing to prevent the Senate confirmation of Michael Mukasey.
Hillary said nothing during this summer's vote on the Iraq War Supplemental.
Hillary said little or nothing during the vote to extend FISA.
Hillary said little or nothing on the Walter Reid scandal, even though she sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Hillary has said nothing during the current debate on Telecom Immunity.
Hillary has said nothing on the possible impeachment of Dick Cheney.
Hillary has said nothing on the possible impeachment of George Bush.
Hillary has said nothing on the myriad scandals surrounding the current administration.
Hillary campaigned for Joe Lieberman against Ned Lamont
Hillary did nothing to stop Medicare Part D
Hillary did nothing to stop the 2005 Bankruptcy Bill
Hillary voted FOR the 2001 Bankruptcy Bill
Hillary proposed legislation to ban flag burning.
Hillary voted FOR the USAPATRIOT act.
Hillary voted FOR the reauthorization of the USAPATRIOT act.
Hillary voted AGAINST an amendment that would prohibit the use of cluster bombs against civilian targets.
Hillary voted FOR the Iraq War Resolution.