Mrs Clinton hasn’t yet won the primary election for the Democratic nomination, but the National Corporate Media seems to have already enshrined her as inevitable because nothing sells soap powder like a good controversy, and they know that mention of the Clinton name creates visceral and hysterical response from the Fascist Front.

Like many sensible Progressives, I’m uncomfortable with Mrs Clinton for several reasons. The name is unimportant to me, although knowing Mrs Clinton in the White House means bringing a master at public relations to the fore once again and that heartens me. But the Clintons bring a lot of baggage with them. There’s all that peace and good economy Mr Clinton helped bring about, and the 12 million-odd jobs that were created during his time in the White House, along with the international respect and good will.

This sort of success requires a massive assault on Mrs Clinton. The economic success of Bill Clinton’s Presidency is compared favorably with GHW Bu$h’s time, and when compared against the present occupier of our Oval Office the contrast is even more startling. Thus, the very name Clinton will be decried, turned into the 21st century of Benedict Arnold, Alger Hiss, Josef Stalin, Adolph Hitler, and, of course, the Rosenbergs.

They are terrified of a competent Democratic President.

LibbySpencer, working off a great commentary by Kevin Drum, has a nice summation about this at The Newshoggers. But first, Mr Drum:

[T]here's a huge difference here. A guy like Giuliani is polarizing because he actively chooses to be. It's part of his persona. He wants people to hate him

Hillary, by contrast, is polarizing not because she wants to be, but because the right-wing attack machine made her that way. She's "polarizing" only because a certain deranged slice of conservative nutjobs detest her.

And then Libby:

The people on the street want change and the largest growing demographic is in Independent voters. I'm not so certain enough people will vote to trade one family dynasty for another. Maybe she can win, but winning by a few hundred thousand votes isn't going to heal what's ailing our country. We need a leader that can bring our people together, not one that's going to pound the wedge between us in more firmly.

Granted, the rightwing rage machine hates all Democrats, all liberals and the whole progressive agenda and I agree we shouldn't let them dictate our choices, but that works both ways. We shouldn't not vote for her because they hate her, but neither should we vote for her to prove we can't be bullied. That's just as short-sighted.

Well, yes, but the idea of a couple dozen assorted heart attacks and strokes on the other side of the universe is an attractive thought, isn’t it?