Hillary Clinton’s downfall?

By: Murray Sabrin

The Iowa caucuses will be held on January third, and voters in New Hampshire will cast their votes in the nation’s first primary on January eighth. Additional January primaries and caucuses will be held in Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida among other states.

And on February fifth, Super Tuesday, nearly two dozen states from New York, New Jersey and California and in-between the two coasts could determine the presidential nominees of both major political parties.

Senator Hillary Clinton has been leading in the national polls as well as in Iowa and in New Hampshire against her two main rivals, Senator Obama and former senator John Edwards, for the Democrat presidential nomination. However, in the latest ABC/ Washington Post poll Obama leads in Iowa with 30%, Clinton follows with 26% and Edwards comes in at 22%. In other words, Clinton could finish third in Iowa.

And, if an Obama win in Iowa turns into the Big Mo going into the New Hampshire primary a week later, where Clinton now has a huge lead over Obama, 36% to 22%, the “invincibility” of a Clinton presidential nomination, let alone a Clinton nomination, will be in serious jeopardy.

Why would the well oiled, highly disciplined Clinton for President Campaign, crash so quickly, when virtually all of the pundits have crowned her President Hillary Clinton as late as a week ago?

Yesterday's front page Wall Street Journal piece, “Clinton Hits Rough Patch As Iowa Showdown Nears,” explains most of the reasons. Clinton is not only trying to win her party’s presidential nomination, she is also running a parallel general election campaign for the presidency in the fall. So instead of telling her fellow Democrats what she believes, Clinton is trying to run in the “center” now in order to appear “acceptable” to independent voters and disgruntled Republicans.

It will not work. The era of “spinning” may be over. Many voters want straight talk, heartfelt answers, not platitudes, from the candidates.

If Hillary believes in big government, from more government spending and control of healthcare to supporting the military-industrial complex, to preemptive war in Iran, she should stand up and let the world what is her vision for America.

Does Hillary believe in higher tax rates, more spending, more regulation, less or more civil liberties, maintaining U.S. military bases around the world, etc.?

Hillary Clinton’s brain trust is violating Bill Clinton’s first axiom of politics, never look beyond the current campaign. If Hillary does not win the primary, will Bill tell her and the spinmeisters, I told you so?

Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., is Professor of Finance in the Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, where he is Executive Director of the Center for Business and Public Policy