Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign Office Hostage Crisis - Fears of Backlash

Fears of Backlash

A August 12, 2007 article described concerns that a Clinton candidacy could lead to a backlash due to fears that she might prove "polarizing." The article states, "A strategist with close ties to leaders in Congress said Democratic Senate candidates in competitive races would be strongly urged to distance themselves from Clinton." According to an online poll, "half of likely voters nationwide said they would never vote for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton."

A October 10, 2007 article in The Hill made the opposite argument stating that Clinton was "not polarizing and highly electable. You didn’t misread that headline. It is contrary to all current conventional wisdom. It is also true — supported not only by recent national polling data but by most polls all year long. Susan Estrich, on p.66 of her 2005 book, The Case for Hillary Clinton argues, "Hillary Clinton is not polarizing; her competence is accepted."