Findings from Friends & Acquaintances

I’ve endeavored to join as many political discussions with as many different people as possible over the past month or so. My intent has not been to offer my opinion, but rather to ask just enough questions to get the other person or people to open up about what they see with the current landscape. Here are a few of my (admittedly unscientific) findings:

1) The depth of hatred for Hillary Clinton inside the Democratic Party. This one really surprises me. Even though I’ve long held (and still do) that she’s unelectable, I figured that Democrats would largely have a neutral or resigned position about her, if not a positive one. Wrong, at least among the people I’ve been able to engage. They’re using words like “evil,” “Satan,” “power-hungry” and other less pleasant and…ahem…descriptive terms. In fact, I have yet to find more than a single person who rallies around her. (And that person is a female in New England who has traditionally been a Republican.) Now that may say a great deal about the people I can and do rub elbows with, but wouldn’t you think I could find at least one supporter, especially in a place like Austin?

2) Republican support for Mitt Romney. This one’s also a bit of a surprise to me. I’ve heard a lot of this, too: “If (the candidate I support) doesn’t win, Romney would be ok.” Does this mean he’s the actual leader to get the nomination, as he’s the one guy the party can agree on across the board?

3) And the virtual winners are Obama and Giuliani. Centrist Democrats like Giuliani. Centrist Republicans like Obama. Since neither one’s actual history or views jibe with the opposite party’s, I have to believe there are other factors that lead to their current popularity with would-be enemies. In Giuliani’s case, my guess is that it’s his name recognition, plus his perceived legacies of turning around NYC and his handling of 9/11. Obama? Must be because he’s likeable as a person and not being Hillary, because his political stances really don’t align with Republicans one iota. Once the majority of the party faithful actually see where each one stands, their support will waiver. (To me, this is supported by the lack of support for Giuliani among northeastern Democrats, who know him a bit more than the rest of the country.) Nonetheless, will we see some people voting outside of their party’s primary to help nominate these two? And if so, will it be in significant enough numbers to help?

4) Bill who? Fred who? John who? John who again? Again, I have to qualify: there is a limited number of people I’m able to come in contact with, no matter how many I perceive it to be. But since I do converse with people from all over the country and of virtually every political stripe, I find it interesting that everyone not named Romney, Obama, Clinton, or Giuliani has been virtually written off. Does this mean that someone’s campaign could be revived by an early win or two? Sure. But don’t hold your breath.