GOP Will Lose, Unless Hillary Faces McCain

'Billary' could mean Dems' demise, writes Frank Rich

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 27, 2008 3:33 PM CST

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GOP Will Lose, Unless Hillary Faces McCain — Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., with three-year-old Avery Smith of Tampa, Fla. on his lap, makes a campaign stop with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, second left, who endorsed McCain for president, at the First Watch Cafe ahead of Florida's presidential primary election in Tampa,... (Associated Press)

Despite a crippled GOP, the Dems could still lose the White House in '08, Frank Rich writes in the New York Times: All they need is for Clinton to face McCain. 'Billary' alone would provide "two fat targets" to unite Republican rage. Plus a vetting of donors to Bill's presidential library may turn up ugly surprises—not to mention any bad news that may lurk in Hillary's health care documents, millions of which remain under wraps.

What's more, McCain is “a bazooka aimed at most every rationale offered" for Hillary's candidacy. Her claim to greater experience, key versus Barack Obama, would pale against McCain—who was a Vietnam POW while she was lounging at Yale 35 years ago. And McCain could accuse her of flip-flopping on Iraq; unlike Hillary, McCain voted for it then and backs it now. Strategically, Obama has a far better shot at beating McCain in November, Rich writes. (More Bill Clinton stories.)

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