Hillary Clinton cannot win a general election. That is not to say she might have trouble in the general. She CANNOT win. And anyone with even a modest understanding of the conservative mindset should agree. There is nothing that could possibly drive the Republicans to unite prior to the 2008 general election as much as to prevent the installation of Hillary Clinton in the White House.

We need to remember the primal, seething hate that the conservatives directed at Bill Clinton. It was not rational, in that Clinton's policies were not particularly liberal. And it existed long before the Monica affair. They hated the husband with a passion that would almost certainly be surpassed by that directed at the wife. Bill and Hillary are brilliant, ruthless, savvy politicians. Conservatives mistrust them so deeply because they fail to fit the prejudices and stereotypes of liberals that they hold. They are the antithesis of the bumbling but well intentioned bleeding heart. Conservatives fear and hate what does not fit their narrow typologies. Only Hillary even lacks Bill's one outstandingly positive trait- his obvious affinity with and compassion for the common man. Without it, Hillary really lacks any obviously redeeming feature to appeal at as personal level other than, ironically, her gender. Smart, savvy, tough. Ruthless, amoral, ice cold.

What happens within the Republican party the day Hillary gets the nomination? They go back to the base with more ammunition than they can possibly fit in their direct mail or phone canvassing. And EVERY component of that base would find something to passionately hate in Hillary, be they social conservatives, religious conservatives or financial conservatives. It is exactly because she projects a cold and calculating aura that almost any accusation will tend to stick: abortionist hugger, tax hiker, homosexual enabler, etc. It is too easy to imagine it: "Send $100 now to help stop Hillary!". It matters not who the Republican nominee is: Hillary will lose to ANY of them. The polls mean nothing because the Republican smear machine hasn't spent a dime trying to soil Hillary yet, and they won't until she is the nominee. And then it will be fire-at-will. They will not appear to be beating-up a girl because there absolutely nothing girlish about Hillary. The one accusation that will fail to stick is a lack of toughness on military issues. That iron maiden image will get her a pass in that regard. On everything else, she's cooked.

So, I suggest that liberals who live in the real world, who like me are determined to get a progressive in the White House in '08, pledge now to refuse to vote for Hillary in the general election. If enough Democrats get the clear message that we walk to the Green party or other, because we'd rather lose voting our conscience than voting a bad compromise (and lose we certainly would), then maybe they will snap out of it and back a candidate with a shot in the general.

This tactic also has the great appeal of allowing liberals to vote their values. On the issues, if you really lined up all the candidates' positions and then removed the names, most liberals would pick John Edwards or Dennis Kucinich. Kucinich has virtually no chance in a general election. He is just a bit too far out there. His sighting of a UFO is enough to get him laughed out of contention. Obama has a presidential manner, but he does too much Clinton-esque hedging.

Edwards gets dismissed as Posh Progressive, but his values are on the money. Here is a guy that a lot of middling to mildly conservative women could vote for. Sorry, physical appearance counts. Sad but true. I can see a ticket of Edwards and Wes Clark (military and international diplomatic experience) taking essentially all the Dems, the vast bulk of registered independents, and a small slice of Republicans and trouncing any opposing ticket. Obama/Clark works too, but Edwards would do better in the suburbs. And a bright, friendly persona acts like Teflon when the smears come. W, Bill and Ronnie are all testaments to that.

You want a Democratic in the White House? Pledge now to reject Hillary.