By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
The Republicans want control of the Senate, but they really want control of the White House when President Obama leaves office in early 2017.
On the Democratic side, the frontrunner appears to be former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In his Monday, August 18 column, Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead wasted no time in attacking the once and possibly future Democratic Party Presidential Primary candidate.
Chairman Armistead wrote, “Hillary Clinton is trying to get her footing for a presidential run in 2016, but she’s not off to a really great start. The woman who once served as Secretary of State in President Obama’s inner circle is now making, what many call, failed attempts to highlight their ‘fundamental differences.’”
Chairman Armistead continued, “In an interview last week with The Atlantic, Hillary issued a sharp statement against Obama and his foreign policy.”:
“The failure to help build up a credible fighting force of the people who were the originators of the protests against Assad…left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled,” Hillary said. Another comment during the interview left many Democrats upset: “Great nations need organizing principles, and ‘Don’t do stupid stuff’ is not an organizing principle.”
Chairman Armistead said, “While touring the country to promote her book “Hard Choices,” Hillary caused outrage by claiming that she and former President Bill Clinton left the White House in 2001 “dead broke” and in debt. What an absurd statement; it was public knowledge that she had signed a book deal with an advance of $8 million before leaving the White House. Over more, who among us can get the $250,000 a pop for speaking engagements as Hillary does?”
The Republican Party state Chairman said that Sec. Clinton’s book “Hard Choices” sold 85,000 copies the first week, just 48,000 copies the second, and only 26,000 copies sold in its third week. Her approval rating has fallen over ten percentage points over the last few months and more voters are stating they would prefer a Republican President in 2016.
Chairman Armistead called her testimony on the Benghazi attack, “heartless,” called her tenure as Secretary of State was “lackluster” and said that her, “Team of Democrat strategists is surely wondering what ludicrous thing she will say next.”
Armistead also mentioned the awkward moment as Secretary of State where she gave the Russian Foreign Minister a toy-like red “reset” button.
The ALGOP Chairman said, “Hillary’s PR team has a lot of fixing to do. Her poor choices with words repeatedly displays to the American public that she’s beatable. As Real Clear Politics put it, ‘[Hillary’s] shortcomings are significant: she can be stiff and wooden in public; she lacks the aura of a natural politician; she’s not a great public speaker, and she can come across as politically flat-footed and tone deaf.’”
Chairman Armistead concluded, “One thing we can take from recent events is sure: the Democratic Party is having a difficult time. The layers of wool the Obama and Hillary have been pulling over Democrats’ eyes for years are finally starting to fall away. What will their reaction be? Continued tension and eventual fighting within their party will serve as yet another step toward Republican victory in the 2016 presidential election.”
To this point, no major Democratic contenders have spent much time in Alabama, but Republicans, Gov. Bobby Jindal, Sen. Rick Santorum, Gov. Scott Walker, Gov. Mike Pence, Dr. Ben Carson, and most recently Gov. Chris Christie have all appeared in Alabama. Since Alabama’s Presidential Primary is comparatively early in the process, Alabamians will likely see more Presidential contenders visiting over the next 18 months.
Former Alabama State Senator Armistead was chosen by the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee to be Chairman after former ALGOP Chairman Mike Hubbard from Auburn moved up to Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives following the enormous 2010 election victory that gave the Republican Party every statewide elected office on the ballot and super majorities in both Houses of the Alabama Legislature.
