Page 17 - HOSPITAAL

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 23 april 2018

Hillary Clinton, not on ballot, is star of GOP midterm plan

By STEVE PEOPLES may have voted for Clin-
Associated Press ton in 2008, when he cast a
NEW YORK (AP) — Almost ballot in the state's Demo-
18 months have passed cratic primary. A super PAC
since Hillary Clinton lost the is set to begin running new
presidency. She holds no TV ads linking Braun and
position of power in gov- Clinton in the coming days.
ernment. And she is not A Clinton spokesman de-
expected to run for office clined to respond to re-
again. quests for comment.
Yet Clinton is starring in the A former Clinton staffer,
Republican Party's 2018 Democratic strategist Jes-
midterm strategy. se Ferguson, dismissed the
With control of Congress up Republican strategy as an
for grabs this fall, the GOP's act of desperation. Gal-
most powerful players are lup reported this week that
preparing to spend big on Trump's job approval is 39
plans to feature Clinton as percent, virtually the same
a central villain in attack as Clinton's.
ads against vulnerable "Their obsession with her is
Democrats nationwide. evidence that they have
The strategy, which already nothing to run on, and
has popped up in races in n this June 5, 2017 photo, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a fundraiser for the they're scared of running
Pennsylvania, Indiana and Elijah Cummings Youth Program in Israel in Baltimore. with the president," Fergu-
North Dakota, illustrates the Associated Press son said. "It reminds me of
resilience and political po- the guy at the office who
tency of Republican voters' Critics suggest the strategy candidates running for re- of the most unpopular goes to the water cooler,
antipathy for Clinton. As dif- reeks of desperation, if not election in states Trump high-profile Democrats in and all he does is boast
ficult as it's been for Dem- sexism. But with no Demo- carried. the nation, second only to about his high school foot-
ocrats to move past the crat to attack in the White "She's called you 'deplor- Pelosi, the House minority ball championships."
Clinton era, it may be even House for the first time in able.' Now, she's called leader. Just 36 percent of On the ground in some rac-
harder for Republicans. nearly a decade, Repub- you 'backwards,'" said one Americans viewed Clinton es, however, Democrats
"STOP HILLARY. STOP PELO- licans are betting big that ad that targeted Florida favorably in a December are still figuring out how to
SI. STOP LAMB," read pam- the ghost of Clinton will Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Gallup poll, an all-time low navigate the Republican
phlets circulated during the serve them well in 2018. "If Bill Nelson had his way, mark that bucked a trend strategy.
special election in Pennsyl- Saddled with Trump's poor Hillary Clinton would be in which unsuccessful presi- In North Dakota, Democrat-
vania earlier this year. approval ratings, they may president," the ad contin- dential candidates typical- ic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who
That's just a taste of what's have little choice. ued. "Florida won't forget." ly gain in popularity over faces a tough re-election in
to come as the Novem- It's helpful, some Republi- Even if Clinton avoids the time. November, was asked last
ber elections grow closer, cans say, that Clinton re- spotlight moving forward, "We're going to make them month in a radio interview
say those who control the fuses to disappear from na- the Republican Party plans own her," Republican Na- when Clinton would "ride
GOP's strategy in the first tional politics altogether. to evoke her early and of- tional Committee spokes- off into the sunset."
midterm elections of Don- Less than a year ago, she ten in key congressional man Rick Gorka said. "Not soon enough," Heit-
ald Trump's presidency. launched a political orga- races, particularly in re- Clinton is a primary target kamp responded.
"I promise you that you'll nization designed to en- gions Trump won, which of conservative media, In suburban Philadelphia,
continue to see it — Hill- courage anti-Trump "resis- feature most of the mid- which largely shifted its fo- Democratic congressional
ary Clinton starring in our tance" groups. She made term season's competitive cus away from President candidate Greg Edwards,
paid media. She's a very two public appearances races. They include places Barack Obama after he left who initially supported Ver-
powerful motivator," said this week alone. During re- like western Pennsylvania's office last year but did not mont Sen. Bernie Sanders in
Corry Bliss, who leads the cent remarks in India, she 18th Congressional District, do the same with Clinton, the last presidential elec-
Congressional Leadership took a shot at Trump's slo- where Republicans spent who last served in the gov- tion, was reluctant to em-
Fund, a Republican super gan and his appeal across millions in last month's spe- ernment in 2013. brace Clinton when asked.
political action commit- middle America: "His whole cial election to oppose In some cases, Republicans "On both sides of the aisle,
tee ready to spend tens of campaign, 'Make America Democrat Conor Lamb. are using Clinton to go af- I think we have to stop re-
millions of dollars to shape Great Again,' was looking Lamb won the election, ter some of their own. playing the 2016 election,"
House races this fall. "It's backwards," Clinton said. despite the flood of attack That's what is happening in he said in an interview.
about what she represents. The national GOP pounced, ads. Indiana, where Republican "Candidates have to make
What she represents, just running digital ads featur- Internal polling and focus congressional candidate a decision as to whether
like what Nancy Pelosi rep- ing Clinton's comments — groups conducted by Re- Steve Braun is under attack her presence will help or
resents, is out-of-touch far- and her image — to attack publican campaigns find in his primary from conser- hinder. That's an individual
left liberal positions." the 10 Democratic Senate that Clinton remains one vatives who suggest he choice."q