A Really Smart Argument Against Hillary Clinton

Megan McArdle thinks that Hillary Clinton doesn't have a very good chance at becoming our next president. I know what you're thinking: Megan McArdle is always wrong, something as reliable as death and taxes. But McArdle thinks that failure teaches us how to be successful so it's worth taking a look at her arguments. Anyone who has been wrong that often is probably the smartest person in the world by now.

Why Hillary Clinton is bound to lose:

1.) She's old. Yes, most male presidential candidates are old too but people have different standards for women. True, those people are usually conservative and a conservative would never vote for Hitlery anyway but, umm, she's really really old and people will only vote for women who are not aged and unattractive. (But I repeat myself.) Which is why Sarah Palin won the vice presidency.

2.) Married women vote Republican. To prove this, McArdle links to a post by Kay Hymowitz that states more married women voted for Romney than Obama. Which is why Romney was our last president.

3.) Black voters won't necessarily vote for Clinton just because they voted for Obama. True, a big percentage of Black voters were women and McArdle has said that one of the biggest problems of the Black community is the fact that so many are single mothers and single Black women vote Democrat but--. Uh---. They won't.

4.) Voters don't lean Democrat. McArdle notes that Jonathan Chait says they do, and the link shows that Chait has the poll numbers to back him up but McArdle has a gut check and which do you believe--facts or McArdle's emotions? I thought so!

5.) A recession could scuttle Clinton's candidacy. A recession could scuttle anyone's candidacy but since the public is aware that the Republicans helped create one and the Democrats tried to bring us out of one, this factor might not be a lock.

6.) Clinton is a political neophyte. I'll have to let McArdle take this one in her own words.

6. She's not a particularly good candidate. She has never won a tough election. In fact, she's only won in deep blue New York, which is not exactly playing against the varsity. On the stump, she has nowhere near the appeal of her husband, or Barack Obama. She's a totally fine speaker, but she is not inspiring, and she does not come off as warm; her tone ranges from "well coached" to "annoyed." You might call her the Mitt Romney of the Democrats.

7.) She's damaged goods. McArdle feels that the Republican war against the Clintons will harm her chances of winning votes. Yes, the Republicans attacked Barack Obama with a violent fury and he won anyway but eh, where there's smoke there has to be electoral failure.

8.) People want change. Which is why Obama was elected twice and Bush was elected twice.

9.) Obama's poor approval ratings will not help Clinton.  However approval ratings rise with people's economic optimism which puts Democrats at an advantage.

McArdle says she could be wrong (practice makes perfect) so we will just have to wait and see. But for the life of her she just can't imagine why anyone would think that Clinton has the advantage going into the election.