I wonder if the sheer amount of "baggage" doesn't help Hillary to some extent -- it makes it hard for there to be any gross revelations about conduct or morality as we've heard it all before. It takes away the element of surprise that can be so damaging, and the discourse has gone on so long that I suspect many voters tune it out to some extent.

Not that this isn't inherently a disadvantage -- having so many voters with an unfavorable view of her is no easy hurdle, but it does make the goal clear (no where to go but up).

There will always be a core group of the population determined to hate Hillary. But there has been such an open marketplace on her for so long, we have a better understanding of her than any other candidate -- and it is emerging as increasingly positive.

I agree. At a certain point, I get really tired of being told how to feel about her. I now just tune out anything about "the way America feels about her" and make up my own mind. She does have a lot of work to do, but having such great name recognition and visibility can't hurt. I think far more people are inured to the constant criticism than the polls indicate. Not everyone who has a bad opinion will change their minds about her, but I think there will be a deeper debate about her candidacy as the campaign progresses.

The key line in this whole article is the one where Hillary is touted as a "get-out-the-vote" strategy for Republicans. If the Democratic Party nominates her, Republicans will go the polls in droves to beat her, and the ones that don't have droves will go, too. The Dems need to go with a less polemic candidate. I can't see the baggage helping Hillary.

I don't much like Hillary -- never did. Her baggage per se doesn't bother me, but rather the fact that it's been going round on the luggage carousel for so long. Fifteen years now I've been hearing about this wonder woman/harpy harridan. Why can't she just slip away to celebrity limbo like Twiggy or Evil Knievel? Right now she's running on the Bob Dole platform: "My turn at last!"

I'm not so sure about that. The Republicans would certainly try, but as to such a tactic's success...I have my doubts. The voters who would be motivated by their loathing of Hillary (and/or Bill) are most likely to be in the core Republican base, anyhow, and as politically-active/minded citizens already be committed to vote against her.

More moderate Republicans are likely to be somewhat open-minded (or, deaf) on the issue or uncompelled to vote for such a personally-driven reason. Plus, general disdain for the current administration and a lack of inspiring candidate may lead many Republicans to abandon the party (and voting?) in the next election no matter what.

Where the get-out-the-vote strategy MAY harm her is with the Democrats. Women may be encouraged to go to the polls just for her, but otherwise she doesn't have the charisma (and the Democrats not quite the talent, as past elections have shown) to rally a Democratic surge.

The fact is, Democrats have been handed the moon and sixpence.