Couldn't Happen To A More Deserving Hag

Good news and bad news...

First, the good news:

Hillary's approval ratings plummet, Benghazi scandal blamed

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remains the 2016 presidential candidate to beat, but her handling of the Benghazi, Libya assassination of the U.S. ambassador, panned by the public, has significantly knocked her approval ratings down from an all-time high of just three months ago, according to a new poll.

While her favorability rating in February was 61 percent, a new Quinnipiac University poll out Friday had it cobbled down to 52 percent and her once double-digit lead over potential GOP presidential challengers Jeb Bush and Sen. Rand Paul has been cut to less than 10 percent.

"Her score is down substantially from her all-time high score in February. The drop in her favorability is substantial among men, Republicans and independent voters. One reason for her drop may be that 48 percent of voters blame her either a little or a lot for the death of the American ambassador in Benghazi," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University polling Institute.

She should be blamed for the Benghazi fiasco. She ignored repeated requests for more security, she quite probably had a hand in preventing any military response, and she damn sure was an enthusiastic participant in the subsequent coverup.

Now for the bad news: in addition to the fact that 52% of the people polled still view her favorably (Why?!? Will someone please explain to me why on God's green Earth over half the people view that evil witch favorably?) she is still the odds-on favorite to be the next President of the United States.

Still, she is the Democrat's best chance to succeed President Obama in the Oval Office. In matchups with the leading Republican hopefuls, Clinton beats Paul 49 percent to 41 percent and Bush 48 percent to 40 percent.

Vice President Joe Biden is her chief rival for the job. But in the new poll he loses to Bush by six points and Paul by four points.

Let's close with a little more good news:

"If Ms. Clinton chooses not to run in 2016, the potential Democratic field could include a somewhat unpopular vice president and a number of new faces who are unknown to the vast majority of Americans," said Brown. "The potential Republican candidates include many unknowns also. Some of them, however, lead the incumbent vice president and outscore him when it comes to overall voter favorability."

2016 is, of course, a long way off. There is any number of things that could happen between now and then. But if the stink from Benghazi can be permanently affixed to hillary, and if she decides not to run, and if none of the potential republicans do something stupid (a great big if), then maybe there's some hope for this country after all.

But not if hillary gets elected...