WONDERFULLY STATED – AT 9:51 A.M. ET:  Hillary is in trouble.   And she's not getting herself out of it.  As usual, Andrew Malcolm of IBD nails Hillary's plight exactly.  Oh, it's so juicy:

For someone who by all accounts except her own so far wants desperately to become president of the United States, Hillary Clinton is doing an excellent job of screwing up her chances.

Not just the shady acceptance of Clinton Foundation donations from foreign countries she dealt with as secretary of State. Not just her defiance of federal regulations obviously intended for people less important. Not just the way she's clumsily helping Americans remember many of the more tawdry aspects of her husband's presidency and her reign as first lady.

But the way she's handling herself through it all. Americans always want to see their potential leaders hungry for the job. Driven. Out there trying to convince them, one-by-one, to award their vote.

So far, Clinton has been the exact opposite. The astute columnist Peggy Noonan captured it perfectly after Clinton's awkward news conference last week:  "She didn’t look hungry for the battle, she looked tired of the battle."

Already?

Last time Clinton announced her candidacy 22 months before the 2008 election, even before what's-his-name from Illinois. It's now 20 months and she reportedly still hasn't decided when to pull the trigger. Gotta squeeze in a few more big-buck speeches. Gotta minimize chances of fumbling the ball, run out the clock.

Because, you see, the nomination is hers. Realistically, there's no one else on the Democrat side. Used to be a good thing for Dems.

Turns out, this is great news for Republicans, who'll spend the next 16 months scrapping for the GOP nod. The winner will leave Cleveland battle-tested and hungry. Clinton will leave Philadelphia crowned.

COMMENT:  Well said, with one caveat:  No matter how badly Hillary screws up, she will still have the mainstream media behind her.  Maybe not with the same enthusiasm that greeted Barack, come to save us, but she will have their support.  The Republicans will have to overcome that.  I believe they can.

After all, Reagan also had the media against him.  He was portrayed as a warmed-over movie actor who'd start World War III.  He went directly to the American people and made his case, even defying the Republican establishment.  And he won decisively.  It can be done, if we nominate a fighter.

March 16, 2015