Advertisement
Margaret Hoover won’t count Hillary out
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · March 26, 2008


Margaret Hoover calls John McCain a “good man” for the Republicans and said she is “pessimistic” about Hillary Clinton losing the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama.


The great-granddaughter of Herbert Hoover, who was in West Branch eariler this month to shoot a video promoting the Hoover Park, said McCain may differ with Republicans on hot-button issues like immigration and campaign finance reform, but can be counted on for other important things.

“He’s not going to raise taxes and he’s not going to pull us out of Iraq,” the Republican consultant said. “He understands the ascendancy of radical Islam.”

As for the neck-and-neck race between Obama and Clinton, Hoover said she was not going to believe Clinton, despite being slightly behind in the delegate count, can’t catch up.

“I won’t believe she’s out until the ruby slippers come off her feet,” Hoover said.

She believes Obama has “good character” and would be harder for McCain to beat. Still, she believes America would be better off with Obama than Clinton.

“This country succeeds when there are two strong candidates on the ballot,” she said. “The Republicans have to come up with better ideas.”

Hoover believes the Clintons are “corrupt,” and she is not optimistic for Obama because of what she has seen of the Clintons in the past.

“But McCain can beat either one,” she said. “Hillary is kryptonite to the independent voters.”

The political polling figures she has seen say that about 30 percent of the voters are independent, and they will “break toward McCain.”

Asked about Rush Limbaugh being criticized for subverting the election process by suggesting Republicans, with McCain secured as the GOP candidate, cross over and vote for Clinton “so the bloodletting continues,” Hoover laughed. Surveys showed that about 9 percent of the voters in Texas’ Democratic primary were Republican, and most voted for Obama.

“Rush had a minimal impact if any,” Hoover said. “Real Republicans, at the end of the day, can’t bring themselves to vote for Clinton. ... People don’t act blindly.”

Hoover said that most voters seem to be concerned about things like the economy, health care, the price of gas and energy.

“Things are going better in Iraq,” she said, “so they want to hear about domestic issues.”