March 21, 2008
Clinton Let Down by Campaign (Peter Fenn)
Hillary Clinton can’t escape her campaign. She gets better and better, despite the problems inside her campaign operation. Clearly, changes have been made in the past weeks that may help right the ship, but we will see.
Can you imagine blowing through $100 million before Super Tuesday and running out of money in a Clinton campaign? Can you comprehend a strategy based on “inevitability” — telling voters in Iowa and New Hampshire that you have their votes because you are running the juggernaut campaign? Can you even remotely believe that a campaign with such seasoned pros would virtually ignore the caucus states, losing almost all of them? Can you see Obama netting more delegates in Idaho than Clinton netted in New Jersey?
Now, one of the unkindest cuts of all: Knowing full well that a win in both Texas and Ohio means that Florida and Michigan MUST be in play for a re-vote, there is no strategy for making it happen. First comes word out of the campaign that they think the past “non-votes” should count. How ridiculous a position. Then they flounder around without knowledge of the deadlines and the legal and political hurdles. The result: The campaign kicks away any chance that an agreement can be forged.
Too bad Hillary Clinton has been so ill-served by a campaign that failed to observe the First Commandment of politics: “Leave no stone unturned.”
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You bring up some excellent points. Sometimes the smartest people do the dumbest things. Unfortunately, Hillary and Obama have footsteps in the sand. Yes, they could have both run better campaigns and it appears Hillary has a "dumber" staff. What eludes both of these campaigns is that it's not about them. That's why McCain's numbers are going up and their numbers are going down. McCain is making it about America, not about him. It's too late for Hillary or Obama to start declaring their love for America. It's too late and it would look phony. There is only one inevitable conclusion at this point. They have lost.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — March 21, 2008 @ 4:16 pm
Anyone who believes that Hillary Clinton, micromanager, didn't know what her campaign was doing is cleary misinformed and doesnt know enough about hillary to vote for her (or against her). Read the literature
Comment by james d granata — March 21, 2008 @ 5:48 pm
Robert Rosencrans ….McCain is Insane! I don't care how presidential he looks to you sheep. The only reason he has not been hard hit by the media yet is do to the on going Clinton and Obama saga.
But believe me when he does have to do his media time his numbers will go down. His own party does not like him. McCain, Clinton, Obama are all morons either three should be near the White House.
Comment by John — March 21, 2008 @ 7:29 pm
Robert Rosencrans ….McCain is Insane! I don’t care how presidential he looks to you sheep. The only reason he has not been hard hit by the media yet is do to the on going Clinton and Obama saga.
But believe me when he does have to do his media time his numbers will go down. His own party does not like him. McCain, Clinton, Obama are all morons neither three shouldn't be near the White House.
Comment by John — March 21, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
You blame all but Hillary? Clinton's micromanage everything. Be assured that if it's all failing it's a Clinton failure. Hillary sees herself differently than the rest of us see her, therefor when she thinks she is doing what is right, you see life viewed through her eyes.
When she's sure “inevitability” is the path, you get a peak at her true line of thought. She's as likable as a porcupine.
Comment by talk-n-dog — March 21, 2008 @ 9:22 pm
Neither Obama nor Clinton has suggested they have anything other than pride for their country. You're putting a lot of your own assumptions onto them. McCain's campaign is about America, while Obama and Clinton's are not? How so?
McCain's numbers are going up because he has no competition at this point. Clinton and Obama's numbers are going down because they're still hammering at each other in hopes of securing the nomination. It's no more complicated than that.
Amazing that you can declare the general election over before the general election campaign has even begun.
Comment by Big Blue — March 22, 2008 @ 1:34 am
The problem or at least one of them for Hillary is that she came into this election campaigning as if she deserved to be president because she was Bills wife during his 8 yrs in the white.I am sorry but attending garten parties and serving tea for 8 yrs does not give you "35″ yrs experience as Hillary has claimed.This was an obviously false claim and the American people saw through it.Elitism and lies do not play well with people when they are as plain to see as Hillary's was.
Comment by fcsanders — March 22, 2008 @ 9:33 am
Democrats can only win if America loses. Their goal is to declare defeat, impose defeat, glorify defeat in the war and the economy. These two hate America. They clearly want to change it drastically so they must be very unahppy with it.
Comment by Igor R. — March 24, 2008 @ 1:45 am
RR;
As Chuck Todd said to Meet the Press, I Obama or Clinton had made the gaffes that McCain did, there would be a 24 loop of the gaffe. Being that the media is soft on MCCain, it dismissed as a gaffe and forgotten. Make no mistake that when we settle on our Nominee, McCain will be look at closely and all the gaffes that he has made will be highlighted again and again. Seriously Iran training and arming AL-Qeada, you have got to kidding. Not only did he do it once, he did it 4 times. One is a gaffe, 4 times means you have no idea of what you're talking about.
Comment by Mike Coleman — March 24, 2008 @ 11:34 am
The media pundits all admit that if the situation were reversed (Hillary in the lead) that Obama would be FORCED out of the race long ago.
Yet they continue to PUSH THIS RACE for ratings.
How dare yea all!
Comment by Connie Manes — March 24, 2008 @ 1:54 pm
Mike Coleman: Pointing out mistakes is not a campaign platform. You actually have to stand for something.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — March 24, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
Mike, Iran IS training and arming Al Qaeda in Iraq, look it up. If you don't believe that the Iranian Shiites can arm Sunnis do a little studying on the Hamas situation and where their newest and best missiles as well as advanced training have come from. Many of the Taliban Sunnis were given refuge in Iran. Captured documents from the Iranian agents in Iran had complete "wiring diagrams" of the Al Qaeda organization as well as incriminating evidence about supplying them. Enough of your stupid indignation.
Comment by Igor R. — March 24, 2008 @ 2:50 pm
RR;
You mean to tell me that Obama hasn't stood for anything? How dare you. Sen Obama has stood for healthcare for our veteran when your boy Bush let them rot at Walter Reed. Obama stood with Republican Senators to open up the government so that we could see where our money was going, round up all those loose nuke so that we could destroy them, stood with worker who lost their job when the steel mills close, with citizen so that when they are questioned by police, they are taped so no one get abused. What has you boy McCain stodd for. One thing that he stood for was allowing the telecoms to spy on us while helping the NSA, despite the fact that it is against the Constitution. He took 700,000 dollars to spy on us, that is what he stood for, himself, no you, not America. Remember that bogus Military Commisions Act that took care of Habeus Corpus, you know the law that has covered us for over 400 year, yeah he wiped that sucker off the map. Now neither you nor me have the right to face our accuser, we can be thrown in jail on Bush's say so. That is what John McCain has stood for. How you like him now?
Comment by Mike Coleman — March 24, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
Hillary's Recount of Tuzla — her "Tale of Bosnian Sniper Fire" is outrageous and a breach of the Public Trust or should be. This goes right to the Heart of her Credibility, and it is found wanting and leads to a loss of Confidence! The Baltimore Sun calls it a "whopper." The Washington Post states: "Four Pinocchios!" However, main stream media, CNN, MSNBC and others are relatively quiet on this matter when in essence this is a big deal and the True Betrayal. To willfully mislead the public for gain is wrong and should have no place in our politics today and certainly should not be rewarded by a vote of confidence and our votes. This is an egregious matter and very disingenuous, at the least. Politicians should not be able to get away with such outrageous distortions lies and exaggeration. They should be held to a Higher Standard than the rest of us if they want to hold the highest office in the land and lead America to a better standard of life. This is what is wrong with our politics of today, a "do and say" anything that is allowed to be acceptable when on the otherhand, we raise our children not to lie and steal and cheat.
In trying to make Barack look "unelectable", Hillary and Camp Clinton has adopted a "say and do" anything strategy, along with a "throw the kitchen sink" and the basement too, which is supposed to make her look more "electable" but instead what she has accomplished is the question, "How are we to believe anything that comes out of Hillary and Camp Clinton's mouth?" And the most tragic cost of these kinds of tactics, is that they have not only torn the Democratic Party apart but the country too by Race and Gender.
This race could have been over in Texas, but the main stream media has been silent on telling you that if not for the 100,00 Republicans who voted for Hillary edged on by Rush Limbaugh, Barack would have won Texas. The Republicans also voted for her in Ohio and gave her a substantial margin. This was done not because they have a particular liking for Hillary, but because they want to prolong the race between the Democrats to tear them down while make John McCain look good, and because they think they can beat Hillary in the Fall. Just watch Pat Buchannan and Joe Scarborough's disingenuous Spin and you will see all their ugly talking points. They are no friend to America or to the Democratic Party.
Here's a Trailer — Hillary's "The Tale of Bosnian Sniper Fire", in case anyone missed it URL:
http://www.youtube.com/...
::
We are tired of the "do and say" anything Politicians!
Comment by Angellight — March 24, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
I'm sure they all have said or done something they would take back if they could.
What bothers me the most is the fact that Hillary continues to cry about Obama waging a 'negative' campaign. She is the one who went after him with her usual campaign tactics and when he finally started defending himself, with the urging of his campaign staff and supporters, she started crying. If you can't take it then you shouldn't dish it out.
The Clintons have always played dirty politics and probably always will. For those we don't believe, all you have to do is check the record.
Comment by linda — March 24, 2008 @ 4:00 pm
The buck stops with Hillary; if her campaign failed, she failed. Her senate campaign experienced fiscal mismanagement and now her presidential campaign has seen the same thing. Her dishonesty about her experience is transparent (Ireland, Bosnia, NAFTA) and has been easily refuted by the record. Many mistakes in the campaign; no clear strategy, no clear message, no clear plan; the damage done by Bill Clinton in South Carolina and so forth. Her campaign demonstrates she is not ready to lead a country, much less a campaign.
Comment by David — March 24, 2008 @ 11:20 pm
David has it right. The faltering Clinton campaign rests as surely on her shoulders as this past seven years rests on GW's.
In the end, if you're running to be or are the commander in chief, there is no such thing as shuffling the responsibility off to someone else in the campaign or administration.
The faltering judgment, the mismanagement, the incorrect assumptions, the wasteful spending, the inexcusable hubris, in the end, it all rests upon two shoulders.
Poor Hillary? No. Poor judgment.
Comment by Rowland — April 13, 2008 @ 4:20 pm