A Note On The Inevitable
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in 2008 | Hillary Clinton | The Presidential Race — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
She's not so inevitable anymore:
Where did Hillary Clinton's mojo go?
That's what her campaign has to be asking after a rough two weeks. And more importantly, they have to be wondering how to recapture that fading aura of an unstoppable juggernaut.
Top Clinton strategist Mark Penn doesn't own up to his candidate suffering a dip, but he admits it's been tougher of late.
"The opponents went negative, and that created a new dynamic and a different set of headlines," Penn said.
The new dynamic emerged at the debate in Philadelphia two weeks ago, but didn't just spring from sharp criticism by her opponents. Clinton stumbled by offering fuzzy answers to some questions and refusing to take a stance on Gov. Spitzer's license plan for illegal immigrants.
Then Camp Clinton's damage control backfired as she was pounded for suggesting the "boys" ganged up on her. And Bill Clinton brought more scorn when he said the attempt to get an answer out of his wife on licenses verged on John Kerry Swift Boat territory.
Hillary Clinton is still the frontrunner and the likely Democratic nominee. And just as the press gods have decided that her fortunes have taken a turn for the worse, at some point in time, we will probably read stories about The Great Hillaryesque Comeback. It's just the nature of the game.
But let's stop thinking that anything about the race for the Presidency is somehow preordained. It isn't. We face a weird election where neither the incumbent President nor the incumbent Vice President are runnning for the top job and with terrorism and the economy as major issues, there is a great deal of disquiet and uncertainty on the part of the electorate.
That makes for a semi-chaotic political season in which anything can happen. There is no clear narrative that has emerged for the purposes of understanding this race. And until one does, we ought to stop thinking about who's up or who's down in the race for the Presidency. The conventional wisdom is apt to keep changing on a dime as this race goes on and the only thing predictable about the 2008 Presidential elections is that for a goodly long time, at least, political forecasts are going to be exceedingly difficult to make and stick to.
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A Note On The Inevitable 4 Comments (0 topical, 4 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
...she will be far easier to beat than Obama. She better win the nomination!
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
How sensitive are those so callous to others.
The New Republic [ per Drudge] has a good piece on the vulgar and constant attempts by the Clinton "strategists" to intimidate and cower the press. A good insight to the fear of criticism and a free press and a preview of what would really open up if Hillary, through some kind of cosmic punishment, becomes President.
At this point I see the nomination as a toss up, Obama has had the sense to at least appear, with not to close a look, as the voice of moderation. A smart ploy for the future. Hillary increasingly comes off as the cardboard cut out, shrill, whiney, weak, and forever hiding behind her staff.
Perhaps a job as trustee for some small library somewhere, but President ?
"a man's admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him". Tocqueville
...when I saw her deny knowing about the planting of questions. Doesn't seem like the type to let staffers make decisions without consulting her.
The ease of the denial, though, was kind of frightening.
It's never the Clinton's who go negative or take responsibility for anything. Last night it was said that Hillary and her campaign made it clear to staffers they do not endorse planting questions. Really? Would someone please explain the difference between Hillary, the campaign and the staffers. Talk about triangulation It's always someone else doing something bad to the Clintons. It's okay for them to be dishonest; it's okay for them to cheat or lie; it's okay for them to be deceptive; it's okay to not know what your campaign is doing ("It's news to me."); and the beat goes on. These are two of the most accomplished masters of bull manure, and yet people still let themselves get charmed by the fork tongues. Sit back and enjoy this; it's only a matter of time before they strike back, and strike back they will.