Clinton goes from inevitable nominee to on the ropes
These are some of the paradoxes and missed opportunities that will be examined by the cottage industry sure to arise to explore the what-ifs of Clinton's campaign.
By now, it's common knowledge that she planned to wrap up the nomination in early February. It was a reasonable assumption in 2007 but there wasn't much of a Plan B when that didn't work out in 2008.
"Her inevitability was based on a concept that no one would have the gumption or the resources or drive to get in — anyone with serious chances," Dick Harpootlian, a former South Carolina Democratic chairman and Barack Obama supporter, said after her Super Tuesday strategy fell short.
"They had an inevitability strategy, which was sort of a political Maginot line. It was illusionary. You just went around it, and, you know, Barack Obama did that."
David Gergen, a senior adviser to a succession of presidents from both parties, thought she was not well served by her team, citing "elements of malpractice in this campaign."
Any failed campaign is a combination of what the fallen did wrong, what the victor did right and happenstance.
Did her loose cannon of a husband shoot a hole through their own hull?
Did Florida and Michigan help to blow it for her in their rogue rush to hold early primaries against party rules, a move that sidelined delegates from two big states open to her?
Questions like that go into the same file with Ralph Nader-2000. Pundits will chew them over without ever being able to prove the answer, just as no one knows for sure whether Nader's candidacy robbed Al Gore of the presidency.
Clinton was on a springtime roll until Tuesday, when she lost big in North Carolina and barely prevailed in Indiana. Obama has swallowed several worse days than that and cruised on.
It loomed so large for Clinton because she had fallen so far behind in the contests of winter. One of the striking features of the drawn-out Democratic race is that so much damage was done to her chances in such a short spell.
After Obama's big win in the leadoff Iowa caucuses, a reporter asked Clinton as she campaigned in New Hampshire whether she felt Obama was a phenomenon that she just couldn't overcome, no matter what she did.
Clinton didn't acknowledge it publicly at the time, but months later said privately that she often thought of that question and sometimes felt it had some truth.
By that thinking, the notion of inevitability had been turned on its head. Maybe he was the chosen one all along.
Then Obama's halo fell in some mud. She fiercely exploited his missteps, criticized him in ways sure to delight Republican ad writers in the fall and — lest anyone miss the alpha female point — downed some beer at a bar and chased it with a shot of the hard stuff.
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Clinton goes from inevitable nominee to on the ropes
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View All Comments »LA at 05/13/2008 10:57:49 AM
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Let's look at this for what it REALLY is! Hillary's goal is to show that Barack cannot capture her support base of white, elderly and less educated supporters. This is her reason for staying in the race because she knows that WV and KY are over 90% of who supports her. What isn't being said is WHY???
I have heard the "pundits" dance around this because they don't want to say it but I will: the reason Barack has not "attracted" her base is because her base is racist!!! They do not want and will not support Barack because he is black. If you listened to what Hillary said in her interview, this was exactly what she was saying and unfortunately, she is right! But she can make this right if she wanted to but I really don't think she will if she doesn't win.
The problem I have with this is that Hillary is also showing her true colors. She is fueling this racial concept by staying in the race and the media is enabling her to continue with this as well by constantly reporting on how her "wins" in these 2 states can redifine her campaign and her argument to the superdelegates. We ALL know that the math is against her but the media still wants us to believe that she could still pull this off! There may be some truth to this. Keep watching...
Let me just reflect on this issue with MI and Fla. I am all for these 2 states having their votes count. After all this is a democracy, right? HOWEVER, whatever happened in these 2 states that caused them to push their primaries up, everyone involved in this decision agreed that this violates DNC rules and that the consequences for doing so will be enforced. Remember, I said EVERYONE invovled in that decision agreed: this had to also include Hillary as well. But now she has become the spokesperson for MI and Fla to have their votes counted. WHY? Because they count in HER equation! And now what she doing? She is making it appear as if Barack is disenfranchising them, which in turn, turns them against him and once again fuels the fire of racisim. See how this works?
Just keep watching. You will see how eventually the media will begin to slowly start to trickle out ways to cut Bararck off at the knees. It's actually starting as we speak. Look at how they are still trying to find ways to show how Hillary can still win the nomination. Then when that doesn't work, they will start subtly fueling the fire of a racial storm. The saga continues ...
rainydaiyz at 05/13/2008 4:22:56 AM
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i'm a woman and i just wanted them to put her in a skirt once in a while--have her use her feminine charm----
ronraye at 05/12/2008 8:10:06 PM
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hillary has polarized this electorate.how can this woman expect to be a leader when she interjects race in the campaign and operates a campaign that has a significant debt.hillary is not acceptble to be the democratic nominee or the second spot on the ticket.you can't have a person on the ticket and not have trust in that person.