In perhaps a telling sign of the way in which the Clinton campaign has been going, this "hot-off-the-press" release directly from her website:
That's right - if you read only one thing today, make sure it's Vermont Woman. With a circulation of nearly 20,000, it's only slightly easier to find than the Okachobee High School Reporter.
Meanwhile, Obama's website is also touting his latest newspaper endorsement:
As I said, it's a reflection of the difficulties Hillary has had finding her footing in an increasingly desperate battle to stay competitive with an Obama campaign that has somehow taken on a life of its own. The rhetoric has been cranked up, and not always to Clinton's benefit. Witness this bizzarre press-release from Hillary's campign braintrust, brilliantly dissected by Wonkette:
Anything the Hillary Clinton camp says these days on teevee, to reporters, to anyone who is a human being, rapidly erodes the entire
campaign and her legacy. In their latest memo, which must have been written in crayon and targeted at the Cro-Magnon community, Team Clinton says that sinceObama has done everything correctly, any loss in the future would finalize his defeat.To: Interested PartiesFrom: The Clinton CampaignDate: Friday, February 29, 2008RE: Obama Must-WinsThe media has anointed Barack Obama the presumptive nominee and he's playing the part. With an eleven state winning streak coming
out of February, Senator Obama is riding a surge of momentum that has enabledhim to pour unprecedented resources into Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. The Obama campaign and its allies are outspending us two to one in paid media and have sent more staff into the March 4 states. In fact, when all is totaled, Senator Obama and his allies have outspent Senator Clinton by a margin of $18.4 million to $9.2 million on advertising in the four states that are voting next
Tuesday. Senator Obama has campaigned hard in these states. He has spent time meeting editorial boards, courting endorsers, holding rallies, and - of course - making speeches. If he cannot win all of these states with all this effort, there's a problem. Should Senator Obama fail to score decisive victories with all of the resources and effort he is bringing to bear, the message will be clear: Democrats, the majority of whom have favored Hillary in the primary contests held to date, have their doubts about Senator Obama and are having second thoughts about him as a prospective standard-bearer.Translation: Barack Obama has won eleven straight contests, raised more money (because people like him), campaigned brilliantly and thoroughly in Texas and Ohio -- thereby marginalizing Clinton's long-held leads in those states -- won most endorsements and made legendary speeches at his overpacked rallies. Clinton has lost eleven straight contests, is consistently on the verge of bankruptcy, has run poor, indifferent campaigns in Texas and Ohio -- states she led by double digits only a couple of weeks ago -- lost every endorsement and cannot speak. Obama sure has dug his own grave with this "doing well in the election" strategy this election season.
And a new Zogby poll shows Obama now ahead in Texas, and closing a once double-digit gap in Ohio.
Texas
Clinton - 42%
Obama - 48%
Ohio
Clinton - 44%
Obama - 42%
Should be an interesting Tuesday...
4 comments:
Hillary is desperate, but she is compounding the problem by appearing to be as desperate as she actually is. Still, I would be surprised if she lost Texas.
MD - The way things appear to be shaking out, I have a feeling Obama will win in Texas. They have a very wierd system there in which there is both a primary and a caucus. And according to some pundit on CNN last night, the way the system works is that if Obama wins in big cities (Houston, Dallas, Austin), he can get more delegates than Hillary even if she wins big in south Texas (where she is leading in the polls), and even if she wins the popular vote.
It's messed up, but with the polling numbers being so close, I don't think Hillary's going to escape Texas with the delegates she needs. She'll probably win Ohio (but again, will she win it by enough to outpace Obama for delegates?). And it looks like she'll win Rhode Island, but lose Vermont.
Anyways, you can never say never. But the optics aren't good, and assinine press releases don't help much.
I agree, the Clinton campaign is resorting to weird, desperate tactics. As related on RT, she has even regurgitated LBJ's notorious "Daisy" ad from 1964.
This wouldn't be the first time that the Dems selected a relatively inexperienced 46 year old. That would also describe Bill Clinton in 1992 (unless you consider being Governor of a backwater like Arkansas to be "experience".)
Bowler - Yeah that "3am" ad is almost funny in its attempt to be serious. The Obama camp put out its own "3am" rebuttal ad almost within hours of Clinton's - the miracles of modern media!
I don't think the whole "experience" angle has been resonating very well with Democratic voters. Obama has only to point out that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld were two of the most "experienced" people in Washington, and the case for inexperience (read "change") is made.
Post a Comment