The First Salvo of the ’12 Campaign
By Mitch Berg
Politico sez Hillary is…sandbagging?:
A lot of coverage of the Clinton campaign supposes them to be in kitchen-sink mode — hurling every pot and pan, no matter the damage this might do to Obama as the likely Democratic nominee in the fall.
In fact, the Democratic race has not been especially rough by historical standards. What’s more, our conversations with Democrats who speak to the Clintons make plain that their public comments are only the palest version of what they really believe: that if Obama is the nominee, a likely Democratic victory would turn to a near-certain defeat.
Far from a no-holds-barred affair, the Democratic contest has been an exercise in self-censorship.
Rip off the duct tape and here is what they would say: Obama has serious problems with Jewish voters (goodbye Florida), working-class whites (goodbye Ohio) and Hispanics (goodbye, New Mexico).
Republicans will also ruthlessly exploit openings that Clinton — in the genteel confines of an intraparty contest — never could. Top targets: Obama’s radioactive personal associations, his liberal ideology, his exotic life story, his coolly academic and elitist style.
Is Madame Putin just paying out rope, biding her time for ’12?
April 14th, 2008 at 6:23 am
“”Hispanics (goodbye, New Mexico).””
Well, until he names Gov Richardson as his running mate! His only logical choice at this time.
April 14th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Dunno if I would call richardson his best choice , He didn’t really poll all that well in his national campaign, He has offfended the clintonistas with his change of heart and New Mexico carries a whpping 5 electoral votes .
more negatives or non interesting factors there than I care to think about.
April 14th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Never pull the stake out of a Clinton. She’s not done fighting for the nomination this time.
Any 2012 “fall-back” strategy is clearly secondary because it’s so high-risk. If BO beats McCain, there’s no way Hillary can steal the 2012 nomination from BO as a sitting president. And assuming BO is not the moron Bush was, 2016 would see a sitting vice-president heir apparent in the Clinton-Gore mould, whom she can’t unseat, either.
If she doesn’t win this time, her prospects for power drop like a stone. This nomination battle is a fight to the death for her.
.
April 14th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Even if Obama screws up (POTUS is not a position for amateurs), the Demcorts will renominate him (see Jimmy “I like Hamas” Carter in 1980).
April 14th, 2008 at 9:54 am
I think she has been in 2012 fall-back strategy for quite a while.
She has no chance for this nomination, so her only hope is an embarrassing Obama loss, with her riding an “I told you so” into the nomination for 2012.
Richardson for VP? He’ll bring in the insane rogue dictator vote for sure, not much else.
April 14th, 2008 at 10:02 am
I tend to agree with MoN: Hillary needs to wound Obama enough so he loses. McCain is too old to make two terms likely, so if Obama loses she has a good shot in another 4 years.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:04 am
“Ready on Day One” Clinton was not ready for the campaign to extend beyond Super Tuesday. Her behavior since Super Tuesday certainly looks as though its prime goal is to hurt Obama. Were Obama to lose in November, Clinton’s stick won’t rise, and her negatives will remain high.
If she’s the Dem nominee in 2012, then it’s time for the party to dissolve.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:41 am
If she’s the Dem nominee in 2012, then it’s time for the party to dissolve.
In the case, I’ll get started on making “Hillary! 2012” bumper stickers immediately.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
If Hillary is trying to sink Obama, she’s attempting to do the country a service, intentionally or unintentionally. This guy really does have the potential to be a worse President than Jimmy Carter.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Come on do we really think Senator Peron , …er Clinton is that cycncial and power mad that she would do the convulted electoral political calculation of ..thinking… about ..
Sorry , forgot whom I wat talking about there
Back to your regularly scheduled madness