Posted on 01/06/2008 9:58:11 PM PST by tcrlaf
Hillary Clinton's campaign, anticipating probable defeat here in New Hampshire on January 8, is gearing up for an extended trench-warfare battle against Barack Obama.
The former First Lady is planning to fight Obama in South Carolina on January 26, and in the gargantuan nationwide primary on Tuesday, February 5 -- with contests in 19 states, including New York, California, New Jersey, Georgia, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Colorado. If she remains competitive, Clinton's plan is to continue to compete in Louisiana on February 9, in Virginia and Maryland on February 12, in Wisconsin on February 19, in Ohio on March 4 -- and beyond, if necessary.
In an approach redolent of Walter Mondale's 1984 "Where's the Beef?" tactic against Gary Hart, Clinton has adopted the less memorable slogan "Rhetoric vs. Results, Talk vs. Action."
The Clinton campaign is sparing no effort to pressure the media to lean on Obama's perceived vulnerabilities.
Looking to leverage Obama's slender resume, a Clinton operative argued to HuffPost that the campaign will be able to demonstrate that "Obama is just not a plausible person in this environment of international peril," and that the longer the primary campaign can be extended, the better chance Clinton will have to prove that "there is not even a second level to Obama, there is no depth."
The results of this gambit are far from certain. Many political observers here see Hillary on the ropes. "I think Iowa was the best she is going to do. Now she has the stink of a loser on her," said an official from the upper echelons of the 2004 Democratic campaign. In the upcoming states, voters "are just now starting to pay attention, and all they know is that he [Obama] is a winner and she's a loser."
Like Mondale in 1984, Clinton is configuring her campaign to win in states where independents cannot vote. "Clinton got killed among independents and those few Republicans who crossed over," an Iowa operative noted about last Thursday's caucuses. After this Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, where independents can cast ballots in either the Democratic or Republican contest, "We are just going to go to the big Democratic states with closed primaries" says a member of the Clinton inner circle.
Political analyst Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute warned, "Tactical maneuvering at this point is of limited value, but all [Clinton] may be able to do for the moment is to try tactical stuff, and lash herself to the mast to withstand the [Obama] wave."
LOL!!
Right now, Spitzer couldn’t get elected dog catcher in NY.
And Obama has about 7 years on the Illinois State Legislature which trumps Hillary in my opinion. (Scary.... although I would hope that WHOEVER the Republican nominee is can take advantage of this).
Clinton has adopted the less memorable slogan “Rhetoric vs. Results, Talk vs. Action.”
Two junior senators who have accomplished nothing in the senate going at each other about results and action?
True !...and coming from Hillary who avoids every meeting and forum there is unless she and her operatives can carefully control it.....Obama should pin on her: ‘No Talk and No Action !’
??? waiting to see who survives, loyalty is not a Democratic Party trait...among many other failures. They are perhaps stuned?
The media is doing those rank-and-file dems a big disservice right now in not informing them of their own party process. Of course, this ignorance is feeding the Obama movement. Then again, 70% of Iowa voted against her so there is a strong undercurrent across the board that she’s not the one they want. There are going to be alot of disappointed libs and inds when all is said and done and I wonder if they demand a recount in their own party the way they did in 2000 FL?
I hope Obama, fueled by his ambition and the belief that he is a symbol for others, which he is, lets rip on her. He is smart enough to know that you can’t play softball with her, but if it gets real ugly that battle could rupture the dems. Good!
Obama should respond with a comparison of his experience against bill clinton’s in 1992.
See how the clinton camp deals with that....
This is shorter than I thought it would be. I read Hillary had 176 and this list has only 97 for her. Is there a formula for puffing these numbers? Does a super delegate count as two while a regular primary delegate counts only as one?
“Pass the Drambuie and the popcorn please.”
Pickles and ice cream!
I suggest you get a pregnancy test immediately.
Most rats are going to have to look up the word "Rhetoric" or ask someone to pronounce it for them. They'll get lazy, blow it off, and not care. In the end, they vote for Obama, who courteously kept his message to the single syllable word "Hope".
Does she really expect that this message is going to rally her constituency? I suspect that the people who would actually vote for Hillary are so deeply engaged in the day-to-day challanges of just gettting by that this lofty message is going to be lost in the background.
"Hoo hath thime thor THillary? Thust Thpull!"
I found this one instead - have a look and ENJOY! : )
Interesting that the Clintons have already conceded New Hampshire and are talking of digging in down South. If she loses dowen there the negative momentum is going to roll her over.
Whatever happened to Hillary's vaunted diplomatic abilities?
Why would she stop there? I suggest that you are being generous.
This is the big casino for her. If she does not make it here, it is all over; she is and will be old news.
We are going to see some spectacular events in this year.
Chillingly apt.
"And there shall come a day when ye shall smell land, but there will be no land.
And on that day Ahab shall go down to his grave.
But, he shall rise within the hour, and beckon.
And all save one, must follow."
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