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Why Hillary Won (Op-Ed by Karl Rove)
Wall Street Journal ^ | January 10, 2008 | Karl Rove

Posted on 01/09/2008 10:56:55 PM PST by RWR8189

What would Shakespeare's Jack Cade say after the New Hampshire Democratic primary? Maybe the demagogue in "Henry VI" would call for the pollsters to be killed first, not the lawyers.

The opinion researchers find themselves in a difficult place after most predicted a big Obama sweep. It's not their fault. The dirty secret is it is hard to accurately poll a primary. The unpredictability of who will turn out and what the mix of voters will be makes polling a primary election like reading chicken entrails -- ugly, smelly and not very enlightening. Our media culture endows polls -- especially exit polls -- with scientific precision they simply don't have.

But more interesting than dissecting the pollsters is dissecting the election returns, precinct by precinct. Sen. Hillary Clinton won working-class neighborhoods and less-affluent rural areas. Sen. Barack Obama won the college towns and the gentrified neighborhoods of more affluent communities. Put another way, Mrs. Clinton won the beer drinkers, Mr. Obama the white wine crowd. And there are more beer drinkers than wine swillers in the Democratic Party.

Mrs. Clinton won a narrow victory in New Hampshire for four reasons. First, her campaign made a smart decision at its start to target women Democrats, especially single women. It has been made part of the warp and woof of her campaign everywhere. This focus didn't pay off in Iowa, but it did in New Hampshire.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New Hampshire
KEYWORDS: bubbacrats; democratparty; elections; hillary; karlrove; nh; obama; rove
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To: RWR8189

Well, Rove does seem to be a pro at this stuff; he has his arguments,and he lays them out. If I were a candidate, I would listen, if not obey.


21 posted on 01/10/2008 1:45:36 AM PST by Steve_Seattle (|)
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To: napscoordinator

Bill Clinton was the smoothest “smooth talker” of all time....and we as a country just don’t learn do we?


22 posted on 01/10/2008 1:46:37 AM PST by Halgr (Once a Marine, always a Marine - Semper Fi)
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To: Halgr

Obama reminds me of a goofy 13 year-old on his first date. He looks so nerdy and geeky. I don’t see the sex appeal at all.


23 posted on 01/10/2008 1:48:04 AM PST by Steve_Seattle (|)
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To: Steve_Seattle

I think Rove is an open borders guy, that is only interested in making sure that the corporate fat cats have there slave labor. Those multi-nationals don’t care if it is a Democrat or Republican doing there bidding as long they get their way.


24 posted on 01/10/2008 1:50:42 AM PST by calvo (Your strength isn't what you can do, but what you can endure.)
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To: calvo

If Rove is simply an open borders guy, why do the Dems hate him?


25 posted on 01/10/2008 1:54:26 AM PST by Steve_Seattle (|)
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To: Steve_Seattle

The Bushes and Clintons don’t hate each other they are just different wings of the same bird. Globalist, open borders advocates.


26 posted on 01/10/2008 2:02:31 AM PST by calvo (Your strength isn't what you can do, but what you can endure.)
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To: RWR8189

Good piece by Rove.


27 posted on 01/10/2008 2:18:39 AM PST by Recovering_Democrat ((I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!))
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To: Proud_USA_Republican

I’d like your thoughts on an idea that occurred to me yesterday.

Do you suppose the Dem establishment is contacting Obama to cajole him to take a dive? Here’s why I ask that:

-—They don’t want a protracted primary battle.

-—He’s young, they’ll say, and can be the VP. Then he can run with the entire party behind him when it’s his turn. They’ll probably let him put his people in prime spots in the DNC. There are lots of bennies they can dangle.

-—They are extremely worried about demoralizing their African American base if Hillary beats him.

-—They’ll say he can’t win. Why get yourself all bloodied now? We’ll let you win So Carolina and Nevada, but then go soft and let Hillary win the nomination. You’ll be in better shape for 2016. As the old show biz saying goes: “Leave them wanting more”.

There are more reasons, but you get my drift. I suspect this is happening right now. And he may very well be recelptive. Why fight a huge 50/50 battle now? He can husband his resources, spend 8 easy years coasting to the next election (not making all the mistakes Al Gore made). Then run a campaign with the entire party outreach and fundraising machine behind him.

I would think it’s a pretty persuasive offer.


28 posted on 01/10/2008 2:55:19 AM PST by Timeout (I hate MediaCrats! ......and trial lawyers.)
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To: RWR8189

bookmark


29 posted on 01/10/2008 3:26:05 AM PST by freema (Proud Marine Niece, Daughter, Wife, Friend, Sister, Cousin, Mom and FRiend)
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To: peyton randolph
About as real as Slick Sociopath Willie's crying at Ron Brown's funeral.

He laughed before he cried...and then he laughed again.

30 posted on 01/10/2008 4:21:15 AM PST by Louis Foxwell (here come I, gravitas in tow.)
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To: RWR8189
Two reasons she won, imo...

Voting day registrations from out of state, which NH allows as long as they lie and say they are moving there.

and

The voters who are not college kids or 'stupid White women' realize that she is right when she hammers Barry on his utter lack of qualifications.

31 posted on 01/10/2008 4:41:00 AM PST by wtc911 ("How you gonna get back down that hill?")
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To: Timeout; Proud_USA_Republican
... -—They’ll say he can’t win. Why get yourself all bloodied now? We’ll let you win So Carolina and Nevada, but then go soft and let Hillary win the nomination. You’ll be in better shape for 2016. As the old show biz saying goes: “Leave them wanting more”.

There are more reasons, but you get my drift. I suspect this is happening right now. And he may very well be receptive.

The only disagreement I have with your scenario is the contention that these discussions and offers are only happening now. I believe this plan was agreed to and has been in operation since early last year. The whole Clinton/Obama "battle royal" is a sham designed to energize their base and suck all the money and media airtime away from other possible challengers.

32 posted on 01/10/2008 4:54:38 AM PST by tarheelswamprat
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To: Gondring

Hillary’s answer wasn’t powerful and warm—it was whiny. No matter, we can beat her with Romney, if we must. And we must.


33 posted on 01/10/2008 4:58:14 AM PST by Havisham
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To: RWR8189
In the imortal words of PT Barnum, "There's a sucker born every minute." the Hildabeast won the NH primary with a parlor trick... scripted crying...

And, the woman from Maine was drafted or paid by Hildabeast to participate in this scam. She's been all over the Boston news denying complicity... BS... me thinks she does protest too much... and saying she voted for Obama is just a nice touch...

Bubba was fully engaged in the scam too with this statement, "We can't make her younger, taller, or male."... s pffft

NH primary was a scam from the get go... allowing out-of-staters to register on the day of the election is BS... None of the people bussed or flown into NH to VOTE are going to move there. NH needs to clean up its act.

Moreon.org, etc. was all over NH...

We need to know what Hildabeast is capable of so that she doesn't try these tactics with our own eventual candidate. I could care less what she does to another Democrat... s pfffft....

34 posted on 01/10/2008 5:04:27 AM PST by xtinct (I was the next door neighbor kid's imaginary friend.)
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To: peyton randolph; Gondring; Havisham

And let’s remember, Hillary didn’t shed a public tear for anyone who died on 9/11 — as a matter of fact, she didn’t even attend any funerals of fallen firefighters or other emergency workers.


35 posted on 01/10/2008 5:30:32 AM PST by redstates4ever
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To: Proud_USA_Republican

Exactly.

Conversely, its interesting to note Romney wasn’t liberal enough for that state, but McCain was.

Think about that for a minute....


36 posted on 01/10/2008 5:54:48 AM PST by Badeye (No thanks, Huck, I'm not whitewashing the fence for you this election cycle)
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To: Steve_Seattle
If you are Steve you shouldn't’t! :)
37 posted on 01/10/2008 5:58:06 AM PST by angcat ("IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM")
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To: MNJohnnie

Also, White Democrats LIED to pollsters about voting for the Black guy!


38 posted on 01/10/2008 6:49:15 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion.....The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: RWR8189

Karl who? Rove...Rove...wasn’t he in politics in some connection?


39 posted on 01/10/2008 6:50:12 AM PST by Non-Sequitur (Save Fredericksburg. Support CVBT.)
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To: Gondring

The other personal moment came on Monday, when a woman in Portsmouth asked her “how do you do it?”


Wasn’t the question about where she gets he hair done?


40 posted on 01/10/2008 7:01:26 AM PST by PeterPrinciple ( Seeking the truth here folks.)
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