Beyond the Dome

Ever since Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin became John McCain’s running mate last week, Hillary Rodham Clinton has stayed curiously silent. She put out a brief statement on the day McCain introduced Palin to the nation, saying “we should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin’s historic nomination” despite their policy disagreements, but she has been lying low ever since.

That’s about to change. On Monday, Clinton will re-emerge to campaign for Obama in Florida, a Clinton aide confirms. (The event was first reported by TPM Election Central.) No other details are available yet, since the Obama campaign hasn’t announced the event, but I’ll update this post when we get more information.

The Clinton event couldn’t come at a more crucial time for Obama. After Palin’s combative speech last night, Obama will need all the help he can get from supporters who can make his case to working women who might have identified with Palin last night. There are other lawmakers who will come to Obama’s aid, but Clinton is probably the strongest firepower he has right now — if she’s there for him.

The response to Palin’s speech may well be a wash. Two focus groups conducted last night by Democratic pollsters Stan Greenberg and Anna Greenberg found that women voters who had supported Clinton were sympathetic to Palin and liked her speaking abilities, but also thought she was too harsh and didn’t like her anti-abortion views.

But if Clinton wants to make sure none of her supporters become tempted by Palin’s candidacy, she may have to dust off the speech she gave at the Democratic convention last week — warning her voters about the consequences of a McCain presidency — and adapt the message for everyone who heard Palin’s speech last night.