Is Mark Penn still secretly advising Hillary Rodham Clinton? Despite the chorus of criticism, she still has not changed her tactics – attack, attack, attack. On April 20, “she implored voters in Pennsylvania to look beyond "whoop dee do" speechmaking and take a hard look at who's got the know-how to deal with the nation's problems. "I want everyone thinking," she declared, as if to suggest those backing Obama are not. Her implication was clear: She's substance, he's flash.
“Barack Obama responded by casting his Democratic presidential rival as a game-player who uses "slash and burn" tactics and will say whatever people want to hear, a sharp jab at her character in the final chapter of the pivotal Pennsylvania primary campaign.
By relentless negative campaigning, Clinton, striving for an unlikely blowout victory in the April 22 Pennsylvania primary, has seriously damaged herself and has also hurt Obama in the general election. Another AP-Yahoo poll last week showed Senator John McCain pulling even with Obama and Clinton, despite the fact that several months earlier, Democrats were favored by 13 points to win the presidency.
“There is a lot of Clinton fatigue in the party and in the country today, and many people are reacting to that,” said Tom Daschle, a former Democratic leader in the Senate, who is supporting Obama.
The Clintons are suffering a high frustration level as their former administration aides are now endorsing Obama: Greg Craig, who served as special counsel to President Clinton during his impeachment saga; Anthony Lake, a former national security adviser and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who even before his formal endorsement Friday, had spoken approvingly of Obama and critically of Clinton’s campaign. Other newer Obama endorses include Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and older colleagues like Senator John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia.
As of this writing, Barack Obama predicted Monday, April 21, that Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton would get the critical victory she needs in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, but said his goal is to keep it close.
“I'm not predicting a win,” he told Pittsburgh radio station KDKA. “I'm predicting it's going to be close and that we are going to do a lot better than people expect.” Clinton aides also tried to downplay expectations, insisting they would be grateful for a single-digit win. While the New York Senator began the race with a hefty 20-point lead in several polls in the state, Obama's extensive campaigning and heavy ad buying have significantly cut into Clinton's lead.
The final stretch to the Pennsylvania finish line is going to be just that – a stretch. Clinton needs more than a win in Pennsylvania. She cannot even think of a “victory” among elected delegates. She needs a big win – a double-digit win to impress the uncommitted superdelegates who may be persuaded by her popular vote numbers and who are sitting it out waiting for the Keystone state’s verdict.
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Comments
I am a Democrat who agrees with this article 100% and one who will not be voting for Hillary. There is something missing with her delivery, hard to express, maybe likability or sincerity.. I think "the fatigue" mentioned in this blog is right on.
People have lost interest in her candidacy, Hillz need to drag this out is painful to watch...enough already.
Posted by: Mom Taxi | April 21, 2008 9:47 PM
McCain is the most qualified of the three candidates due to his foreign policy experience and ideas for fixing the economy. I hope she hangs on and on because it helps McCain.
Posted by: Owl Man | April 21, 2008 9:54 PM
Given the almost insurmountable challenge Obama has faced in Pennsylvania a 6 - 7 point win by Hillary is also a win of sorts for Obama. The deck has been stacked against him. Hillary had almost the entire state political machine sowed up a long time ago and it has been very ably controlled by Ed Rindell. This is a huge obstacle for another candidate to overcome and explains the 20 point margin of just a month or so ago. If not for Obama's superior funding narrowing the margin to the extent he has would not have been possible. If he is just able to keep a Clinton win to 6 - 7 point it will be a huge accomplishment for him, not to mention an all out win.
Posted by: Ken Mattheis | April 22, 2008 10:28 AM
My Clinton fatigue is so intense that I hope they will both go away forever. The have been and are divisive, arrogant, willing to win at all costs, pathological liars and whining victims. We certainly don't need another four years of this. Given that six out of ten Americans find her "untrustworthy and dishonest," I don't see how she can possibly beat McCain.
Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | April 22, 2008 12:17 PM
This evening, one of the cable anchors kept trying to pin down one of Barack's surrogates. Like so many other political pundits from today, she kept prodding the surrogate -- asking, why can't Barack seal the deal? But I was asking myself this question: Why in the world is an anchor picking up on one of Hillary Clinton's clichés? Why can't he seal the deal? Instead of being impartial, it was clear that the anchor should ask a Hillary surrogate, “Why can’t she seal the deal?”
Here are the real questions: Why can't Senator Clinton seal the deal? Why are Americans not buying her experience lock, stock, and barrel? Why is it after 16 or so years in the public eye, with “Clinton” name recognition, and being First Lady for eight years, did she not shut this down on Super Tuesday? Why is it that most Americans find her to be untrustworthy and dishonest? How can a Junior Senator from out of nowhere blindside her and take over not only the Popular Vote and Delegate Lead, not to mention win more states? Why is it that in states where she's expected to win by 20 or more percentage points, she barely scrapes by? Why is it that people have started to cringe when Bill Clinton opens his mouth? Why is it that Senator Clinton feels she has to lie, flip flop, change her position, and blow up Iran?
Posted by: renee perry | April 23, 2008 11:36 PM
You all sound like the most ignorant people I've ever heard. Get out of the 1950s and 1960s. George Wallace is dead. To have such cynicism and racial issues about another human being because he doesn't look like you is downright awful. You can write all this stuff about people while you sit quietly and anonymously at your computer. You're cowards! That's what I said.
But I bet a lot of you watch Notre Dame Football with those black football players playing. I bet a lot of you watch the Indianapolis Colts with a lot of those black football players. I bet a lot of you watch the Indiana Pacers with those black players. And, I bet a lot of you got jerseys and all kinds of sports memorabilia from these black athletes and will break your neck to get their damn autograph. But it's ok for you and your children to idolize these black athletes. But lord have mercy, a black man better not think about running for president. And, that's another thing. Barack Obama is also half white. So, I guess you people are talking about yourself too.
But you don't want to count that part of him. Because you know what they say: a drop of Black blood makes you black.
And, I bet a lot of you have friends who don't look like you. But everyone of you probably got a black friend somewhere. Even if it's the waitress down at the Golden Corral. Give me a break.
I guess it's Ok to watch Tiger Woods since he golfs. Michael Jordan. Give me a break with this hypocritical attitude. You're sickening with the racist attitudes you have. But I guess everybody on here are Christians. What Bible are you people reading? That's what I would like to know.
I'm sure your Bible tells you to say all these mean things about people. And, I bet you go to church every Sunday. Unbelievable!!!
Posted by: renee perry | April 24, 2008 12:12 AM
Look at this...
Posted by: RahSlifyblali | June 2, 2008 10:12 AM
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