Althouse: Hillary Clinton "needs to completely abandon her positive campaign and continue to hammer away at Obama."

April 16, 2008

Hillary Clinton "needs to completely abandon her positive campaign and continue to hammer away at Obama."

Writes former Bill Clinton advisor Douglas E. Schoen in the WaPo. Ugh! Does he want everyone to hate her?

There's already been plenty of hammering away at Obama lately, and what's striking is that it hasn't hurt him in the polls.

22 comments:

Fen said...: She already has the rep. Might as well play it.; 4/16/08, 6:40 AM
Bob said...: Um...everyone already hates her, to varying degrees. Except maybe Chelsea.; 4/16/08, 6:49 AM
Sloanasaurus said...: It could be that Clinton has maxed out her support.

However, if I were a ruthless politician like Clinton, I would start to realize that an Obama loss in the general is the only way I will ever be president, perhaps in 2012 considering McCain's age. If Obama loses, Clinton can say to everyone that she warned them, and she will have been right. Therefore, it is in her own best interest to go negative on Obama today so Mccain won't have to as much in the general.

Her commercials now running in Pennsylvania that Obama has no idea what goes on in small town America is a start. It's also true. Obama's roots are fantasyland Hawaii, black urban poor southside Chicago, and liberal elite enclaves. How can Obama have any idea at all what people in Scranton think.; 4/16/08, 7:09 AM
kjbe said...: Clinton and McCain don't have any idea what goes on in small town America, either. Why is it that we need them to think like 'us'? Whoever 'us' is at any particular moment. It seems like a convenient 'gottcha' and nothing more.; 4/16/08, 7:30 AM
Sloanasaurus said...: Clinton and McCain don't have any idea what goes on in small town America, either.

Hmm, don't be so confident in that. McCain has been in statewide politics in Arizona for 15 years. That requires a lot of visits to small towns. Moreover, he spent a many years of his life living in places like Meridian, Mississippi or Pensacola Florida where he was stationed as a navy pilot. Clinton lived in Arkansas for 15 years. That entire state qualifies as a small town.

Obama, has never lived in small town America. However, it is also probably the case that neither McCain or Clinton understand black urban america as much as Obama.; 4/16/08, 7:52 AM
MadisonMan said...: If Obama loses, Clinton can say to everyone that she warned them, and she will have been right.

Yes, that might work if people don't overlook the fact that she would be complicit in his defeat. I think this is Hillary!'s only shot.

I mentioned earlier that my Mom in PA is one of the people who has changed from (R) to (D) to vote in the primaries next week. It turns out that she did that to vote for the son of a friend running in the Democratic Primary for the open House seat. (The sitting Republican isn't running again). She's not voting for Hillary! and was astounded to think I could even jokingly suggest it.; 4/16/08, 8:14 AM
Peter Hoh said...: Losing the nomination and coming back 4 years later to win it. That worked for Reagan, who was likable, but I don't think it will work for Hillary Clinton. I may not remember GOP politics from the mid 70s really well, but I don't think people felt that Reagan's run for the nomination in '76 was what hurt Ford in the general election.; 4/16/08, 8:19 AM
rhhardin said...: Obama's oversized ears haven't been used yet, except by Maureen Dowd.; 4/16/08, 8:28 AM
Sloanasaurus said...: Losing the nomination and coming back 4 years later to win it. That worked for Reagan, who was likable, but I don't think it will work for Hillary Clinton.

Maybe, but if Obama gets stomped, people will wonder what-if about Clinton.

If Al Gore wouldn't have turned into a complete freak, and stayed the moderate democrat that he was he would be the democratic nominee today leading by 15 points.; 4/16/08, 8:32 AM
MadisonMan said...: If Al Gore

If Bill Clinton had resigned, George W. Bush would never have been President.; 4/16/08, 8:52 AM
Roger J. said...: I suspect that neither democratic candidate has much experience with small town America. The Clinton's 109 million dollars and Obama's bitterness thing--and more important to me, the people that seem not to see it as a slight against small town folks suggest the big divide in this country is rural-urban. Now, off to go to church, then go to the target range to pop the caps on some 45 ACPs after the benediction, then retire to the local tavern to have a shot of crown royal with beer chaser, hoot at the babes, and tell flatulence jokes with the other rubes. That's how we spend our Sundays in Bitterville.; 4/16/08, 9:46 AM
Anonymous said...: Just another "welcome to our world" moment for Republican readers. Democrats who are losing always believe it's because they're being too nice.; 4/16/08, 10:10 AM
reader_iam said...: Plus, "The Boss' is for Obama: "He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where '...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone.' "; 4/16/08, 10:27 AM
Anonymous said...: He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems

Billy Mooney: I'm just worried about our direction.
Jimmy Rabbitte: Direction!? What bleedin' magazines you been readin', you tosser?
(The Commitments, 1991); 4/16/08, 10:52 AM
GlennO said...: HEADLINE:

"HRC Campaign Rearranges Deck Chairs on Sinking Campaign - Again"; 4/16/08, 11:46 AM
GlennO said...: BTW -

Just to set the matter straight, from an eyewitness on the scene in small town America (moi) from a big city (NYC) American.

In Waveland MS, there are about 3500 people, there is little serious crime, my experience at stores etc is no bitterness though incomes are pretty low, generally, people generally work hard and show me, a stranger, respect - example: just driving in traffic with the locals is a pleasure. They "let you in", honking and tailgating is "just not done", they smile and wave at you on the two lane, pause if you have to back out of a space, stop if you are on the side of a rode with a flat, etc. It Is Amazing.

Sure, the cynics will say "Mayberry" and roll their eyes. But after a heated commute into the City Of Death aka New Orleas, getting back to the Gulf Coast is a pleasure.

Maybe Obama confused the bitterness of living in the big cities like Chicago - he had a liberal generalization moment.

I guess citing this makes me an elitist. Feels good, I think?; 4/16/08, 11:57 AM
Anonymous said...: It's hurt him a great deal in both the Pennsylvania and Indiana polls.; 4/16/08, 12:20 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: Obama has to abandon his positive campaign and start hammering at Clinton- sledge hammering her.; 4/16/08, 12:35 PM
DaveG said...: ...the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit.

That vision's purtiness is exceeded only by its naivety. He's not envisioning a healthy (albeit noisy) give-and-take society like we have now, he's envisioning a cult.

Count me out.; 4/16/08, 1:07 PM
Cedarford said...: Hillary Clinton "needs to completely abandon her positive campaign and continue to hammer away at Obama."
Writes former Bill Clinton advisor Douglas E. Schoen in the WaPo. Ugh! Does he want everyone to hate her?

Well, call "ugh" if you want to, but the Jewish-owned part, and most other parts of the media refused to vet Obama, their Man of Hope - the Black Messiah. Since 2004, he has been covered as the brilliant, bipartisan man of soaring speeches who will end the racial divide and unite the country around his pure goodness.

That leaves it to Hillary to debunk him if she wants any shot, to indicate that the packaged Obama given messianic status by the media and enthralled supporters of anyone who talks like a black preacher - is not the real Obama. There is a mask, and she is trying to dislodge it.

Republicans are content now to munch popcorn, watch the fight, and begin to plant plant memes. Obama elitist. Hopelessly liberal. Lots of shady people pulling his strings. Michelle angry and resentful despite having her ass kissed by America since grade school and given affirmative action opportunities her grades and talents didn't warrant if she was white or Asian.

Has Obama run a positive campaign? Sure. It is easy when the media shakes the pom-poms and surrogates pull out the race card when any rough patch surfaces.

In the General, Obama won't have that going for him. Nor will Republicans labor under the crushing fear Democrat apparachniks have of alienating the black vote by fighting him.; 4/16/08, 3:25 PM
Unknown said...: Hmm. So Republicans have nothing to fear about alienating the black vote in November. So they alienate the Hispanics, they alienate the Blacks, and that negative association with Republicans is going to hurt big time as the country becomes browner. Better hope for even higher birth rates in Utah!; 4/16/08, 5:39 PM
Anonymous said...: "So Republicans have nothing to fear about alienating the black vote in November."

Eating popcorn and watching the Dems self-destruct is alienating black voters? Wow.; 4/17/08, 6:58 AM