Clinton’s Team Leading With Pot Shots
by Pamela LeaveyThe declared ‘08 presidential campaigns are barely out of the gate and already the pot shots have started from Hillary Clinton’s team:
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s pollster fired an opening salvo at Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards yesterday, claiming their campaigns are “stalled or falling” — and suggesting Obama isn’t tough enough to withstand GOP attacks in 2008.
A day after Clinton announced she would run for president — and win — her campaign’s chief strategist Mark Penn sent a memo to reporters intended to offset an avalanche of articles emphasizing Clinton’s high disapproval ratings and questioning her electability.
If this is the opening act in a long campaign run-off to the beginning of the primaries, yet a year away, it appears it will be six shades of ugly as Clinton’s team prepares for her to do whatever it takes for her to “win.” As she said herself, she’s “in to win.”
My bet is that many voters will be turned off by the attact style politics being utilized right out of the gate. Whether they come from Hillary herself or her surrogates, I think Americans are sick and tired of the attacks on politicians, in and out of party lines.
So far we’ve seen Mark Penn taking a swipe at the field of declared (Edwards and Obama) and undeclared Democratic candidates and Clinton spokesman/apologist Terry McAuliffe, using his book to aim straight at John Kerry while admittedly “genuflecting at the altar of his close friends and patrons.” Get out the hip boots folks… it’s going to get deep. If this is what it takes for Hillary to win, I hope voters resoundingly reject her team’s attack tactics swiftly.
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Pamela,
I agree. Too much too soon from someone who many feel is already the privileged lady may be a turn off.
I’m already tired of hearing about ‘08 and want some solutions for Iraq. Hopefully this ‘08 craziness won’t get in the way of the real work that needs to be done. Dems, be careful with the power.
I think that Hillary thinks the american voters are all stupid….
She is a big joke and any woman who claims she did not know about her husbands affairs is not very observant and has her head in a hole. She must have a screw loose if she thinks she will be voted into the office of the President in 2008.
She and Bill had their turn and did nothing constructive…they told lies from day one and it has been my experience that leopard’s do not change their spots….. The voters are smarter then she gives us credit for, and we have very good recall.
Tell her to get real.
DAS,
That would be the nail on the head for me. Maybe JK will earn some respect for not entering the fray when there is more important work on the table.
Point someone made about Hillary’s standing in the polls. She has the highest name recognition of any of them – like 100%. Heard some stuff on Big Eddie’s show today that sounds like pure Clinton strategy. They are selecting and training individuals around the country to be ‘grassroots’ campaigners. Teaching them message content and speaking skills.
One of the politicos said he would NOT want to be a campaign manager for a candidate this far ahead, this early in the campaign. Also they are hoping for a lot of support from the 21 to 34 year old women. Problem is, I think that group has a really poor voting record.
Also have to wonder how many New Yorkers are going to be happy about her jumping out of her Senate seat to run.
Leahy was joking today about having to go to NH to get a quorum in the Senate….
Way to go Nancy!
Hillary is making a big mistake. It’s her little game, so let her play it and be done with it. She needs it. This is her lack of leadership right here. She’s being led down the garden path. To her demise, thank god. There is no way she can win the WH. She’s virtually ignoring Iraq. And this is why I’m so glad Kerry is not involved right now.
I agree DAS. The next President will get us out, though, and this is the main reason why Kerry will shine above the rest. The people are about to get this. Watch how Kerry handles it. It will be expert.
SMEAR SMEAR SMEAR,Thats all the clampets know, my guess people will be turned off by this crap also.
I was listening to the Tom Joyner Morning Show and Jacque Reid (formerly of BET News and CBS) was talking about Clinton and Obama trying to vie for the black votes. She said there was some poll out that said that blacks would vote for Obama more than Hillary (very early) though the ones I get feedback from, aren’t excited about his candidacy at all. She also mentioned Al Sharpton jumping in and splitting the black vote and him meeting with Obama this week (Interesting..)
She brought up some good points (much to the quietness of Tom and the gang–they’re Clinton fans) about Bill and Hillary.
She mentioned that if they are out on the campaign trail, it looks like he overshadows her, if they not together, people would think something is up, but it would look more like Bill is campaigning for Bill more than Hillary. (Good points)
I used to like her, but after she dissed Kerry, I don’t care for her anymore.
Indie
Bill’s big problem (OK, one of many big problems) is that Bill can’t campaign for anybody but Bill (yes even for Hillary). Sure politicians think highly of themselves, but in Bill’s case it’s full blown narcissism to the nth degree. And if overshadowing Hillary is the price to be paid for satisfying that narcissism-so be it.
No surprises here. Hillary is an aggressive tactician, and that includes mudslinging.
Now, as for Kerry, I just don’t see the triple-super-fantabulous bankshot that has to occur to get him any where close to the Dem nomination. I guess he could play the reliable stalwart that the Dems call back onto the field, but I think Al Gore has got that one covered. Dodd seems to be going for broke on the torture issues, Richardson has as extensive and impressive of a resume as anybody could possibly get. I just don’t see where Kerry fits into the equation of the nomination process.
Cindy Sheehan trashed Hillary pretty good today
http://www.truthout.org:80/docs_2006/012207A.shtml
I just hope that if John does run wich I really want him to, he announces with a bang and comes out swinging. None of this Mr. Nice Guy shit. We all know he is a nice guy. He does not have to prove that. He needs to kick Hilary’s ass from the get go.
Nick- you right about bill he can’t stand being in the background and he will get out on front stage to hillary’s expense. However, she has used bill to get to the senate and the road to the whitehouse.
I see hill and obama getting a large protion of the black vote if they make it to the primaries and hill probably the larger percent. Why? because no matter what bill has done he is very popular with black folks and hill will put him out to talk to us while she appears to be running to the middle/right.
Now, I’m not saying its fair but folks have to realize a lot of black folks get blinders on when it comes to bill. Members of my own family included.
I keep reminding them that if it wasn’t for bill and hillary we wouldn’t have had 12 years of GOP rule, Newt, and Possibly Dubya.
There were a lot of missed opportunities the clintons had with the whole nation and because of their greed, arrogance, narcissism, they blew it.
JK when he gets in needs to remind folks of that because the press won’t.
As for Hill’s folks on the attack this is just the warm up folks.
Don’t be so sure the negative campaigning won’t work. People say they don’t like it but more often than not and if i’m not mistaken studies have been done that it works.
JK supporters have to look no further than the 04 election and most recently the end of the 06 election.
Kerry has the spine to go up against hill and that’s the reason she’s been trying to throw him under the bus every chance she gets. Of course some in the dem party are more than willing to help her.
Hill’s people think they can beat up on Kerry and take him down. I hope to god he gives her one heck of a smackdown and puts an end to the clinton domination of the dem party and the whitehouse.
Edwards would be retread in some aspects of the clintons and so would richardson.
Kerry is his own person and that’s what this country needs.
Did anyone see hill on anderson cooper saying she has called for a phased redeployment for the past year and a half?
Now that’s a damn lie and she needs to be called on it. her fence sitting butt has been swinging behind bush up till a month or 2 ago.
I can see right now just like Mccain and bush hill will be able to lie to face of the public and get away with it.
I have faith in Kerry but I don’t have much faith in the american electorate at large so my suggestion is JK rev up the war machine cause that’s what your in a war for your political survival.
SFBrianCL
Gore only has it covered if he runs. Kerry has been out in front on Iraq for a very long time, proven to be right on it. He’s led on so many issues over the past couple of years including healthcare, the environment, global warming, alternative energy sources… While Gore has been pretty much one issue, Kerry has been setting ground on numerous issues. I think he can do it again. The support is there, as always he maintains an under the wire profile.
Elmercreek
Ouch. I’ll say Cindy trashed her. By the by, if I haven’t said thank you yet, and I don;t think I have because I have had a lot on my plate… “Thank You!”
I just wanted to let you know that the DNC is sending out e-mails promoting Terry McAuliffee’s book, “What a Party”. How convient for them. promote the Clinton’s and bash Senator Kerry.
I unsubscribed and told them I will not be donating to anyone but Senator Kerry any longer.
I want to know what others think about this? I think this is dirty and low and they should be called on it.
pen,
I agree. The American electorate is the next hurdle. As if the media wasn’t bad enough. It’s really pathetic when people say that Kerry is “too smart” or “too philosophical” for the Average American.
The American press is so bad, that we have been dumbed down to soundbytes, like we’re stupid or something.
According to Pen: “Did anyone see hill on anderson cooper saying she has called for a phased redeployment for the past year and a half?
Now that’s a damn lie and she needs to be called on it. her fence sitting butt has been swinging behind bush up till a month or ago.”
Pen, you really hit it with that one!
Someone please stop this madness…sounds like Sen Warner & Collins et al in the press conference today mentioning something about redeploying (as they try to soften the anti-surge resolution of Hagel, Biden…). People sure seem to forget all that Kerry has been saying (& Murtha, others) ages ago. Everyone trying to benefit politically from what others have been screaming forever. People like Hill sat back while Kerry, Feingold & others got called everything under the sun including “assistants to the terrorists” and “cut & runners”. Now they step out like they have grand ideas. Should’nt the press call them out on this?
I was watching Olbermann’s show tonight and it was mentioned on there that with elections being a year away, general polls are based pretty much on name recognition.
In the general polls, Hillary’s way out in front. But interestingly enough Edwards leads in many polls in Iowa right now and Obama is out front in New Hampshire. The polls are in flux; I think if JK jumps in right now and throws some elbows (say in those key states on Iowa, NH, Nevada and SC), he’ll be okay. (My own view: War on Terror stuff – JK (among other things) leans on his military background.)
That said, IF Gore jumps in then it will be the War of the Worlds as Al and Hillary slug it out. (That’s a big ‘IF’ – I haven’t seen any pulse out of Gore lately as far as a presidential run is concerned).
Pamela
Cindy Sheehan sure did trash Hillary. Do you know (or for that matter does anybody know) what Sheehan has said about Kerry-of she’s said anything at all about him positive or negative?
Wisteria
I received the McAwful’s book email and felt angy when I saw it so hit delete. Then rethought – no, I need to unsubscribe and add my message of no donations to anyone except John Kerry, and the only book I’m buying is JK and THK’s “This Moment on Earth” being released March 26th.
You are right. Absolutely, everyone needs to call them on it.
Wisteria & Dotti,
I received that email from the DNC pushing Terry’s “What a Party” book too and was NOT pleased at all about it!
Dave from Princeton
Hey stranger! I emailed them and gave them what for.
Now how dumb of Dean to push Terry Mac book while Terry and the clintons are throwing him under the bus every chance they get right along with Kerry.
May not make much difference but I’m writing them and telling them they won’t get any money from me.
Terry is like hill totally corporate and a lot of dems including progressives seem to think hill cares about what they care about.
Hill is like her husband power is all that matters to her and if she has to raze the dem party to do it then so be it.
I agree we have to email them and write them and let them know that we are no fans of Terry and the DNC has more important things to do than promote the clinton agenda.
I’d also send it to your state dem parties. Let them know that if they send anything with Terry Mac book on it they won’t get any more support.
We have to send a wide message out fast and furious.
Salon.com doesn’t mind shilling for hillary and edwards but the dnc are to have known better.
If anyone still gets the dem senate and house emails check to see if they included Terry on them if so send them one.
They haven’t sent me anything since I told them to stop emailing me and they weren’t getting a dime of my money because of their betrayal of Kerry.
Hey Dave from P,
I’ve been froze out of blogging by the weather here. What are you up to?
Nick,
My brain is not coming up with a specific but I seem to remember a comment from Sheehan about Kerry that was not good. I remember being surprised that she would say something like that about a vet who works so hard for the vets. Maybe it was out of context.