Free Advice From the Opposition
Can the junior senator from New York now beat the junior senator from Illinois? Barack Obama's signature campaign line—"Yes, We Can!"—was delivered with a little less gusto last week. Hillary Clinton—aglow with primary wins that gave her candidacy a stay of execution—co-opted it for herself: "Yes, We Will!"
But will she? Can she? First, in order to win, she has to club the baby seal to death. Now that she's got some electoral momentum, she must bring Obama low. She must attack him on every front: preparedness; policy inconsistencies; his association with Tony Rezko and Louis Farrakhan, among others; his commitment to Israel.
Second, Team Clinton must keep the pressure on the press to ask Obama tougher questions, and to demand answers. Like Hillary until about early January, he hasn't had to take real questions. When she started to lose, however, she started rolling oranges down the aisle of her campaign plane to break the ice with the press, buying them doughnuts and, yes, answering their questions. If Obama wants to survive, he'd better start rolling oranges down the aisle.
Third, the delegate calculation may be against her, but she must win over superdelegates by reminding them that she has won all the big industrial states, except Illinois, and that she can win the general-election popular vote once she gets out from under the Democrats' byzantine proportional allocation. Further, if she ends up beating Obama in the popular vote, she should remind her party of the Al Gore argument: that the most popular candidate ought to be declared the winner.
Clinton should also reach out to Obama's core constituencies—black voters, the young, higher earners and those with college degrees. Her message: "I forgive your flirtation with the Hope Guy, but now it's time to come home to Mommy."
And she can't turn her back on her core supporters, older women. They respond better to her when she sets aside the haughty self-righteousness and fights for what she wants—just like the men in the race do.
Finally, with her losing streak broken, she should exhale a bit, and be more herself. That means more self-effacing jokes on the late-night shows. But it also means more cannon fire.
I could go on, but I'd rather save my most potent strategies for the Republicans. Hillary is not my choice, but it has nothing to do with gender.
Monica Crowley is a nationally syndicated radio host and panelist on “The McLaughlin Group.”is a nationally syndicated radio host and panelist on “The Mclaughlin Group.”
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: derwon @ 03/15/2008 1:40:25 PM
Comment: There is a pattern why Barack Hussein Obama against the Iraq war. Nadhmi Auchi is an Iraqi-born billionaire, protected secret money for Saddam Hussein, and -Auchi also financially backed Saddam Hussein's plan for a pipeline from Iraq to Saudi Arabia, and Auchi good friend of Tony Rezko, and Auchi loaned money to Rezko (Syrian Born). Yesterday in an interview with the Tribune, Obama admitted that "Rezko was a more significant fundraiser" in Obama's earlier campaigns than previously known. "Rezko raised as much as $250,000 for the first three offices Obama sought," the senator admitted.
When Sadam Hussein was captured, Nadhmi Auchi was charged along with Saddam Hussein for conspiring to assassinate Prime minister (president) Abdul Karim Qasim and stood trial in 1959. (Auchi gave fellow Baath Party members machine guns from his home for Saddam Hussein.) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/nov/16/iraq.politicalcolumnists
So in my opinion, BHO judgment against the war was only to protect Nadhmi Auchi. When BHO finally won the Senate seat, BHO finally VOTEd FUNDING THE WAR, Iraq war was an hot issue that time, so BHO voted just for political reason, what a flip-flop.
BHO always talk proudly that he has a better judgment to lead the country than any other candidates. Also his supporter believe him that he is a smart person. If he has better judgment and smart, why he make real estate deal and accept Rezko donation in his campaign? If BHO smart and has better judgment, why he stays for 20 years to be member of Trinity Church, who is having pastor that tied with with Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan in 1993 to visit Libyan socialist leader Gadaffi.). Why until know BHO finally has a judgment to condemn his pastor.
What a scary if BHO became a President.
Look his friends and his family; William (Bill) Ayers and Bernadine Dorhn of the Weather Underground, Obama's cousin Raila Odinga who just became co-President of Kenya this week (after 1,000 people were killed) whom Obama is said to be close to...who signed a secret pact with Muslim jihadists who were to ethnically cleanse people? ????????????.. and why does Raila Odinga use Obama's exact same campaign slogan: CHANGE....Vote for CHANGE: Look at his website: http://www.raila07.com/
Posted By: MCGILL @ 03/15/2008 12:09:28 AM
Comment: .It appears the Obama train is on a crash course with the assistance of psycho Rev. Wright who is very wrong and delusional .The race card will not be able to be used in this loss it is simply the result of stupidity and mean spirit of this divisive Rev.He belongs in a asylum.
Posted By: jukejoint @ 03/13/2008 10:30:04 PM
Comment: If Hillary wins, her biggest fear will be minorities 'not voting' (which is what the Republicans want) or noting Republican...she CANNOT win the general election