Gonna ask you two things before I start out here...first, this is my second dairy - so I'm gonna again ask you to please be gentle...and second, I can't figure out what a "tip jar" is, but someone said to ask for one - so can I have a tip jar?? (If this is the wrong thing to ask for, then I'll edit it when I figure it out)...
Anyways...
For most of 2007, the theme of the Clinton campaign was "inevitability", and most people certainly fell for it. Personally, I liked other people better, but I knew that she was going to be the nominee, so I didn't want to devote the time/money to the people I liked better...
In 2008, the theme of the Clinton campaign seems to definitely be simply "too far"...and that is the reason why she is not the nominee today...
I'd like to go into the situations where this has occured - and map out what would have happened if she would have handled it differently...
Yeah, I know - "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts..." - but hey, this is a political website, and this has changed the entire race, so I think it deserves some analysis...
- Inevitability. The "inevitability" was a strong argument to an extent - but, they took it too far. The CLintons made "inevitability" their only real argument, they didn't do the groundwork in Iowa to have the poll results to back up the claim. Many people from Iowa have remarked how Obama and John Edwards did the groundgame, did the grassroots, going all over the state, small audiences, town forums, anything - to get their name and message out to the people. However, Hillary Clinton mainly had large rallies - unlike her very successful senate run - and because of that, she lost Iowa, and the inevitability narrative.
- Her husband. Bill Clinton was a very strong proponent for Hillary Clinton, many people believe that he was probably the best politician of the 20th Century (certainly NOT the 21st!) - but he took it too far. With his complaints about the media that began right before Nevada, set the stage for Obama's defeat of Clinton so soundly in South Carolina which was the real turning point to the campaign. He was muffled for a while, but not enough - adding fuel to a doused fire while inaccurately defending his wife against the Bosnia mis-statement only last week.
- The media. Many people believe that Hillary Clinton got some harsh criticism from the media, and discussion of that is certainly warranted, but again, she took it too far. Demanding that David Shuster get more than just a suspension, asking Obama if he wants a pillow during a debate. People might have initially agreed, and yet, because she didn't stop when she was ahead, they didn't stay on her side with it.
- Negativity. In so many instances, Hillary Clinton has had the opportunity to seem "presidential". To not get in the fray - to not resort to dirty politics, but it seems like in nearly every issue - she has taken it too far. This week, when Obama's "bitter" statement came out, she jumped on it - which is fine. But, she didn't let it go, she went to a bar, drank up with the working class, to try to show how she wasn't like that "elitist" Obama. But again, she took it too far - and in this instance, it was just laughable.
- Debates. In this debate tonight, Obama was attacked on all sides. Clinton could have encouraged the
moderators tabloid media to stick to the issues (where she is actually a stronger debator, and could have scored points), but instead, she just piled it on - hypocritically at that - she simply took it way too far. Obama was clearly "off" during this debate, and she could have had a big win on the issues, but instead she tried to keep going on Wright, on "bittergate", on William Ayers - at which point many people who were watching was so disgusted, that they tuned out for the rest of the time.
- Her campaign. Finally - and most importantly for the democratic party - is her campaign in general. She has absolutely no chance of winning at this point. Any other candidate would have been pressured to have dropped out by now. Any other candidate would have had to put the party above their own aspirations, or faced a serious backlash from the other powerful leaders of the party. But once again, Hillary Clinton has not. She should have dropped out in March, but she didn't. She has taken her campaign too far. Not only in length of time, but also in the hostility of the attacks (because they will be used repeatedly by the Republicans to enforce the narratives that they want to use against Obama in the general election).
If Hillary Clinton had the political astuity that the Clintons get so much credit for having, then she would have been the nominee, but she really seems to be politically tone-deaf - the deck was completely stack in her favor for this primary, and she could not pull it off - she just took everything too far!
If you can think of others, add them in!!