How Clinton can campaign for Obama

John Dickerson says in Slate that the attack ads put out by the Clinton campaign this week are simply creating more work for her in the GE campaign.

Effective or not, Clinton's new ad will add more evidence to fuel the claim that Clinton is trying not just to beat Obama but to destroy him—because if he loses against McCain, she gets an opening in 2012. If Clinton doesn't get the nomination, she's going to have to deal with this view or see her future chances in presidential politics severely damaged. She already suffers from high negative ratings. If she's pegged as a hope killer because she bloodied Obama, she may lose the chance to woo a bloc of Democrats forever.

Clinton's best chance to fix this problem is to suck up to Obama after the primaries by working hard for him in the general election. The more she dings him now, as she does with this new ad, the more work she's creating for herself in the fall.
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If Clinton ends up in this corner, you can imagine the assignments that Obama or his staffers will dream up as payback.

Let us think up places that Obama can send Sen. Clinton in the Summer and Fall.

10. Listening Tour of  Bosnia in preparation to become Ambassador there.

9.  Death Valley, Ca. In August. In a pant suit. She did say California is key to the GE.

8. Duck hunting with Dick Cheney in Wyoming. Won't help the election, but hey, what's the harm?

7. Clinton and Ferraro to campaign together in Harlem. Remind everyone what an easy time black men have  in this country. Bill's office can serve as base.

6. The US Army Sniper School in Fort Benning, Ga. The military vote is crucial. Picture of Sen. Clinton in camouflage will look so cool. Also, remind everyone she tried to enlist back in 1974.

5. Tour of Crown Royal Whiskey Plant  in  Gimli, on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Excellent way to smooth feathers ruffled over NAFTA. (Not same day as sniper school. On second thought, this better be after the election.)

4. The Annie Oakley Memorial Park in Greenville OH. Obama will give Sen. Clinton a rifle (except he thinks it is a six shooter)  specially engraved with his  signature to use on this trip. Rifle to go to the Smithsonian after the trip.

3. "Have Dinner with Hillary" Raffle. Dinner Menu will be entirely xeroxed from Cindy McCain.

2. Release of "Anything you can do I can do better" Duet by Obama and Clinton.

1. October Bus Tour of the Appalachia PA,OH,WV, KY,TN,MS.  Stay away from the Carolinas. No joke here. She just needs to work as hard for him as she has against him. And this is the one part of the country where she can be helpful. Also FL.

•  Tips for a shot and a beer

  by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 03:57:47 AM PDT

•  Clinton's negatives are already high,

  They will be higher by the time she pulls out of the race. If she wants to do Obama any favors in the GE, the best she could do would be keep her distance.

  by oklacoma dem on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:07:17 AM PDT

  •  Keep her distance

    is putting it mildly.

    by Mbuto on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:12:04 AM PDT

  •  Fact finding trip to Darfur? n/t

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:15:05 AM PDT

    •  Very funny diary! n/t

      by kpardue on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:16:24 AM PDT

      •  Thanks. Rec please..n/t

        by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:18:26 AM PDT

  •  I disagree.

    There are still millions and millions of people who like Hillary Clinton. We need everyone of them to turn out and vote for Obama.

    She should campaign heavily, even in safe Dem states like mine (and hers), NY. You see, I don't just want a solid electoral college win, I want a substantial popular vote margin, too. I don't want to spend the next fours years hearing from the other side about how Obama may have won in the EC, but that 'most voters' wanted McCain.

    by RonV on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:27:39 AM PDT

    •  Campaign hard in Chappaqua NY n/t

      by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:30:11 AM PDT

      •  Because...

        In 2004, Howard Dean only campaigned for Kerry in Burlington, Vermont?

        by RonV on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:40:25 AM PDT

        •  Hehe. Good one.

          Seriously, I think she can help still. But she may not. If she won't, she is splitting the party and the realignment I talked about in my last diary will happen soon.

          Obama will win even without her help.

          by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:42:25 AM PDT

•  Pub crawling

  

  by Trix on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:09:12 AM PDT

  •  :) Looks like she's on her 4th pub.

    Good morning Trix.

    by Morgan Sandlin on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:14:21 AM PDT

    •  She is more intoxicated by ambition. n/t

      by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:17:12 AM PDT

    •  Good morning, Morgan :) n/t

      by Trix on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:19:43 AM PDT

  •  Sipping imported whiskey. n/t

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:16:33 AM PDT

  •  I'll drink

    to that, and to this wonderful itinerary.

    by kpardue on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:17:13 AM PDT

  •  I am stealing that picture for the diary! n/t

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:39:42 AM PDT

•  hard for me to see her fully supporting Obama

  I read somewhere yesterday that the Clinton camp truly hates Obama.  If she gets out there to stump for Obama everyone will be able to tell how fake she is.

  Hillary has such high negatives with the general population that I don't think she should do a lot of public campaigning for Obama.  However, a lot of Dems do support her, so the best thing she can do for the party, if she truly cares about the party, is to encourage all of her supporters, in a strong and direct way, to support Obama and then get outta the way for the most part (and that goes double for Bill!).

  But no matter what Hillary does, I think she's already sealed her fate in terms of being a future presidential nominee.  She's pissed off so many people, even folks in DC who are endorsing her, that I can't see how she'll ever be the party's nominee.

  by davidkc on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:17:54 AM PDT

  •  Agreed.

    That duck has flown, that shot glass has been emptied.

    by Alohilani on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:20:30 AM PDT

  •  She will do it if its in her interest.

    Remember she stuck with Bill clinton. She can  do things she hates doing.

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:20:57 AM PDT

  •  Only folks like the Clintons

    could actively hate a man like Barack Obama. The man is pure positivity and good. That's not to say he's not without fault or anything, but there's not much to dislike about him.

    I wouldn't have either Bill or Hillary campaign for me if I was Obama. They've spent the first half of 2008 trying to sabotage my campaign, why should I leave the door open for them to continue? Slam it shut in their faces, Barack.

    by ekthesy on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:51:01 AM PDT

•  I wouldn't want her

  to campaign for Obama.  If I were Obama, I'd say thanks, but no thanks Hillary.

  There is no way she could effectively campaign for Obama, no way.  Hill and Bill are committed to this scorched earth policy, so how could she be an effective campaigner for Obama?  She can't.  And I wouldn't want her on the campaign at all.  No way.

  by Mz Kleen on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:24:24 AM PDT

•  Death Valley in a POLYESTER pantsuit...

  I'm with the people who think she should just disappear. There must be something she can find to do in the Senate.... she can argue that she has been away from her constituents for too long a time.  

  As for her supporters, a simple statement that they should vote in their best economic and social interests should do it.  

  by flor de jasmim on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:29:09 AM PDT

  •  Polyester was cool when she chose her wardrobe.

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:34:23 AM PDT

•  oh, hayle, no

  I wouldn't want HRC anywhere near my campaign if I were Obama. She's looking out for her own interests in  2012 and it wouldn't surprise me if she continued to throw him under the bus with her catty remarks or dirty tricks.

  Don't need that kinda help.

  by CocoaLove on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:33:45 AM PDT

  •  Think of places to send her then. Antartica?

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:34:58 AM PDT

    •  Only on a one-way ticket

      She is toxic, lethal even.

      <blech>

      by CocoaLove on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:36:33 AM PDT

•  I think HRC's campaigning best spent in

  trying to keep her senate seat.  

  by Inland on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 04:55:02 AM PDT

  •  'Trying' is right! n/t

    by Alohilani on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:06:27 AM PDT

  •  Can you see her losing Senate seat ? n/t

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:10:38 AM PDT

    •  i don't think so

      I think she's got a lock on that seat as long as she wants it.

      by davidkc on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:13:10 AM PDT

      •  Unless someone can out-organize her at grassroots

        I agree it would be real hard to do.

        by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:14:12 AM PDT

    •  Not really, no.

      Many of the failings and inadequacies demonstrated in her presidential campaign won't matter in a senate race.

      by Inland on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:16:42 AM PDT

      •  She looked inevitable as Presidential nominee too

        Nobody is unbeatable. But I agree it will be very hard to unseat her in NY.

        by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:29:26 AM PDT

•  More campaign assignements for H. Clinton:

  ~ Assigned to make a guest speech at the August Verizon annual shareholders meeting addressing phone company workers and investers on the issue of who is more qualified to take phone calls at 3:00 am in the morning

  ~Assigned to address the National Association of Manufactures of Kitchen Appliances July Convention, emphasizing to it's membership that Obama's values are alligned with workers and consumers in the kitchen sink manufacturing and installation industry.

  ~ Assigned to address the workers at the Hershey Chocolate Headquarters, in Hershey PA on how the distinctly American values and substantive qualifications of Barack Obama are as relevant to their everyday lives as bitter-sweet is to chocolate.  

  by El in New York on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:17:02 AM PDT

  •  Hillary can call McCain at 3am. Just to check his

    readiness.

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:20:39 AM PDT

•  Democrats need to get out more!

  If you think Obama and Clinton have such mutual antipathy than one couldn't campaign usefully for the other, you haven't looked at Republicans recently.  Of course, the difference is that Republicans actually want to win elections, whereas for Democrats it seems to be about moral uplift or the desire to punish long-ago ideological deviations.  

  As for where Clinton could usefully campaign for Obama if he's the nominee, Florida and Michigan come to mind.

  by Rich in PA on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:19:26 AM PDT

  •  Obama is leading her in MI. You right about FL

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:21:39 AM PDT

•  HRC Be Sent To Clean Up Iraq Mess With Toothbrush

  by DFutureIsNow on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:21:05 AM PDT

  •  "I did not vote for that war, Iraq" n/t

    by organicdemocrat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 05:23:02 AM PDT