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Why Clinton's Current Strategy is Lose-Lose for the Democratic Voters
This might be obvious to some people, but it's clearly not obvious enough to most of the country, otherwise they would do what Richardson encouraged them to today--and rally around Barack Obama (though note, I am a new blogger and incase you are wondering, I am an Obama supporter).
Hillary's current sworn campaign strategy is to so badly damage Obama that he looks unelectable in the general, which will result in superdelegates mass-flocking to her campaign at an almost 2-1 ratio. Let's consider what the possible outcomes of this strategy are and how they impact that average democratic voter:
1) Hillary wins the nomination! Well, then, she's won by letting the party elite override the will of the people. This will anger many voters (including me) and will alienate us in the general. There will be rioting in the streets of Denver and our chances in November are diminished.
2) Obama wins the nomination! Well, he's overcome the Clinton Attack Machine which has riveled the what we've seen of the Republican Attack Machine this campaign season. But our candidate comes out of it severely bruised and tarnished. Hillary has even said that John McCain would be a better CiC than Obama, and so he's won the nomination but lost a lot of his cross-overappeal. Again, out chances in November are diminished.
This leads me to the question: is Hillary still part of the Democratic party? She doesn't seem to have her party's constituents best interest in mind. Surely, what is best for struggling Americans is to get a Democratic president in office, whether that be Hillary or Obama. I just fear that Hillary's tactics right now diminish the possibilities of both candidates.
-Phoenix
Comments (2)
Hillary Clinton starts with a 49 percent disapproval rating nationally.
She starts with 65% of African American votes but Bill spews garbage and her black support drops to 10% just before South Carolina.
Losing, she copies the Republicans: She publishes pictures of Obama in traditional Somali dress, she stirs the Rev. Wright controversy, she lies about his behavior on NAFTA. She says only she and McCain have CiC credentials. Ferraro says he is having an easier time because he is black. She says anything.
She wins over working class democrats, but she loses white collar dems, young dems and many independents. She reinforces the perception that she will do anything to win.
Obama confronts the Wright controversy directly and gives a speech on race that impresses advocates and detractors alike. He doesn't participate in the sleaze. He rises above it.
She can't win in June or in November. She has 49% negavtive to start. Her behavior increases that number and she alienates the democrats most reliable voting block. She dramatically increases the chance that Bush will get a third term, in the form of McCain. She hopes to sneak it out by attracting super-delegates. This might work. She might get the nomination.
Americans who support Obama watch this and wonder if they can vote for her in November.
I'm going to go to the poll in November and I'm going to vote for every Democrat I can, but I don't think I'll pull the lever for Hillary if her name is there. I think I just leave it blank.
March 21, 2008 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary's negatives have risen even higher as her attacks on Obama have escalated. For the last few days the Rasmussen Reports tracking polls have shown her with 43% favorable, 55% unfavorable -- the lowest favorability and highest unfavorability of any of the candidates. As you point out, the A-A vote was hers to lose, and I can't see how the Democrats win in November without the A-A vote.
March 21, 2008 10:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
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