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CAN THE ER STRATEGY SAVE HILLARY?
February 13, 2008 -
February 20, 2008
Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the presidency is on life support. After a rash of victories for Barack Obama, including a sweep of primaries in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, the two candidates find themselves in a virtual dead heat in the delegate count. But all the momentum is on Barack’s side, and Hillary must now make a desperation play for the delegate-rich states of Ohio and Texas that are up for grabs on March 4. So, what cards does she have left to play?
When Barack played his Oprah Winfrey card in the early battles in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina the Clinton campaign counted on Bill to turn the tide. When it became apparent that he was not enough to trump the star power of Oprah then First Daughter Chelsea became a much more visible fixture on the campaign trail. They even brought out Hillary’s mother! It was all for no avail as Obama won Iowa.
When polls predicted huge victory for Obama in New Hampshire just days later, Hillary tried tears to help turn the tide and they got her a much needed win in the Granite State. (The fact that large numbers of Democrat and Independent voters chose to vote in the Republican Primary for John McCain in the state’s open-primary system did not hurt either.)
Oba-mania got back on track with his big South Carolina primary win and helped him to a split field and a virtual dead-heat in the delegate count after all the votes from Super Tuesday had been counted. But the fact that Obama won in states that Hillary had expected to put in her column gave him the “winner’s” tag in most headlines the next morning.
Facing the prospect of another miserable day of defeat in the Potomac Primary the Clintonistas looked increasingly desperate. Just days before the votes in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. the Clinton team leaped on an intemperate remark by MSNBC pundit David Shuster about whether they had “pimped out” Chelsea for political advantage. They may have been legitimately outraged, but it also looked like an attempt to create a potential “victim” bump with voters. In any event, it had no apparent impact on the voters.
Hillary has tried everything. She has used Bill. She has used tears. She has used her daughter and even claimed “outrage” over attacks on her daughter in an increasingly flailing effort to stop Obama. What’s left? There are two long weeks until Hillary’s March 4 “Last Stand.” Don’t be surprised if sometime during this period Bill Clinton suffers from some “health crisis” and has to receive emergency medical treatment, perhaps even with an overnight hospital stay.
Cynical? Perhaps. But the Clintons will literally do anything and everything it takes to get Hillary her turn in the White House. The only surprise over the next two weeks will be if nothing surprising occurs.
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ROOTS OF REPUBLICAN DISCONTENT. -
February 6, 2008 -
February 11, 2008
Republicans expecting to wake up the morning after Super Tuesday with their presidential field winnowed down awoke with a hangover of post-Fat Tuesday proportions. Instead of clarity Republicans have a more muddled situation than ever. With John McCain, Mitt Romney and John McCain splitting victories Tuesday all three may be unable to secure enough delegates to win the Republican nomination prior to the Convention in Minnesota.
Putative front-runner McCain, for example, must capture a... |
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BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. -
January 29, 2008 -
February 5, 2008
A combative President George W. Bush gave his final State of the Union Speech Monday night. After rolling over for excessive and wasteful spending fostered by Republican majorities in the House and Senate during his first six years in office he finally found his veto pen and promised to use it.
Bush called for a major crack-down on the pork barrel practices of Congress, saying he will veto any spending bill that does not cut in half the number and cost of congressional pet projects, kno... |
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LASTING IMPRESSIONS. -
January 20, 2008 -
January 27, 2008
When Fred Thompson first opened the door to a potential race for President last March he generated unbridled enthusiasm from many conservatives throughout the country. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was sitting on a significant lead in most national polls and the media was anointing him as the Republican nominee. Possessing a gruff, no-nonsense style, movie star celebrity and solid conservative credentials, Thompson was seen as perhaps the only one who could stop Rudy from winning.
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OVER?!?! IT HAS ONLY JUST STARTED! -
January 10, 2008 -
January 7, 2008
“Over'? Did you say 'over'? Nothing is over until we decide it is!” – Bluto Blutarsky, “Animal House”
With the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary now in the rear-view mirror most of the political experts in the mainstream media have given the impression that the Republican and Democratic Primary races are in their final moments. Really? A quick glance at the meager number of delegates to the respective party conventions that have been awarded, and the huge number that remain ou... |
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FRED SKATES AHEAD ON THIN ICE -
January 6, 2008 -
January 13, 2008
Although Fred Thompson emerged from Iowa with a third place finish he is not getting the sort of media bump that a third place spot usually generates. The reason is two-fold.
First, major media attention has rightfully been focused on the huge Barack Obama win, and Hillary Clinton third place finish, in Iowa.
Hillary Clinton has long relied upon a sense of inevitability as a strong foundation for support. Now that she is no longer able to portray herself as "unbeatable" she must f... |
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