Clinton Faces Steady Erosion Of Support

With the Pennsylvania primary only days away, the New York Times delivers a look at the challenges the Clinton campaign faces with regards to maintaining support among past supporters and increasing its fund-raising capabilities.

Former Supporters:

After nearly two decades building relationships with a generation of Democrats, Mrs. Clinton has recently suffered a steady erosion of support for her presidential campaign from the party stalwarts that once formed the basis of her perceived juggernaut of "inevitability."

Some of it is just business, practical politicians putting aside ties to the Clintons to follow the will of the voters in their states or making a calculation about who seems best positioned to win.[...]

But there is something more wrenching at work as well, a reckoning of whether the Clintons, on balance, have been good or bad for the party. It has the feel of a very personal testing of loyalties to a former president who once always seemed to be adding to the "Friends of Bill" list, and to a sitting senator who, if not so driven as her husband to win over everyone, used her fame to help elect other Democrats.

Fund-raising:

Senator Barack Obama is swamping Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton with television advertising in their prolonged battle for the Democratic nomination, putting fresh pressure on Mrs. Clinton's fund-raising machine to find new sources of money to help her keep pace.

But her big-dollar fund-raising apparatus that was once the envy of the political world is encountering obstacles as many of those in its regular networks of donors have reached the maximum on their personal contributions or grown tired of the relentless press for donations.

The campaign is actively hunting for new wellsprings of cash, while tapped-out donors who want to give more are contemplating financing independent efforts on her behalf that are not bound by contribution limits. So far, however, the independent efforts have been halting at best.

Comments

[CostaMesaJoe]

Hillary contributors are slowly realizing this campaign is running on fumes and egotism; nothing more.
The Clintons would rather sink the party then see it sail on without them.....

[jadez]

go away ho!

[KYJurisDocto]

These supporters know to STOP buying tickets for the political equivalent of the Titanic!

[John51]

Thank God, Maybe she can begin collections at the Alter of McCain.

[GetReal08]

Yes, Yes, Yes we have Clinton Fatigue!!!!

Great Quote:
John Edward once protrayed Hillary as “A Defender of a Corrupt Washington System”

Hillary Politics of Parsing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qggO5yY7RAo

Hillary in her own words
http://youtube.com/watch?v=exsmFDYyK4U

[NotAnAbuser]

GetReal08,
After seeing Edwards on The Colbert Report, saying he wanted someone who shared his values (universal healthcare), I think he will endorse Hil-liar-y Clinton.

[AuntSally]

I'd be very surprised if that happens. Even if Edwards does prefer Clinton (which I doubt), I think he understands the delegate math very well. At this point it would be a strange political move for a person like Edwards, with very definite agendas (poverty, healthcare), to diminish his influence with the likely nominee and next president by endorsing someone who, at this point, cannot win the nomination

The only way he holds any sway over Obama's healthcare policy is not endorsing either candidate.

[neenj]

At this point Edwards' endorsement does not matter! The time for his endorsement to have mattered in this primary process is long gone, it really does not matter anymore. His endorsement will not help or hurt Obama, and if he wants to go the way of Hillary, well more power to him because I just don't see how that will help his political shelf life.

[galateadoro]

Go away Hillary and Bill.

[faretheewell]

Go home Hillary. You aren't going to be president. Its really that simple. All you can do now is the work of the GOP by poisoning the well. Is that the legacy you really want to leave.

[missionimpossible]

Unfortunately, the well is already poisoned. Senator Obama will have to fight against Hillary videos, GOP 527's, and McCain's surrogates. They've given her all of the ammo they need.
Obama/Nun 08

[AnnieinOR]

Burning too many bridges is not healthy to one's campaign, is it? Moveon.org was formed because of the Clinton controversy and now they have turned on their own supporter of the past. Clintons are ungracious and ungrateful demi-gods who care nothing about the average person except to use them for their own political agenda. Karma's a biatch.

[DAVESEAN]

hillary is doomed to lose her senate seat

[dajay]

I doubt that. Remember, New York voted for her and will be welcoming her back to the Senate.

[BatedBreath]

It's time to give another $50 to Obama.

[jacobfloyd]

i'll make that a $100

[RonNYC]

Poor Billary.
If he had kept his stupid mouth shut and she had a different campaign team, I would be more inclined to vote for her.

[Lexie]

Just waiting for the Bushes and the Clintons to go away; and McCain.

[trollslayer]

A fitting sentiment.

[CincyKid]

Whether you're still undecided, or just need further validation that Barack Obama is the right choice to lead this country, please watch this brief but inspirational speech he delivered in 2006:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w519kGUAIhI