Mark Penn's Post-Mortem Interview

GQ's Lisa DePaulo has posted a long interview -- one might call it a post-mortem -- with Mark Penn on Hillary Clinton's failed campaign bid. The whole thing is worth a look; here are few excerpts to whet your appetite:

How did you underestimate [Obama]?

I think I never underestimated it, that once you had that kind of candidate, that that kind of candidate could be real trouble. And that if that candidate... You know, if Obama won Iowa, it would really change, dramatically change, the situation going forward. And consequently, I really wanted to question Obama as early as possible.

Okay. But you had to have underestimated him at some point.

No. Internally, I spent a year and a half fixated on this issue--from the moment he preannounced, when you saw the kind of money, the kind of support, what could happen with the African-American vote--rest assured.

You wanted to hit him harder?

Well, I wanted to question the basic underpinning of his campaign.

Why didn't you?

Well, I started down that road.... President Clinton took on the Iraq back-and-forth. But the rest of the campaign didn't want to tackle Iraq. They always felt that that was a losing proposition for her, and they always pulled it back.

Read the full interview.

Comments

[raskolnikov72]

here they come ..

Carville with the left hand waving: "oh, barack should pick Al gore ..."

Penn with the right hook: "this is how we could have beaten Obama ..."

they are already planning for 2012 .... Defeat Barack, run again ...

Pathetic .. why not censor yourselves you money grubby sycophants ...

[Yohomegirl]

Yeah, the African American vote was it, in Wisconsin???

[aht772e]

""""""Well, I wanted to question the basic underpinning of his campaign.

Why didn't you?

Well, I started down that road.... President Clinton took on the Iraq back-and-forth. But the rest of the campaign didn't want to tackle Iraq. They always felt that that was a losing proposition for her, and they always pulled it back. """"




he never underestimated him, he wanted to go after him, ON IRAQ? THEY ALWAYS PULLED BACK!
the absolute one question that Hillary was NOT going to win democratic votes on is the one he wanted to push and the rest of the staff didn't! God I wish I was a million dollar a year plus consultant.

[NuAgeDok]

Way to go Mark - duh I think it's winner take all in California -

It's sad that so much of Hillary's campaign donor's money went to pay this second rate hack -

On the other hand, the fact that she and Bill trusted this hose head is a harsh indictment of their poor judgement.

[huffyISaHottie]

Mr. Penn...mix in a salad every now and then

[funnyguy]

Typical Penn spin: He runs the dirtiest campaign ever in a Democratic Presidential primary and the lesson he draws is that he and Hillary didn't go negative soon enough.

Let's hope this guy's political career is buried. He is a cancer on elections.

[ashabot]

Mark Penn is a big stale piece of humanity.

[demfriend]

Mark Penn is a funny, funny man to believe his story is to believe he actually deseveres to be paid the massive amount of money he mde and is still owed by Hillary. The man who in hindsight can tell anyone he would and should have and he would have won is deluded and a sad man. But he must talk and do something I fail to see to have been able to charge the money he has the clintons. He must have really talked sweet and fast about how he could deliever for her what she thought she already had before the first vote. Will Mark Penn find another sucker to pay his price? Sure. There's one born every minute right? And there is always the book and the book tour I have no doubt already in the works....

[XME]

Right...I bet he also has a bridge for sale if you believe his excuses and blaming.

[apoyo]

How convenient that everything was Obama's fault. He started everything that went wrong. What a farce. Is it his fault they mismanaged their money also? If another candidate had won then it would be their fault. Where's the accountability?

[Lemeritus]

I remember the brief time Darryl Strawberry played for the L.A. Dodgers. It was not a good match. One afternoon, someone in the left field seats yelled out: "Hit the ball, or give the money back!"

Give the money back, Mark.

[mredder4]

What's his record as far as running successful campaigns?

[tel8034]

How verbose.

Hillary's loss boils down to Old Washington Politics vs CHANGE.

The American people are tired of the old, smear tactics type of diryy politics, and that is what the Clintons and Penn were all about.

They were out of touch and read the people wrong, and in the end DIRTY POLITICS LOST.

[ashabot]

Exactly. Flush.

[mom2sons]

Won't be working for the O-Team at ALL! LOL!

[olivia]

Aren't you a solid Republican?

[Tropiholic]

Grossly incompetent, grossly unwilling to accept responsibility for a failed campaign and generally just GROSS!