Mark Penn Denies Memo Called Obama "Unelectable"

The UK Independent interviewed Hillary Clinton pollster Mark Penn, who not only refused to acknowledge he made mistakes but denied that basic facts about the campaign:

Hillary Clinton was going to be president. She knew it. So did her chief strategist, Mark Penn, the man who had once delivered victory for her husband Bill. Barack Obama was "unelectable", Penn declared early in her campaign, "except perhaps against Attila the Hun". How wrong can you be?

...

People wanted a break with the past, Hillary could not provide that, and emphasising her experience only made it all the more obvious, surely? "The only thing I can tell you is that they [the Obama people] ran an excellent campaign," he says. "We regarded him as a strong challenger throughout the entire period. There was no question that he had the personal abilities, the resources, all of the things necessary to win."

Really? So why did Penn say in a memo of March 2007 that Obama was unelectable? "Huh. No. It doesn't say that at all." Yes it does, if the facsimile published by Atlantic Monthly magazine is correct. The great communicator appears thrown. "Those memos, right, that came out, were really ... er, were really, I think, show you, you know, just a piece, because ... a small part, a piece of how we were looking to, I think, set up or solve the fact that he was a very strong candidate."

Read the whole interview.

Comments

[Knowitall]

Man up, Penn. You were wrong. Yes you said it, you miscalculated, you underestimated, and you were wrong. Salvage some of your self respect. Say you were wrong!

[Aabby]

He was counting on racism. Congratulations, Americans, for proving him wrong.

[SwingVoter]

I didn't want to say that but since you said it....

[MoEls]

I'd like to see him tryin to figure out how to fit Obama in his narrow mind and statistics­...

[Sarahmay57]

Unelectable because he is of mixed race, I suppose? A lot of people thought that, so glad they were proved wrong.

[WasteNJ]

In a way Penn was right, Mark Penn could never have run Obama's campaign as well as his team did, and therefore could never have "gotten Obama elected" Just like he couldn't get Hillary elected.

[bluguy8]

I think he should just keep eating and shut up. He has nothing to say . He was a loser and still is. He really owes Hillary a refund for overpaying for his bad services.

[Tropiholic]

This guy is even more revol*ting than before if it's possible!

[ProfessorDuh]

Somebody actually PAYS this A$$wipe for his advice? They're even more stupid than he is.

[radiojunkie]

s t u p i d is as s t u p i d does

[realtalkingnow]

They were going to try to smear Obama so badly, using guilt by association tactics, and THAT is what Mark Penn meant. The Clinton strategy was to use the same tactics Sarah Palin, and John McCain tried to use to win ----- BUT IT FAILED!!!

[Bruupo]

In fairness, the Republicans DID run Attila the Hun in the VP slot, and Attila-lite for President.

[Grunty1]

Attila wasn't mentally challenged. You shouldn't insult him like that.

[Skeptiqone]

He thought that, as did Hillary because Barack Obama is black. They were wrong. Any other analysis is blah blah blah.

[robXdion]

Which is why I'm not buying this "the Clintons are really sweet misunderstood people" mentality going on right now. Forgiving doesn't mean setting yourself up for the same stunts. They are what they are.

[NoSandwiches]

pfffffft!
disgusting!

[Pdubya]

maybe he got a memo from berg

[Keith52]

This is what happens in a cabal. Penn and all HRCs advisers were democratic versions of the bush cabal. We dodged a bullet on that one folks.

[wakupmagy]

Not quite. In the immortal words of Amy Poehler...­She's baaaack.