Clinton Camp Stoops To Language Games And Overt Race Strategizing
In a telephone press conference Wednesday, the Clinton campaign firmly reiterated its intention to keep seeking the Democratic Presidential nomination, spinning both her striking loss in North Carolina and her slender win in Indiana yesterday as positive developments -- while also appearing to admit that she is not going to win a majority of elected delegates even if Michigan and Florida's delegations are counted -- and parsing yesterday's primary results in starkly racial terms that are likely to exacerbate the tensions of the contest and her increasingly significant troubles reaching out to minority voters.
The conference, called by Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson to discuss "the state of the race," was also attended by Geoff Garin, chief Clinton strategist, and Phil Singer, the campaign's Deputy Communications Director.
Wolfson seemed to rule out any possibility of Clinton suspending her campaign in light of Tuesday's primaries. Asked whether there had been any internal discussions about not going forward, an unidentified voice loudly replied, "NO!" When a reporter asked who had just spoken, Wolfson replied, "That was my declarative self." Several times during the conference, campaign spokesmen reiterated their belief that the drawn-out primary was a good thing for the Democratic Party and that voters want the campaign to continue. Apparently moving not the finish line but the starting line, Wolfson also described next week's West Virginia primary as "the first key test" of the campaign's momentum.
Putting the best face on a day that nearly all commentators are calling a significant win for Obama, Garin described the results in Indiana and North Carolina as "an outcome about which we feel very, very good." Indiana, where Clinton won by a scant 51 percent - 49 percent margin, "represents significant progress for Senator Clinton and .... is a good victory under challenging circumstances" because her narrow victory there was "the first time ... that Senator Clinton has come from behind to victory," according to Garin. And North Carolina, where Clinton lost to Obama by 14 points, "represent[s] progress for us," he said, underlining the campaign's focus demographic, because Clinton improved her performance with "the white electorate" compared to polls taken two weeks before the election. Wolfson, too, put a positive spin on yesterday's results, saying that Indiana and North Carolina were "two states we were supposed to lose" but "we won one." According to Wolfson, although Indiana was a near-tie, "Senator Clinton [was] making up ground in Indiana, and Senator Obama losing ground."
The Clinton campaign's analysis of yesterday's results was largely based on exit polling and a careful parsing along demographic -- mainly racial -- lines that seemed to track the campaign's recent strategy of dispatching Bill Clinton to speak to small groups of rural, almost exclusively white, Southern voters. Wolfson emphasized Clinton's support among white voters, saying, "in North Carolina among the white electorate we started even... and ended up with a 24 point advantage with that part of the electorate." Comparing Clinton's relative performance among white voters in North Carolina yesterday with her weaker performance with white voters in Virginia earlier in the race, Garin said: "Virginia is the closest white electorate in the country to the electorate that participated in North Carolina. We lost the white electorate in Virginia... [but] ended up with a significant vote" among whites in North Carolina. Garin continued by emphasizing other demographic groups that Clinton is targeting, saying, "Taking the two states together, Senator Clinton continues to run very strongly among people who are likely to be the swing voters in the November election... non-college-educated voters, seniors, Catholics...."
At points, the Clinton representatives' demographic parsing bordered on surreal. Wolfson seemed to imply that gasoline prices are primarily a white issue, suggesting that Clinton's proposal for a gas tax "holiday" had helped her with white voters and promising that she would continue urging that proposal on the stump. In response to a pair of questions about whether African Americans would support Clinton in the general election, Wolfson repeatedly referred to Obama's "passionate supporters," seeming to conflate the two.
In terms of campaign strategy, the Clinton camp almost expressly admitted that her presidential aspirations now lie in the hands of Democratic Party operatives, including the party committees that will determine the fate of the currently disqualified Michigan and Florida delegations and the undeclared superdelegates who theoretically could still give the nomination to Clinton. Although he described Clinton as focused on the last few primaries, Wolfson -- in terms redolent of Bill Clinton's infamous "it all depends on what the definition of 'is' is" -- admitted that she likely would not win the majority of elected delegates: "We expect that when we get to June 3rd we'll have a close result. It raises the question of how close is close."
Phil Singer seemed to admit that even Michigan and Florida are not likely to alter her probable loss in both the elected-delegate and total-delegate races, saying that seating both states would at best bring Clinton to "fewer than a hundred elected delegates, excuse me, total delegates" of the nomination. Nevertheless, Clinton is urging not only that delegations from those two states be seated, but seated in full (and without Obama receiving any delegates at all from Michigan, where his name was not on the ballot). Wolfson described Clinton's performance in both states' primaries -- in which neither candidate overtly campaigned -- as "significant victories" and disagreed with suggestions that the delegations be seated at half-strength as a penalty for knowingly advancing their primaries earlier than Democratic Party rules allowed: "Our feeling is that the delegations should be seated in full, that they should have full votes" "commensurate with the results from those primaries." Clinton also plans to keep making an electability argument to superdelegates, including in a meeting with undeclared superdelegates planned for Wednesday night.
Wolfson also was asked about Clinton's financial ability to continue the campaign. He described Clinton as having raised "an awful lot of money" but admitted Obama is doing the same: "We had a very good fundraising month last month, but Senator Obama had a better fundraising month." He acknowledged that Clinton had loaned her own campaign $5 million in April, another $1 million on May 1, and $425,000 on May 5. He declined to rule out the possibility of Clinton making additional loans to keep her campaign afloat.
Wolfson declined to speculate about the possibility of a "unity" Obama-Clinton ticket, calling it premature and stating, "we have not had any conversations with the Obama campaign about such a ticket" and "I have not heard her evince any interest in such a ticket."
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So, this may be petty but it really annoys me that clinton keeps claiming she "came from behind in indiana". She was leading here by a majority of polls
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I dont know where this spin comes from. I guess it should be no surprise that hillary only looks at polls that support her position.
Yes, it is amazing. She and Team H are just like addicts. They just want to keep using, no matter what! They can keep getting high and dreaming up all sorts of crap. They are a sad buch of people. The high is the power. They keep chasin' and chasin'. The crash will be enormous. It will take for them to go into one of the fancy rehabs. Bet it will be California or Hawaii. It wont be WV. They would have to sleep on those lil cots and have group with those working class white people. LOL
See M.S. Bellows, Jr.'s Profile
I've also posted an analysis of the above, and the race, that some might be interested in:
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Thanks --
M.S. Bellows, Jr.
It's hard to believe that there are so many Clinton supporters with blinders on. She continues to lie and her supporters for whatever reason don't see it.
Example; After the primary was over she goes to W VA gives a speech in the morning and the first words out of her mouth are a lie. She said that her come from behind win in Indiana after trailing Obama by 15 points was a triumph. The facts are these, going into Indiana she held a 7 point lead in all the polls. Durring the day she had leads in excess of 10 points. At no time did she trail Obama.It was Obama who trailed her all day.
She continues to claim that Florida a Michigan should be counted. But she and all the other canidates agreed, months before the primary to abide by the rules of the DNC and not csampsaign in either state. but she did anyway. Her claim doesn't take into effect that there where 6 canidates that would of chipped into the vote count. She would never have won by the margin she claims to have. She is a nasty liar with a huge ego.
To be continued.
Denial is the first stage of grief.
Yeah--I guess the Obama campaign only resorted to COvert race strategizing.
You really can't blame Wolfson, if Hillary were paying you $266,000 a month you would say whatever she wanted you to say too!
You got me!
$266,000 per month! Call me HIllary and I will take over Wolson's job.......
Signed,
UNPAID VENDOR FROM THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN
"Wolfson described Clinton's performance in both states' primaries -- in which neither candidate overtly campaigned -- as "significant victories" and disagreed with suggestions that the delegations be seated at half-strength as a penalty for knowingly advancing their primaries earlier than Democratic Party rules allowed: "Our feeling is that the delegations should be seated in full, that they should have full votes" "commensurate with the results from those primaries.
Un.
Fucking.
Believable.
He just told Tim Russert that he would be happy with 50%! He makes me dizzy with all the spinning.
SHAME ...SHAME ...SHAME..
What happened to Hillary? Here's a candidate who groomed herself to become the first woman president in America. And she had strong backing behind her. Go Hillary! Wow! What an interesting historical role to play. Had she only the right history and advisers to get her there. But as Hillary, she gave into the pressure to appear unrealized tough and shrewd, to show she could fight and drink and spit. I watched her walk timidly where she could have spoken out; and walk boisterously where she could have paused. I listened to her mixed messages when there could have been clarity. I watched her revise the rules to rule. I watched her mold herself into a media caricature of herself, a ghost on a pick up truck. Sacrificing one's ideals for privilege is a hard habit to break. She should stop the ruthless obsession here. She's a strong woman but bad loser. Okay, the latter's a worst weakness. I think Hillary can accomplish a great deal as VP or sec'y of state or sec'y of education. Someone mentioned a supreme court judge! How about attorney general? Not head of the senate, though. She should not be head of the senate. That would not be good for her, Obama, or the democratic party.
I wonder how Clinton supporters feel about this woman now?
Are you still proud of her? Do you still believe she's dragging out this charade because of a genuine belief in democracy?
Are you happy that she's now trying to split the Democratic Party along racial lines?
Is this the candidate that you thought you supported two months ago?
Is this individual sufficiently clear-headed and stable enough to lead the world's greatest nation?
Honestly, don't you feel, as we do, that this is utterly bizarre and looks for all the world like the irrational actions of someone suffering from some kind of derangement?
I never supported Hillary, but yes, it truly is "utterly bizarre and looks for all the world like the irrational actions of someone suffering from some kind of derangemen
they haven't their stance as far as the ones here go... still going strong. DELUSIONAL
Hillary Clinton must have a very empty personal life. My God! The woman is a U.S. Senator! That's a pretty impressive job by any standard. There's no other explanation for this absolute need to be president. If she had conducted her campaign like the woman I thought she was and won the election fairly, I would give her my emotional and financial support. From day one, I've been an Obama supporter, but realizing this is a primary election, I was prepared to still support the democratic candidate. Senator Clinton is going to continue acting like a mad woman until she has no credibility in the Senate! And, she'll take down all her loyal campaign staffers with her.
By the way, while Senator Clinton says she is the candidate of the white people, she needs to remember that black Maggie Willilams helped her to win Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania! Prior to Ms. Williams' advice and guidance, Clinton was losing badly and acting like the multiple personality Eve.
You raise a good point here. I don't know if it's because, as strong women, we empathize with her somehow or if it's just morbid fascination, but I find myself wondering WHY as well.
Check out my new theory - Clinton could have run in 2004 but patiently bided her time to run in what she felt was the "proper" election. She used that time to vote in what she felt were really safe votes, to position herself on the right committees, etc. All waiting for the ultimate goal of being President.
Then in walks this guy from nowhere that has the nerve NOT to wait his turn (I'm speaking from her thought process mind you) and steals "her" presidency. So, yeah, her personal agony right now, to be fair, has got to be tremendous. Losing power like that, especially when you feel like you've earned it somehow, is bad. Losing it almost ironically
***Senator Clinton is going to continue acting like a mad woman until she has no credibility in the Senate! And, she'll take down all her loyal campaign staffers with her.***
And our party leaders are content to sit back and watch her act like a mad woman and, in the process, make our party totally unattractive to independents, crossover republicans and undecided voters? Why don't they do something? For she is unstable, there can no longer be any doubt about that---and hence unfit to be the nominee, let alone president. I am ashamed of them.
Wanting to be a President is not about the people and their issues and solutions as she claims.
It's a personal vendetta.
It's a promise she made herself after the Monica Lewinsky's scandal (and others) to get revenge on the publicly national humiliation by Bill.
Thanks Bill..now with your legacy you have created a lunatic who uses the top position in the world to fulfill her fantasy and despairs..
This is a war that's going on by the Clintons against the DNC, too.
The Clintons are (along with Joe Lieberman who was one of) the founding members of the DLC (the moderate Republican wing of the Democratic Party, in control of the party since the late 1980s). The Clintons, especially Bill, are furious at the base of the party (activists, liberals, who represent most registered Democrats) and Howard Dean, who as chairman of the DNC has not favored one candidate (Hillary) over the others.
By staying in the race, Hillary fulfills 3 desires. The first is to maybe convince the superdelegates to overturn the will of the Democratic voters and anoint her as the Democratic nominee. The second is (if she doesn't get the nomination) to keep this going (everybody bleeding money with the threat of disunity of the party by the time of the general election) until they cut a deal to pay her the money she spent from her own pocket. The third is to bankrupt the party, squeeze it dry, basically to destroy the party in order cast the base to the four corners of the earth so that the DLC can emerge supreme in whatever Democratic Party is resurrected from the ashes. ("Destroy the village in order to save it.")
DLC or nothing.
What a bunch of frauds the Clintons and the DLC are.
Out with them all.
Before they do it to us.
I suspect that there is another reason for her apparent desperation as well. The donors of the $500 million to the Clinton library (that they won't reveal ) must expect something for their huge donations. And she was supposed to be in the White House, no problem. If she is not, will they want their money back? The Clintons only have $100 million of that. Food for thought.
Every day that Hillary Clinton remains in the race, the more money that Obama supporters have to spend to fund his campaign against her and the less money available for the race against McCain and Republicans.
Not only that, the DNC's coffers are practically dry. Contributors are spending their money funding Obama and (less so) Hillary. There's no money for the DNC to fight Republicans in other races around the country as long as this goes on.
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What a supreme irony given the fact that what put literally Obama on the map was his speech to the Democratic convention in 2004 where he spoke forcefully against the slice-n-dice politics that divide this nation. Now, one of his own party is resorting to it in the vain hope of trying to take the nomination away from him. Someone needs to pass the Clinton campaign a DVD of Obama's Democratic convention address.
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