Clinton's Texas Ground Game Plunges Into Chaos

Although the Clinton Campaign has been telling the press that they have the ground operations to pull off a win in Texas, those ground operations have not been in evidence when I've traveled to small towns to see how Bill Clinton is doing on the Texas stump. Wednesday evening in Victoria, down in the southeastern part of the state, incipient chaos threatened to overwhelm the "Early Vote" Rally precisely because there was no ground operation. The well-oiled, beautifully constructed state-level HRC campaign machine, focused and determined in Iowa, Nevada and California, is beginning to break down.

"It's a clusterfuck! Just a clusterfuck!" the Corpus Christi producer for a local news affiliate shouts into his cell phone. He's telling his boss that there will be no coverage of Bill Clinton's visit to Victoria for the 6 o'clock news. "Who's running this campaign anyway?" the producer asks, of no one in particular. "And now five hundred people have stomped away mad." He shakes his head. At that moment, twenty well-dressed elderly and middle-aged dignitaries and politicians exit the back of the local arts center and walk slowly for the intersection of Goodwin and Main. Presumably, they are Hillary Clinton supporters; however, given their dazed faces, they look more like commissars who have been turned out by the NKVD and cannot believe how suddenly their fortunes have changed.

With his Secret Service agents at his side, Bill Clinton walks the short block without acknowledging the little group of eminent supporters. (They are never introduced or explained.) A rumpled Dolores Huerta (she's been wearing the same clothes for several days) trails behind. An aide helps Clinton and Huerta up onto the tailgate of a pick-up truck. Although Huerta has been feisty on the campaign trail for Hillary, she's perfunctory tonight. Few, if any, of the crowd ringing the intersection know who she is. Bill Clinton takes the microphone, which barks in the damp air. It's twilight and more rain is on the way. Bill Clinton has already spoken today at Galveston and Beaumont. He's going to be very late for his last appearance of the night at the University of Houston. Here in Victoria the former president, standing on the tailgate, at first seems to love the unplanned venue. But he never hits his stride and in disjointed fashion rushes through his speech, a shorter version (without any of the swipes at Obama) of the one I heard last week in Nacogdoches. Huerta and Clinton are on autopilot, and the crowd knows it. Only from one curb where the local organizer churns enthusiasm is there much response to Clinton's words. Most of the folks, and there must be a thousand people in all, including those hanging over the balconies of a parking garage, are merely curious.

The debacle in Victoria illustrates why a ground operation is important. The details of planning have been left to a local volunteer, and she has been overwhelmed. How was she to know the needs of the live press? Or that live press often arrive before the print media? (This confusion led to some journalists being locked out.) Or the possibility of having to entertain a restive audience, because this former president typically runs very late? Actually, the citizens of Victoria were patient, sitting quietly in the Welder Center auditorium for three hours waiting for Bill Clinton. Many people had brought their children, and they were patient, too. But when a young Clinton aide appeared on the podium and announced that the rally was being moved to the street, so that Bill Clinton could address a larger crowd from the back of a truck, displeasure was expressed all 'round. Many families left in disgust. They had arrived early to get seats--and now they were being told they had to stand on the street? But the anger of the locals was nothing compared to that of the Texas press. The press had been waiting for hours, too; it had taken time to lay cables and run through all the fussing and tweaking cameramen typically do. And when the press trudged out the auditorium doors, they discovered that their umbrellas, which had been confiscated as some kind of security measure (the only one), had been appropriated, undoubtedly by the disgruntled locals.

In the end, there was only a slightly larger throng on the street than there would have been if the rally had been kept in the auditorium, with the audio/video feed for the overflow in the foyer. The rally had been set originally for the town square; somehow no one had thought to check the weather forecast in southeast Texas this week. More importantly, there was no Clinton organizer on the ground ahead-of-time in Victoria to make the right decision about the venue and to have the clout to tell Bill Clinton and his entourage, when they arrived, that moving the rally to the street was a bad idea. Poor decision-making likely cost Hillary Clinton more than a few votes in Victoria.

"Hillary feels it altogether fitting that her fate in this presidential race should be in the hands of Texas," Bill Clinton says, near the close of his brief remarks. There is a strong note of acceptance in his voice, a grace note in marked contrast to the tone of remarks that will most be remembered as his contribution to Election 2008. He's looking down at a motley crowd; some hold Ron Paul placards and handmade signs saying ABORTION KILLS. Back in Iowa and California, good ground operations had the planning and the numbers of trained volunteers to prevent such a show. This is why event participants were never allowed to bring in their own signs. In Victoria, as in Nacogdoches, there's an undercurrent--not quite disrespect, but close.

Now near the end of primary season Bill Clinton makes the case for Hillary's experience. He can be impassioned and eloquent about her "thirty-five years of service," but in Victoria, he's rushed and disorganized. He's like the student who, despite shuffling through his notes, is unable to marshal his disparate thoughts into a coherent argument. This evening, gathered together on the corner of Goodwin and Main, we should be following along as Bill Clinton recites a story we all know well--the press mumbling and grumbling, because we've heard the story so many times, the crowd enchanted to be treated to a familiar tale told, and told well, again. But the Clinton Campaign never wrote the Hillary Story, that engaging narrative of her journey as a young woman from Illinois to Arkansas through Texas. Only now are Americans hearing bits and pieces, and Bill Clinton struggles to arrange them into narrative from the back of a white pick-up truck in Victoria.

Comments

[papau]

200,000 GOP have been told to vote for Obama in Texas as McCain with a 75/25 lead does not need their votes

- hell of an Obama ground game

but then Obama is promising a 5% corporate tax cut in his "Patriot" bill -and he promises less government regulation - so what is there in Obama for a Republican not to like?

Even his econ advisor on Kudlow's program on CNBC said not to worry about all those left wing programs that Obama proposes - Obama's campaign does not expect them to pass and there will be therefore be no effect on the budget deficit. Kudlow and the rest of the GOP want the most GOP like - and the weakest in the general and if elected the weakest in getting the program of the left enacted person - and Huff and Kos all have now achieved the GOP dream. Thanks folks. :-(

[realistxxx]

The mismanaged Clinton campaign is a microcosm of what her failed GE candidacy and maybe even her presidency WOULD have been like. Running around in circles, inefficent and outdated.

Thank God Obama came along to save my party and my country.

[JAMES GORMAN]

WHAT ON EARTH IS A "CLUSTER-F---" AS PROCLAIAMED AT A TEXAS RALLY BY A FRUSTRATED COMPAIGN MANAGER FOR HILLARY'S SHOW. SOUNDS BAD--but chaos in itself does not mean ruin. Back in my days of youth, I was at a George McGovern rally that was total
chaos--the flag fell down, the podium collapsed, the band just disappeared, and huge throngs wandered away to a stand giving free ice-cream--but off to the side in front of camera's McGovern gave one of the finest speeches I have ever heard on getting out of Viet Nam--Nixon copied it--and of course won the election.
That was thirty some years of yesterday--but yesterday usually doesn't change much when it becomes today. It aint politics--it is just people, and as a very famous book says "Who can know the human heart or understand its mysteries?"

[JDWPS]

The Clinton's Last Stand
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/02/the-clintons-la.html

[mrJJ]

Hillary's List.... A Reality Check

Sen Clintons Vote to allow Bush to take Military Action in Iraq had these results: Names States Cities & Ranks of these US Troopers can be found at the link.

2/24/08 the DOD confirms a total of 3972 Dead US Troopers in Iraq & an additional 29080 maimed and injured US Troopers.

A partial Iraq Casualty List

TEXAS DOD Confirmed Deaths 365 Injured 2760

OHIO DOD Confirmed Deaths 165 Injured 1202

RHODE ISLAND DOD Confirmed Deaths 12 Injured 104

The entire Iraq Casualty list can be found at this link

http://icasualties.org/oif/

[PacificGatePost]

Ms. Fowler,

Your apt description of a melancholic and disheveled Clinton “showing” on a Texas afternoon, is evidence that this powerful political machine does not comprehend the forces it is working against.

- Here is why in detail ….> http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/02/obama-social-phenomenon.html . . . and Obama probably doesn’t fully understand it either.

How could he really appreciate fully, assuming his ego is in check, why a virtual unknown can be heading for the White House within 3 months of surfacing from obscurity.

[Uselessboy]

Ah, a more subtle way of warning us about cults.

As a lifelong stage performer, it's my observation that there are occasionally moments that are ripe for particular personas.

Obama is tailor made for a campaigning environment that is largely mandated by our political and economic system. Clinton has set up her campaign for an environment we don't really have, and she's paying the price for that.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes a politician shows up with more talent to succeed in the environment and the moment at hand.

[PacificGatePost]

Uselessboy,

..... here's hoping, because the evidence is slim that he has the where-with-all.

[joanndarc]

"Respect is a two way street." Isn't how Clintons treated the voters the reason why Democrats lost an election in 2000?

[Uselessboy]

Clintonism in general is about winning by small margins in an environment largely shaped by the Republicans.

Dems won narrowly in 2000 and Bush was able to steal it as a result.

[AurigaRa]

If I were a democratic candidate looking for them Hispanic vote, I would be giving Dolores Huerta the royal treatment. Author, you might have explained to readers who she is.

This kind of stuff just shows that it's all about them, the Clintons, NOT the voters.

And will Bill EVER arrive on time?

[ljsfolly]

The interesting thing was that Hilary and Bill bth bought the story that super tuesday was just the icing on the cake and she would be ordained the next week as the one and only nominee. All in her camp just planned it to be one two three and the nominee she would be No work and the money would flow in like fort knox had emptied the gold into her bank account. The reality they chose to believe was that Edwards would be foolish and spout like he believes about the "little common people" he truly wants to help along with bringing the country together. No one else they thought would make much noise as Barack being black they just knew would kill him off at the start gate. Hillary with all her experience from sitting in the oval office (doing Bill's job I would guess) with her manish haircut, botox and pantsuits that cost more than my yearly pay. All that and Penn who costs more than any money I'll ever see and the other advisors plus Bill would just swept the country and she would be crowned. First time she saw this was not happening was the red eyes event. Next time was the voice wavering event. Now we have watch Barack do some fine sweeping himself and she is still planning the coup when all of her delegates come out of the woodwork and pronounce her queen. We all thought the CNN debate showed she was humbled and realizing the end might be near....then she heads out and says the same crap she has been saying that she will lead from day one yada yada yada. Texas and Ohio please deliever the news and make sure everyone knows it is Barack who will lead us from day one.

[legalclubs]

What's so interesting about the campaigns is that the campaigns themselves are the biggest projects either canidate has ever undertaken. These campaigns take in hundreds of millions, employ thousands of paid employees and volunteers, and a spread across the entire nation. It's a good test of ones organizational and planning skills which really illustrate who would be "ready one day 1" to serve as POTUS. Clearly Hillary has failed miserably, going from the inevitable next president to a has been who's campaign can't even pull off a small campaign rally in Texas. What a loser. The Jr. Senator from New York needs to go home and continue her work as a Senator. As a Senator, who aren't really responsible for running anything - they are just 1 of 100 - she really can't harm the country to much. She can serve best by voting for the bills in the Senate which President Obama sends to her.

[checkmoot]

A lot of people liked John Edwards. He was sunk, early on, by the media who, from almost the beginning, treated this as a two person race. H and O got hours of free face time on television while Edwards was ignored, along with other highly qualifed candidates with resumes that totally outclass H and O. That being said, I think there is no doubt that Obama would be best for the country. Experience ? Have the inteligence and judgment to select good people to carry out your plans and a good man for V.P. No more Rumsfelds, or God forbid, Cheneys. Please ?

[HamletsMill]

Very well said, checkmoot.

I think what you say here is pretty much the equation now. Assemble good people. Select a good VP. And have the razor sharp acumen and savvy and response organization not to be swiftboated by the current social pathology brought into U.S. politics by Rovian totalitarian scum.

If President Barack Obama can do that, we may have a fighting chance to save the future of the United States from the calamity of the last seven years of mind bending ignorance and incompetence by a cult of ideologues living in an insular lifetime bubble of their own making.

If anyone wants to know what bad karma looks like, just look at the lives of the people who ran the show in this truly Zoroastrian Cosmic nightmare of Biblical proportions of the last seven years.

Utter clueless dolts in so far over their heads that it is pathetic to even look at. It is just incredible that any of this ever happened.

Regarding the looming threat of world wide empowered terrorism, they did absolutely nothing in their first eight months to address anything. It was ALL the "Star Wars" missile defense system government contracts then as the hot button for defense of the United States! Remember? That was the MIC pigs at the trough gig before the windfall of 9/11 and the opportunity of full blown war...upon the wrong nation!

[SouthAustin]

Like her Iraq War vote, this is a result of poor judgement. HRC's campaign didn't count on the race going this far and now is struggling to get her ground operation going. BO's campaign on the other hand has a great ground game because they planned ahead. Good judgement => good planning => good ground operation. It's as simple as that.

[Britty]

Judging an entire campaign based on a stop in Victoria is foolish. If the writer is to be believed, mistakes were made, no question. But that is to be expected when the headliners are trying to reach as many people and cities as possible in a huge state.

[repearwo]

From Alvin, Texas, also a coastal town, there is no such thing as checking the weather along the Texas coast. There is on old saying that might help Hillary more that the cattle/hat one. "The only people who predict Texas Weather are fools and foreigners." My fix on weather prediction in Texas is to look out the wondow. If it is raining, it is going to rain. The other reality of Texas weather is that if you don't like it, wait five minutes, it will change.

Glad to hear that the Clinton Campaign is in disarray, but checking the weather probably would not have helped.

[Rotcod]

I'm canvassing this and next weekend for Senator Obama, here in Ohio. The organization is fast and dense here. I was told that we are doing it exactly the same as the other States where President Obama came from 10-20 points behind. He's still steadily climbing in the polls. I believe we'll win Texas AND Ohio next week.

[AustinDemocrat]

Woohoo! Thank you for canvassing for Obama in Ohio and letting us know about how hard everyone is working there.