Clinton Staff Memo Urged Skipping Iowa

[Ethelk2044]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/23/us/politics/23cnd-clinton.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

WASHINGTON, May 23 — In an indication of how the shifting calendar is forcing the presidential candidates the rethink their strategies, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign considered — and rejected — a plan to stop competing in Iowa, the traditional kickoff state in the nominating process, and to concentrate instead on later states including the 20 that will vote on a single day in early February.

The recommendation to pull out of Iowa was contained in a memo written by Mike Henry, Mrs. Clinton’s deputy campaign manager. He made a case that Iowa would consume too much time and money that could be better invested elsewhere.

“Thirteen of the last 14 major-party nominees have won Iowa, New Hampshire, or both,” Mr. Henry wrote, adding: “But I think this old system is about to collapse and it will happen this year because of the impact of primary elections that are being held on February 5th. In effect, the Democratic Party is holding a national primary with over 20 states choosing a nominee on February 5th. This new focus forces us to rethink our overall strategy and assess where our time and money are best spent.”

[Arugula Latte]

1. Great news. Hope she sits it out, and then loses New Hampshire.

She'll no longer be the frontrunner. :woohoo:

[William769]

22. About New Hampshire

See this thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3278803&mesg_id=3278803

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Hope she doesn't forget

Poland.


(This post made out of 100% recycled verbiage)

[illinoisprogressive]

3. She is running behind in both states. Edwards has Iowa and Obama NH

[ElizabethDC]

4. Except that Hillary is ahead in NH polls

and is ahead in the #1 slot in at least one Iowa poll (although she's running third in 2 others).

[SaveElmer]

5. Yeah...way to make things up...

Obama is ahead in no New Hampshire poll that I have seen...and averages double digits in all recent polls...nice try!

[jefferson_dem]

11. Wha? You must've missed this one, with Obama up by 4!

...from mid-January --- http://zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1237 :bounce:

[SaveElmer]

13. January?

Yeah...January is not recent...

Obama is down by double digits in New Hampshire...has been for quite some time!!!!

[jefferson_dem]

15. It was meant as a joke. Sometimes "tongue in cheek" doesn't work well in print.

Hillary is averaging a 12 pt lead there right now but, as expected, polls are all over the map.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/nh/new_hampshire_democratic_primary-194.html

[SaveElmer]

16. Gotcha...

Sometimes I can be a hair dense...

[William769]

23. Actually knowing the poster,

I would say, trying to get one over on you.

[William769]

21. "from mid-January "

:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[sandnsea]

6. She already skipped Iowa

That was her plan from the gate. This is just a well-timed "leak" to make the plan official. The minute the CA primary was moved forward, Iowa was out for Hillary. We already lost this primary to big money.

[ElizabethDC]

7. Then why is she going there this weekend

and for the next three weekends, in fact? (per the Hotline)

[sandnsea]

8. show

She is setting it up so it won't look bad when she doesn't win it. I've been saying it for months, since before California moved their primary. She can't win there and it's going to make the rest of the country leery of supporting her. She has to make it irrelevant, and this little tidbit is the first solid step in that direction.

[ElizabethDC]

9. If she wants to make it irrelevant

then why is she going to be spending so much of her time there, when surely she could spend it elsewhere?

[sandnsea]

10. She won't be, stay tuned n/t

[ElizabethDC]

14. Well, she's spending the next three weekends there

which, like I said, is time that could be spent elsewhere. And she also recently doubled the size of her field staff there - which is obviously money that could be spent elsewhere.

[sandnsea]

18. Over the long run, stay tuned

She is not going to seriously run in Iowa, unless something miraculous happens in the next 3 weeks.

[jefferson_dem]

12. Perhaps. But "some" say that the leaking of the memo makes that "skip Iowa" strategy less likely.

It will only illuminates her weakness if she doesn't prove it wrong.

[sandnsea]

17. Testing the waters

Next it will be polls from Nevada and California and Florida and South Carolina, etc etc, where people say Hillary not running in Iowa doesn't affect their vote. It's completely orchestrated. She can't win Iowa, she's got to do something about it.

[JI7]

19. how about Bill Clinton ?

my guess is he will go there and see if he can turn things around. if it doesn't seem to have much change then she will skip Iowa and invest in the horrible California Primary which is driven by big media money.

[Ethelk2044]

24. She needs to be able to stand on her own.

Getting Bill to try to pull her out. People will get tired of it and realize she is unable to stand on her own. If she has to keep trying to get Bill to pull her out. The Office of the Presidency is too important for her to have to run for Bill this early in an election campaign. What will she do if she gets the office. Let him make the decisions and say they are her decisions. Just like Bush is doing with Chaney.

[question everything]

20. This is what Clark did in 2004

and he never recovered.