Obama is the Nominee. Will Clinton Scorch the Earth or Be a Leader?

[cali]

This is an interesting front page piece on kos.

by DHinMI
Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 01:05:47 PM PST

It's done. Because of her severely flawed campaign strategy of inevitability and experience, in an election when people are hungry instead for change, Hillary Clinton needed to dispatch Barack Obama no later than Super Tuesday. She didn't. He fought her to a draw on February 5th, he demonstrated tremendous strength across the country, and forced her to muster her resources in the NY/CT/NJ region, in Massachusetts and in California. Even in the big states where she fought and won, her victories were mostly just "holds" of her established advantage. They were defensive wins, allowing Obama to mount significant wins in other states all over the country.

Once we got past February 5th, Clinton's only chance was to keep Obama from posting big wins. She failed. In the ten contests since Super Tuesday, she's lost by an average of 67% to 30%. Even if you take out the territories and the caucus states, looking just at Louisiana, the Potomac Primary and yesterday's contest in Wisconsin, the average is 63% to 35%.

The news from the exit polls is worse. Last Tuesday Obama scored big gains with just about ever demographic. About the only group where Clinton did well was with Democratic women. Tuesday in Wisconsin Obama won almost every single demographic. He tied among white women, who in the earlier states had been giving Clinton large margins. The only group she won was voters over 65 years old.

She's getting outspent by Obama. He's getting great press, her press is awful. And even Bill Clinton knows the end is near:

Even former president Clinton, pressing voters to turn out for his wife's campaign, acknowledged the stakes for her on March 4. "If she wins Texas and Ohio, I think she will be the nominee," he told supporters in Beaumont, Tex., according to ABC News. "If you don't deliver for her, I don't think she can be. It's all on you."

Hillary Clinton can not win both Texas and Ohio, certainly not by the huge margins she'd need in order to make up significant ground. The race is over. Wisconsin made a motion that the nominee be Barack Obama. On March 4th, Texas and possibly Ohio will ratify the motion.

<snip>

much more at:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/21/155135/325/323/461389

[AtomicKitten]

1. I'm guessing scorched earth.

[truebrit71]

12. Me too....doing otherwise would require her to be gracious...

...NOT a common trait...

[AtomicKitten]

19. yes, we've seen little evidence of that

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. I think that delegatehub place says it all.

[Thrill]

3. To be honest with you. I still think

They are going to steal this nomination from him.

[TwilightGardener]

7. They will try to make him unelectable--that's my fear.

[tekisui]

9. Hillary: If I can't be the Democratic President, No one can!

[Thrill]

16. Well not like that

He's way more electable than her. But I think they'll steal it by Super Delegates and Michigan and Florida. They just have the establishment and too many favors owed.

[Kahuna]

22. I'm hoping the super delegates will put a stop to that by defecting.

Afterall, Obama is almost our presumptive nominee. It's very counter productive to "damage" him for the general election. The super delegates need to step in if the Clintons go too far.

[Hieronymus]

10. I certainly have felt that, too. The Democratic Party means nothing to them.

[paperbag_ princess]

24. playing by the rules is not stealing

You may not like the concept of the superdelegate, but they are designed to vote their conscience.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. I guess the outcome is up to kos at this point. kos rules.

[cali]

11. um, kos didn't write this and it's simply an opinion piece

that I think makes some interesting points. It has nothing to do with your bitter comment.

[The_Casual_Observer]

21. um

[Whisp]

5. cluster bombs first, then scorch nt

[Captain Hilts]

Without winning CA, MI, TX, OH, PA, FL, NY, MA or NJ? nt

[cali]

17. Read the whole piece.

TX, PA and OH haven't happened yet, and MI and FL are in some political Bermuda Triangle. Furthermore, CA was hardly a rout. It's now down to under 10%. That whittles it down quite a bit. And of course she's lost:

IA
SC
CT
CO
MO
KS
WI
VA
MD
ME
HI
WA

and many more, most of them in blowouts.

[LakeSamish706]

6. LOL... Funny that I was just reading post re: Scorched Earth when it ...

came up on CNN.... Following the debate there will be something about Scorched Earth....

[gateley]

8. I think she'd take the high road, albeit reluctantly. She still has a rep to maintain

as Senator and will continue to need support there.

[Enrique]

13. Obama has a big advantage

but I don't understand why people say it's over. It's not.

[maddiejoan]

14. You forget something.

Obama isn't the nominee.

[DemzRock]

15. Really... Please wait ujntil after Texas and Ohio...

Thank you.

[cali]

18. It's just an opinion piece

that's all.

[Scurrilous]

20. The former. n/t

[WolverineDG]

23. Local political elite going Scorched Earth

That's okay. We have long memories here & at some point, they are going to need our votes (but not get them).

dg

[H2O Man]

25. I think that

she is going to reject the rabid approach of Mark Penn and Bill Clinton, and step aside. I think that she may do this sooner rather than later.

[workinclasszero]

26. First thing Hillary needs to do is publicly say that the FL and MI

"delegates" cannot and should not be counted at the convention.

Until she says that she is continuing her scorched earth policy already in effect.