Reply #178: Let's look in detail at this "reasoned" analysis and responses

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

1. Correct observation that it is not a gaffe when it is rehearsed and repeated. Senator Clinton used this tasteless analogy at least two, if not three times in public.

2. It should not be necessary to use 748 words (the length of the post) to spin away one simple statement.

3. "...one of the reasons why Senator Clinton has remained in the race even after victory seemed unlikely is that her campaign felt there was a chance that something might happen to harm Senator Obama's candidacy -- which would then open the way for Senator Clinton to win the nomination. But they were thinking more along the lines of 'Jeremiah Wright' than 'Sirhan Sirhan.' "

There is no justification for the statement above other than "Only Clinton supporters know what Hillary really means when she speaks, and you don't." The example she used on multiple occasions is that one reason for staying in the race after it is mathematically impossible to win is in just case the leading candidate is assassinated.

4. "I think Senator Clinton probably realized immediately that she made a mistake. She is extremely smart and politically savvy, and I think she knows a gaffe when she hears it. (Or says it.) This is pure speculation, but the 'Um' in the transcript might suggest one of those 'Oh, God what did I just say?' moments.'

As documented by many others, this was not the first time Senator Clinton used this horrible analogy to justify her continued campaign. This talking point has been used before. I agree with the OP's conclusion that Senator Clinton knew exactly what she was doing and knew this was a "gaffe" the first time she spewed it, the second time she spewed it, and even this time. The only difference was that, like her Bosnia fabrications, she only reacted when the traditional media picked up the story.

5. "For better or worse, this is the way politics is played. Senator Clinton's campaign is going to have a difficult time trying to convince her critics that this was a case of simply misspeaking -- in part because her campaign has spent so much time and effort flogging those times when Senator Obama similarly misspoke. ('Bitter' being the prime example.) Their task will be made more difficult by the fact that the media did 24-7 coverage of "bitter" and may feel an obligation to blanket the airwaves with Senator Clinton's comments to show that they are fair. I do not know what the coverage is like -- I have not turned on cable news since this controversy started."

A) This is NOT the way "politics is played" by Senator Obama. Thank God. And viewers did not need to turn on cable news, nor read blogs. The traditional media had this story immediately. ABC evening news gave it balanced and reasoned play for several minutes, and I'm sure the others did as well. Equating the comparison of people being "bitter" when they are frustrated to ASSASSINATION of an opponent during a campaign is a unbelievable stretch even for the weakest of minds.

B) Judging from the past where the soundbytes from a supporter were played 24/7 for 36 news cycles, and the recorded lies of a candidate survived only 3 news cycles in the traditional media, this will die quickly.

6. "The one question mark in how this plays out is how the Obama campaign chooses to use Clinton's gaffe."

The media gave the latest repetition of this horrendous inuendo Clinton talking point above-the-fold attention even though both Senator Obama and his campaign issued clear, concise, and almost-instant statements. While the OP is now trying to spin potential future news coverage as the fault of Senator Obama, it is quite clear that all media outlets saw this insult for what it was.

There is so much more wrong with today's Clinton talking points to cover something she clearly elected to do intentionally and multiple times in recent weeks. If Camp Clinton hopes for this to die quickly, they should urge their supporters to let it die. They should urge her supporters to accept the fact that she issued a rapid almost-apology. They should not be putting out talking points attempting to explain away her chosen tenor for her campaign.