Hillary's mistakes

[Omaha Steve]

http://denver.yourhub.com/Denver/Blogs/News-Politics/Politics/National-Politics/Blog~337715.aspx

Hillary's mistakes
Contributed by: John Mulcahey on 7/22/2007

HILLARY'S MISTAKES MAY BE HER BIGGEST ADVANTAGE

Part 1 of 2: Barack Obama's Relative Strengths

One of the most interesting aspects of the now-in-full-gear 2008 presidential contest is the rise of Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and the concomitant decrease in support for the originally assumed heir apparent, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY). A year ago, no one would have predicted Obama would be a candidate for President and, for the most part, almost no one had heard of him.

In the first half of 2007, that changed as Obama became a full-fledged candidate, used his rhetorical skills and his consistent opposition to the War in Iraq, and his organizational prowess to become one of two top tier Democratic candidates and lead the entire field in fundraising success. The fact Clinton was seen as a polarizing figure and had a substantial number of Americans dead-set against her candidacy (registering in some surveys at a stunning +/-40% of the electorate) also created an opening for Obama.

Although Obama was not well-known and has almost no legislative track record, it may be those features which gave his campaign a tremendous boost. These attributes remain his greatest strengths. By being a "blank slate" for so many citizens, the likable and eloquent Obama may be seen by individual voters as the person they want him to be. Of course, over time, as the blank slate gets filled in, these benefits for Obama will dissipate.

Voters desperately want change and are attracted to Obama as an agent of change. Because he is seen as an outsider, he appears to not be beholden to special interests and he appears willing to take on those special interests which are damaging the nation. Clinton, on the other hand, has struggled to convince voters she is an agent of change. Instead, at times she seems caught between arguing for change and emphasizing the success of her husband's administration when she actually could easily combine the two by arguing her experience makes her the better change agent.

FULL story at link.