She still thinks she's inevitable: Clinton says race will be over Feb. 5

[BeyondGeography]

By Peter Nicholas, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 13, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is anticipating that she will not have to wait long to become the Democratic presidential nominee, privately telling campaign donors in California that the race "is all going to be over by Feb. 5."

Though the focus of the 2008 presidential campaign is on Iowa and New Hampshire, the states with the earliest contests, Clinton suggested that California's influence might be larger than was commonly believed.

"You've got to realize that people in California will start voting absentee about the time Iowa and New Hampshire happen," the senator from New York said at a closed-door fundraising reception Tuesday evening. "In fact, more people will have voted absentee by the middle of January than will have voted in New Hampshire, Iowa and a lot of other places combined."

..."California, Texas, New York, New Jersey -- you've got way more than half the country," Clinton said at the fundraising event at a Sacramento restaurant. "And we're going to be ready, thanks to all of you. We're running a vigorous campaign here in California." Voters in 22 states will vote after Feb. 5, as will those in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The fundraising reception was closed to the news media, but an audio recording of Clinton's speech was made available to the Los Angeles Times...

...She told the crowd she would need the state's support even after she won the nomination.

"This state is critical," she said, "not only to my victory for the nomination, but for the general election."==

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-clinton13dec13,0,1986893.story?coll=la-home-center

[MADem]

1. I think she's correct, but it might not be her taking the prize. But that Super Tuesday

is gonna wrap it up. Hell, even my state changed the date to match up--might as well not be totally irrelevant!

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Looks Like Resistance Is Futile Again

Today's talking point. I guess "Obama the scheming 5 year old" wasn't working for them.

[BeyondGeography]

5. The LA Times is panning this in a separate blog

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2007/12/coronation.html

[MannyGoldstein]

6. Thanks For The Link

I just hope that the momentum continues.

[K Gardner]

3. I agree. It will be over. For her. n/t

[saltpoint]

4. There may be cause for her confidence. There may not be.

With all the earlier states' races tightening considerably and the level of activity accelerating to a wild blur, I personally don't see any halfway predictable outcome for Feb. 5th until Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina Democrats have their first-ups in the weeks prior.

That may still work out well for HClinton but there are 7 other Democrats in the race and they have their enthusiastic supporters who may have a large say in her future job prospects.