WP: Clinton's Flaw: A Failure to Connect

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022902787.html

By David S. Broder
Sunday, March 2, 2008; Page B07

In the final moments of what may turn out to have been the last debate of the Democratic presidential campaign, Barack Obama paid gracious tribute to his opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Invited by NBC's Brian Williams to specify what questions Clinton still had to answer "to prove her worthiness as the nominee," Obama said, "I don't think Senator Clinton has to answer a question as to whether she's capable of being president or our standard-bearer." He described her as "qualified" and "capable" and said that "she would be worthy as a nominee."


Hillary Clinton in Ohio Thursday. (Carolyn Kaster - AP)

Obama was returning the compliment Clinton had paid, when she said at the end of their previous debate that she was honored to share the stage -- and this long battle -- with him.

The Ohio and Texas primaries are still to come, and if Clinton wins both, the nomination fight will go on. But given what former president Bill Clinton has said about his wife having no margin for error in those two states, it is possible that last Tuesday's debate will have been her last.

It has been a strange and remarkable journey, from her early status as the favorite for the prize to this moment of desperate necessity. But as I look back on it, Hillary Clinton has performed impressively. She has nothing to apologize for in her own campaigning and has much of which she can be proud.

A lesser candidate might have cashed in her chips after her humiliating third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. Instead, Clinton redoubled her efforts and pulled out a victory in New Hampshire that astonished even her own staff.

FULL story at link.

[Olney Blue]

1. Thanks for posting, Omaha Steve.

As a Hillary supporter, it makes me sad to read because she definitely connected with me.

[Omaha Steve]

2. Your welcome

I don't know why many DUers say so many bad things about either candidate. They are both great US Senators. Not much separates the two. My decision to support Obama after Edwards dropped out was a close call either way.

[Scurrilous]

3. K & R

:thumbsup:

[unblock]

4. this is the downfall of running an "inevitability" campaign

it tends to fall to pieces if don't trounce early.

the campaign was always about winning over the money and the media, not the people.

the people were left with the idea that she thought she should be president because it was her turn, that was the deal she had with bill.

[gateley]

5. I posted this before, but

it kind of makes sense to me.

Randi Rhodes was saying she believes she and Hillary are alike in that they are so focused and sure about the outcome of a situation (Randi being convinced, no doubt she'd have a career in radio) that they don't have a plan B.

I think it was a general assumption that Hillary would lead throughout the campaign and become the nom. When things started occurring that her campaign hadn't planned for, they were badly shaken and had to begin improvising for the unexpected things that were coming its way.

Just a thought... :shrug:

[ClayZ]

6. K and R

[BenDavid]

7. I like it when the washington hopost writes articles like this. Hell,

we all remember how they made a serial liar out of Gore, and how they made it seem John Kerry stole his medals in Nam. Now these same mediawhores are doing it to hrc. It seems kinda funny to me that this same whoremedia rag made such a damn big ass deal out of whitewater where there was nothing illegal done by the clintons but the wahopost kept writing and accusing, and now with obama and this rezko character aka jim mcdougal does not any serious writing....WOW!

I am right in saying the whoremedia is doing exactly what they did in 2000 and selling the half ass attention paying public, obama. Just like bush, obama, once you get pass the hoopla, there is nothing but an empty suit.

washington hopost, the new york whore times, etc etc....you get the picture and all ya got to do is transfer the name bush for obama and you have the same wonderful positive endorsements....

[Johnny__Motown]

8. Wasn't it Bill who rallied support after her 3rd place finish in Iowa?