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The Collapse Of Hillary
TNR.com ^ | 20.02.2008 | Michael Crowley

Posted on 02/20/2008 1:25:22 PM PST by COUNTrecount

It was only a few months ago that American was laughing at Hillary Clinton’s absurd sense of inevitability. Remember the “Saturday Night Live” sketch in which Hillary (as played by Amy Poehler) smugly cracked that Democrats would support their nominee “no matter who she may be”? It’s been a few weeks since that inevitability collapsed--the South Carolina blowout was probably the tipping point. But it was only last night that Hillary finally acquired the odor of a loser.

Broadly speaking, Wisconsin should have been her turf. The state is an overwhelmingly white, working class bastion. (OK, a moment’s pause for demographics: 55 percent of last night’s electorate had less than a college degree, while 40 percent earn less than $50,000.) These are her people. They went his way. Obama has now won nine contests in a row, in most every part of the country. That, despite the way the Clintons have played most every card imaginable, some more explicitly than others: inexperience, age, electability, race, drugs, Rezko, Exelon, and now plagiarism. Polling that showed a close vote among late deciders, plus a recent uptick in her national polls, suggests that final line of attack may have had an effect. But does anyone think that sort of micro-critique will give her the broad margins she needs in Ohio and Texas to close the delegate gap?

Meanwhile, with every win, Obama makes more sense. He is no longer a leap of faith but a real winner. And what once seemed a major threat to his chances--uncertainty about the role of his race--has faded away. It was Obama’s great luck to preface the March 4 votes in Ohio and Texas by winning without enough black voters to make for a storyline about a racial divide.

Conversely, Hillary has been completely stripped of what was once her greatest asset: inevitability. Many of her early supporters believed the Clinton machine was virtually invulnerable. Mark Penn had mapped the electoral matrix. Her press team operated with the flawless efficiency of a Secret Service detail. Bill had telepathic powers over fellow Democrats. But none of it has worked so far. And if none of it has worked until now, why should it work on March 4--which even Hillary’s defenders call her last stand? And why should voters in those states expect it to work in November? (And even if the media has at times been unfair to Hillary, well, cracking the national media’s bizarre code is part of being a successful politician.)

It’s hard to see what hope remains for her. Maybe the Clintons can crank up their attacks on Obama one more notch. But that would risk further damaging their already shaky reputation with large segments of the Democratic Party--especially among the new generation of Democrats who will be around longer than the fading 1990s establishment.

Now, Hillary’s last hope may be that voters in Ohio and Texas will be in a contrarian mood. Perhaps, after hearing for the next week that it is now Barack Obama who is inevitable, and Hillary who is doomed, they will feel the same sympathy that New Hampshire did, and hand the Clintons one last reprieve. For old time’s sake.

It’s a longshot, to be sure. It’s also a great irony: The woman once mocked for her inevitability may only have the specter of defeat left to save her


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2008; hillary; itsover; wi2008
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1 posted on 02/20/2008 1:25:24 PM PST by COUNTrecount
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To: COUNTrecount
Sheesh! A veritable plethora of toasted Hillary articles today.

And this from TNR, the Beauchamp rag, no less.

I was hoping for more O'bama damage before November.

2 posted on 02/20/2008 1:29:27 PM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: COUNTrecount

TIMBERrrrrr!


3 posted on 02/20/2008 1:29:27 PM PST by pallis
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To: COUNTrecount
No one is beyond reproach. No one is invincible. She is getting her due. And it's about time.
4 posted on 02/20/2008 1:31:50 PM PST by hoe_cake
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To: COUNTrecount

“Broadly speaking” - Bwwwaaaahahahahahahaha


5 posted on 02/20/2008 1:32:36 PM PST by Hegemony Cricket (IX-XI -- numquam didici)
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To: Izzy Dunne
A veritable plethora of toasted Hillary articles today.

That's exactly what has me thinking she still has some life in her.

6 posted on 02/20/2008 1:32:51 PM PST by squidly
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To: COUNTrecount

When the Hildabeast won Tennessee we were told it was because it was next to home turf. Wisconsin is Milwaukee and it is an extended suburb of Obambi’s “home” town of Chicago.

Now I fear Hillary More than Ahmadinajad and Chavez put together, but shouldn’t our side at least be honest with us?


7 posted on 02/20/2008 1:34:17 PM PST by Soliton
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To: COUNTrecount
...the South Carolina blowout was probably the tipping point

No, Iowa was..........

8 posted on 02/20/2008 1:34:54 PM PST by Red Badger ( We don't have science, but we do have consensus.......)
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To: COUNTrecount
Broadly speaking...

Snicker.

But I don't believe she's politically dead yet. There are too many ways for her to gum up the works for Obama, and she knows 'em all.

9 posted on 02/20/2008 1:34:55 PM PST by MortMan (Those who stand for nothing fall for anything. - Alexander Hamilton)
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To: squidly
I'm not counting her out.

Obama will be more of a disaster for the Dems if he gets the nomination.

I think the Dems, even though stupid, could realize this and stage her "amazing comeback" just in time.

10 posted on 02/20/2008 1:35:07 PM PST by what's up
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To: COUNTrecount

It’s a win/win when your enemies fight. If Hillary launches attacks but Obama still takes the nomination, Bill’s “legacy” and “reputation” are damaged AND we get to watch the witch give a concession speech AND the attacks will to some extent damage Obama for the general. Snicker.

If Hillary launches the attacks and wins the nomination, we see a weakened and divided Democratic party going into the general AND we get to turn off the seven hour Obama concession speech AND we get to beat up the witch for months. Snort.

If it deadlocks and they keep fighting . . . the above applies but with even more ugliness and damage. Cheer!


11 posted on 02/20/2008 1:35:13 PM PST by Greg F (Do you want a guy named Hussein to fix your soul? Michelle Obama thinks you do.)
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To: Izzy Dunne

12 posted on 02/20/2008 1:35:51 PM PST by Red Badger ( We don't have science, but we do have consensus.......)
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To: COUNTrecount

Last night, just after FOX had Obami as the winner in WI, they showed Hillary speaking in a high school auditorium. I was jumping for the remote to switch the channels, and then FOX cut to Obama and his speech before some 20,000 in TX, right in the middle of Herself’s speech.

I’m still not counting the Clintons out, even though it looks likely that she is, but that moment told me more than all of Obami’s recent wins did. He’s the new star, and Hillary’s old news.


13 posted on 02/20/2008 1:37:10 PM PST by Theresawithanh (Get yours now. By election time, clothespins will be in short supply.)
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To: COUNTrecount

I laughed when I heard Rush say that she needs Bill to get caught having yet another affiar so that democrats will feel sorry for - to get back in the game.


14 posted on 02/20/2008 1:39:04 PM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: COUNTrecount
Meanwhile, with every win, Obama makes more sense. He is no longer a leap of faith but a real winner.

Obomamania ! Fainters arise !

15 posted on 02/20/2008 1:39:14 PM PST by cinives (On some planets what I do is considered normal.)
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To: All

Last night after all news network called Wisconsis for ‘Bama, Hellary took the stage to talk to her supporters in Youngstown, Ohio.

This was the best part that I liked about last night :) From what I saw on TV, Hellary was giving her stump speech in a high school gym with probably about 300 people —mostly young high school students (who probably weren’t old enough to vote yet).

However in Houston, ‘Bama went on stage about 5 minutes into Hellary’s speech, and he was addressing a crowd of about 20,000 in the Toyota Center. I loved it last night because the whole nation got to see how small of a crowd Hellary got and how big of a crowd ‘Bama got :)

Republican 2008!!!!


16 posted on 02/20/2008 1:41:57 PM PST by EthanolChris
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To: Theresawithanh
He’s the new star, and Hillary’s old news

It's Change vs. Change of Life and Heart vs.Heart Bypass

17 posted on 02/20/2008 1:43:46 PM PST by COUNTrecount
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To: Soliton

This story is from the leftist New Republic . . .


18 posted on 02/20/2008 1:44:18 PM PST by Charlemagne on the Fox
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To: COUNTrecount
Two Words: Comeback Kid.

Two More Words: Superdelegate Deal.

19 posted on 02/20/2008 1:45:14 PM PST by Old Sarge (CTHULHU '08 - I won't settle for a lesser evil any longer!)
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To: COUNTrecount

I wonder how her loyal DUmmies are taking it?


20 posted on 02/20/2008 1:45:22 PM PST by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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