Posted on 05/08/2008 9:05:58 AM PDT by The_Republican
EVERY TIME Barack Obama's pastor got him in trouble, Hillary Clinton bailed him out.
more stories like thisAfter victory in Ohio, she invented the story of coming under sniper fire in Bosnia. That reminded voters of the Clinton tendency to exaggerate or lie when necessary.
After victory in Pennsylvania, she embraced the idea of a gas tax holiday. That reminded voters of the Clinton tendency to pander.
In each case, she helped Obama change the focus from his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to the country's relationship with the Clintons. She squandered momentum from impressive victories by bringing back Clinton Fatigue.
Mathematically, the structure of the Democratic primary race hasn't changed since March. The Clinton campaign was unprepared for the electoral outcome after the New Hampshire primary. Obama's Super Tuesday victories and a string of successes afterward put him ahead in the delegate count and popular vote. He was also helped when his supporters blocked revotes in Michigan and Florida, taking 284 delegates and more than 2 million popular votes off the table. Superdelegates were starting to move toward Obama.
But the psychology was shifting, even if only slightly, as Clinton won several big states by carving out the old Reagan Democrat constituency. She showed admirable toughness, building a connection with Democratic white male voters, the key swing bloc of the primaries.
At the same time, the controversy over Obama's former pastor raised concerns about his vulnerability to Republican attack during a general election. He first addressed them during a much-applauded speech on race in Philadelphia. But he walked a line in that speech, denouncing Wright's words but refusing to renounce their relationship.
The Wright controversy quieted down after Clinton generated controversy of her own with a false recollection about landing in Bosnia under sniper attack.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
The worst part of Clinton Fatigue for me isn’t Bill&Hill,
it’s the surrogates. Bile backs up my throat every time I
see McCauliffe, Lanny Davis, Carville, Begala et al. They
are all a total WOF. (Waste Of Flesh.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.