Posted on 01/20/2007 2:32:19 PM PST by MindBender26
As many FReepers know, I’m spent many years in TV network news. I polled old friends and acquaintances today and with one exception, all agreed that Hillary Clinton’s announcement today that she is running for President (yawn) is a HUGE misstep.
First, she did it at a time guaranteed to get her minimum television exposure. The Saturday HUT (Homes Using Television) numbers are miniscule. When was the last time the Saturday Noon News was a “must see” for anyone?
In addition, anyone watching TV today or tomorrow is probably a man and he is tuned into sports. Not Hillary’s target audience!
She should have announced on 4:00 P.M on Thursday, after appearing earlier in the day on GMA, Today, CBSMN, and especially “The View” to coyly announce that she just might have something importance to announce “soon.”
By announcing at 4:00 on a Thursday, she would have been the lead story on all that evening’s newscasts. Thursday is often the second highest rated show of the week. Then she would have been topic #1 that night and all day Friday. She could have been back on the AM shows and The View on Friday, perhaps even a quick Oprah appearance. Friday night’s national news shows would have been all reaction stories, a visit to her hometown, yada yada yada, etc. She would have owned 36 hours of prime TV.
As it is, she chose the absolutely worst time. The Sunday AM shows will be all over it, but no undecided voters watch those shows. She will get no mojo or movement from them. By Monday, it’s old news.
Next her method of announcement. She posted it as a statement on her website.
Idiotic.
She could have gathered 2000 screaming, sigh waving supporters on the Capitol steps, balloons, a band, etc. Could have been a huge hoop de do! CNN, FNC and others would have covered it live, etc. As it was, nothing! In the words of one senior editor, “She mailed it in!”
Next, she has based her campaign on “Stopping Bush.” That’s got about 30 days worth of legs. In addition, everything she says for the next 20 months will be seen as “political.” She just threw away any chance she had of being seen as a healer or “statesman” like. Politically, she just painted a huge target on her back. Every time she says word one on any issue, an “independent” third party spokesperson can rake her over the coals, and the Republicans can stay above it all.
Finally, everyone sees it for what it is. She panicked over Obama.
He is a 60 day flash in the pan, this year’s Weasley Clark or Howard Dean. America is not about to elect a Black, Muslim-trained, admitted cocaine-using man President, no matter how good he looks on TV… this month.
The media loves him…. this month. The media that loves him now will fill the air with “investigative stories” about him next month. By April at the latest, he will be very old news
Bottom line on that issue; Hillary stood eye to eye against a totally non-electable presidential candidate…. from her own party…. and she blinked!
Mark Halperin at ABC is gushing over her announcement, but everyone else is saying “Huh?”
Another said, "She has been planning this for 20 or 30 years, and this is her best shot!?!?" "What's next, shooting Santa Claus on Christmas Eve?"
One slight correction. Since the United Church of Christ confesses no known beliefs and promulgates no definable dogma, you can be a member in good standing and a faithful moslem too. No conversion necessay.
And his UN job for Monica that Monica didn't grab. So in steps Vernon, hooked Monica up with Revelon, IIRC.
Richadrson is a friend of clinton and would settle for VP under Hissyfithillary.
It's January of 07, nothing that happens in this stage of the "campaign" (honestly there is no campaign yet, most Americans just aren't interested enough in politics to pay any attention to any campaiging 22 months before the election) matter at all. And everybody has been assuming she's going to run in 08 since she ran for Senator in 2000, so there's no reason for the announcement to be a big deal, all she's doing is confirming that 6 years worth of rumors are correct, BFD.
This opening is geared to do two things--hold her base of support from defecting to other candidates and most important, to neurtralize her sky-high negatives.
"Let's chat." How threatening is that? What could be more benign? In a week or two the media whores will be effervescing over "the New Hillary" a pleasant, well-spoken(fortune spent on speech lessons the last year or so), sensible security Mom who just wants to do what's right for America.
We won't be hearing too much about Bush after the initial gambit, because she will want to be inoffensive to all, plus, she knows full well that he won't be the issue by election time. She just has to pay her dues now to establish her bona fides to the party's hatemongers.
Hillary deliberately avoided making a splashy entrance. She intended fully to slip into the water quietly and start the long swim upstream to where people will say "Hey, she's not so bad. I think she's changed--mellowed--let's give her a chance."
Of course it will all be phoney as a three dollar bill but then so was Billyboy, and thanks to the blessings of mass democracy, our nitwit neighbors picked him to lead us for the duration.
One slight correction. Since the United Church of Christ confesses no known beliefs and promulgates no definable dogma, you can be a member in good standing and a faithful moslem too. No conversion necessay
I wonder if any of the Republican candidates will have the guts to get this out?
Either way, it'll be long forgotten by the time the real action starts...
As Dennis Miller said, "she wrote in her autobiography that she didn't know Bill was cheating on her. You didn't know Hillary? I don't think you are smart enough to be my President."
I'd say that we are now up against the Hollywood campaign. Scripted and edited with no spontaneity. Sounds like we will get the next installment on Monday. As those who noticed the foliage suggest, it is all in the can. The Clintonistas have always been all about propaganda. She has just gone more professional. It defies all the NYC PR wisdom expressed in the comment and is the heir of Farenheit 911 and Inconvenient truth.
I think she was doing this out of crisis managment. She is getting BURIED in announcements of others runing for president.
You also have Nancy Pelosi setting up a "shadow presidency" (ala parlementary style opposition party which shadows the sitting prime minister) with her superfluous committees and her PR stunt resolution to encourage the enemies of america. [democrats vote so americans die] Seriously, every vote by a democrat is a vote for blood letting.
I don't think it matters at all. Hilary clinton is a known quantity. Even if she did it in perfect announcement time, it would have been ignored.
This is for the competition. I bet there were other democrats thinking of running. This was the finger in the dyke. ( or is that vice versa?)
Seriously?
Unfortunately, I checked with Snopes after posting that about Obama. I am too quick to believe everything I receive I guess.
And based on the last election we still don't really know much about how to navigate against Democrats, post-Bush. They are taking advantage of Republican splits.
Ms. Clinton seems confident and she is probably situated exactly where she wants to be. She probably has some cards hidden also.
I have been wondering, did she mention her Presidential aspirations to the voters of New York when she ran for her second term?
No, he has not done so.
I hope we conservatives have enough sense to make an ad like you suggested! THAT would speak volumes. (If only the other half had ears.)
She wants to "chat" - Lord help us!......
And THAT is exactly what she wants you to think.
It is all staged so that she can make a GLORIOUS come back.
The timing is all about her pre-written inauguration speech:
"Two years ago today, I announced ..."
The question that came to my mind was whether this mode of announcement might not be a way of avoiding questions . . . she might have gotten the Ted Kennedy question "Why do you want to be president?" - and very well might have found herself responding, "Hmmm . . . ahh . . . mmmm," just like Teddy did!Oh, by the way - just heard the news of her announcement reported on the radio at the top of the hour. The reporter referred to it as "historic!" It might be just a little early to be calling it that!
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