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Posted Tuesday, March 04, 2008 11:47 PM

Clinton Comeback Means Rough Road Ahead

Howard Fineman

I think we can all see how the night is ending. The confetti is coming down in Columbus, and Hillary Clinton is on to Pennsylvania. As a Pennsylvanian--Pittsburgher, actually--I am happy to have a chance to do more reporting on my state. But I am not sure the Democratic Party is going to like what happens from here on. "We're just getting started," Hillary declared in her Ohio victory speech. Translation: rough road ahead.

This race is going all the way to Denver, to the Democratic convention. There will be arguing, vicious arguing, about what to do with Florida and Michigan. What if they hold second events--do-overs--in June? What if Hillary doubles down on her criticism of Barack Obama's readiness for office?

I was just talking to one of Obama's top advisers, and he was picking through what happened Tuesday night. This is a hard-eyed, unsentimental guy, and he worried aloud that Obama is a prize fighter who can’t--or won’t--deliver the knockout punch. "Barack wants to win it the way he wants to--with some class--otherwise, what's the point?" But Hillary just wants to win, and is willing to be as nasty as it takes.

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According to this source, the Clinton campaign's "red phone" ad worked in Texas. And in Ohio, the Clinton campaign was able to fudge the trade issue by focusing on the errant, pro-NAFTA comments of one of Obama's aides. The comments allowed Clinton to accuse Obama of being two-faced about the unpopular trade agreement. "We stumbled a couple of times over the last few days and it cost us," he said.

Here is the danger for Obama: a campaign based initially on an anti-war speech, and based also on younger voters who see him as a movement, and on a powerful yet vague critique of the "system," has yet to win over rank-and-file, working-class white Americans to his side. He also has not made the sale to the fastest-growing minority group, Latinos, who voted overwhelmingly for Hillary in Texas and elsewhere.

Hillary has found her voice as the meat-and-potatoes gal of the old school, and it still has potent appeal to Democratic voters. And it may have more and more as the economy falls into what could be a deep recession.

Despite the delegate math working against Clinton, this ain't over by a longshot. 

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Posted By: JunoG (March 12, 2008 at 2:30 PM)

Mr. Finemean and those reading your column, Note: ' We're just getting started," also is referential of boundless energy, true committment to a cause, indefagitabiltiy, and (according to The Globe and Mail) being the "Duracell Girl", or a Charlie Chaplin heroine. but according to your brief synopsis the telescope we can use to view Mrs. Clinton in Pennsylvania  also readily imagines her as craven, grasping, an inconvenience, the 'other"; whereas Mr. Obama is simply  the gold standard and "he who is attacked", poor man. I've recently overheard an interesting comment,"If Hillary was walking on water, they would say, Hey, Look, she can't swim." Are you aware of how slanted your take is? I have valued your commentary in the past, but I suppose identity politcs follows into the newsroom. MSNBC, alone may 50 percent responsible for my now thinking  that Mr. Obama, who I originally voted for in the Vermont primary, is a questionable choice. If Mr. Obama had said, "We've only just begun," you would report, Look at his energy, his stamina, his positive message. Also your message that Mr. Obama wants to win, but won't stoop to Mrs. Clinton's level, is an interesting frame. Are you mad? I was, or at least deluded. I now realize, time and time again since Day 1 of this campaign in stump speeches, he has stated, 'some people will do anything to win," OBVIOUSLY coaxing and fostering a message: Hillary Clinton is craven, souless, pure ambition. This is called character assasination. That this is done with great finesse, as if swatting a fly, doesn't change it's blistering attack. The Clinton charge of  him being relatively inexperienced is peanuts compared to the charge that one is ALL EGO, NO SOUL, or is it automatic that if a woman is ambitious , it couldn't be altruistic as well. Mr. Obama's foppish,  off-hand, regal asides, dehuimanize their opponent/target  without a drop of blood showing, in broad interesting flourishesas ithat has mobilized an extremely rabid online following. It is repeated continuously online in chat rooms, amid blogs that Clinton is a monster. I have yet to stumble on a Clinton supporter trashing Obama in this manner. His campaign has given the nod to this type of thinking, byt those broad sweeps of dirt, that now are falling gently and damningly on Mrs. Clinton. Also by stoking the race issue his campaign has triumphed, Mr. Clinton who chose to actually have his offices in Harlem has suddenly become the KKK and Obama becomes the victim, while his supporters online hurl  gutter-type names at Hillary Clinton. Unequivically, I have yet to see this type of vitriol among her supporters. Anyway, shame on you all, if you're unconscious of this. Anyway MSNBC was a beacom of light, during a very dark time. Now, I really wander whose playing with all their marbles??? Are you afraid of being seen as racist if you analyze this race more clearly?  Isn't it just politcally astute to accuse the Clinton campaign of what the Obama campaign is actually achieving: latitude for everyone to throw stones at Hillary, because after all she's 60 feet tall, especially in the masculine imaginations of those reporting the news, and Obama is a welcome change over the last 7 years of the language being torn apart. I'm ok. with him being a rock star and a godsend for activating people of color and people my age, but when it's unchecked it's still monarchistic, it's still one guy being raised up so he can chicken-fight a woman who is a fighter, but doesn't have that more Eastern ability to kill using silk. In this there's an interesting role reversal, where Obama takes the more stereotypically feminine role of playing it behind the scenes and lil Hillary is the one wearing the broad clunky sword out in the open, as some warriors do, and some round tables may have come of it.


Posted By: votehilary2008 (March 7, 2008 at 1:01 PM)

I apologize, I just re-read what I posted and would like to change a couple things. When I said,"Did you know he is wanting to outlaw african americans wearing pants down to their knees?" Speaking of Obama, and African American ways....I greatly apologize because I wasnt trying to sound like it was just a problem with African Americans. That is a law he is wanting to make for any race or ethnicity....like I said, I've seen Caucasians wearing pants to their knees...and I think that the law would be great to pass...for ALL races...who wants to see someones rear-end or frontal view...your children see that. Remember that. ALSO, I SAID..."People arent perfect, people are infidel, not every person...but Bill just so happened to be one of those "curious" ones. If he weren't president, then no one would have cared. But instead, we attack him for being human OR perfect for that matter. When we sit at home and do the same thing ourselves."....I meant to say....But instead, we attack him for being human or NOT perfect for that matter...." NO ONE is perfect. Only God above. So, give Bill Clinton a break...and know that if Hilary Clinton got office..thats like having TWO presidents...and GOOD, KNOWLEDGEABLE PRESIDENTS AT THAT!" Thank you and Im sorry for messing it up the first time, but I wanted to fix a couple things before you started to judge my intentions. Thanks again, votehilary2008   -Shawna-


Posted By: votehilary2008 (March 7, 2008 at 12:49 PM)

First of all: It is the president who we initially put trust into...to take care of us in a way that we can afford our necessities; gas, milk, coffee, propane...etc. Where I live, gas at the highest in 2007 was $3.62. Put you know what, I'm not even going to complain. There are other states that ran up to $6.00!! Insanity...Milk, remember when milk was $2.39, or for the older crowd, when as far back as you can remember, it was only $.79....insanity. Coffee just went up....I had to move out of my house about a month ago, because propane got too damn expensive! I was paying $450.00 a MONTH...and thats not including, Rent, Electricity, Gas (with the high gas prices), Telephone, and necessities like, diapers, baby wipes, toilet paper. I am disgusted...No one should have to live like that. Racism, another important issue. While everyone listen to Obama speak, all they can think of is, "Oh no! He's black..."THEY" will take over if he becomes president, more gangs, more killings, more blacks. So I will vote for Hilary." What is wrong with the world?! All men/women are created equal. Obama is a good man, he means well. He even spoke of gang violence in one of his campaigns. Did you know he is wanting to outlaw african americans wearing pants down to their knees? He is one of them...He isn't kissing any butts to get all the African Americans to vote for him. If anything, I'm sure they are actually surprised that his is trying to change them in a while that they dress more decent. I, myself, have seen Caucasians wearing pants down to their knees...we are all the same. It's just skin. Our's are white, theirs are black...but we ALL share the same Earth, the same water, the same food, same AIR. We live as ONE. We need to start acting like it!  I have nothing against Obama, if he becomes president...well, good for him and what a hell of a fight he put up. I, personally, will be voting for Clinton for the simple facts as this: I believe her. I believe she will change things...and mostly, she will have Bill Clinton there. Bill Clinton, if you ask me was the BEST president we have ever had. If people would have ignored his infidelity/personal issues, since they are none of his business anyway, then you would see that our world was at peace when Bill was in office. For 8 years, and we never had any life threatening issues arise. People arent perfect, people are infidel, not every person...but Bill just so happened to be one of those "curious" ones. If he weren't president, then no one would have cared. But instead, we attack him for being human OR perfect for that matter. When we sit at home and do the same thing ourselves. Practice what you preach, is all I have to say about that. Believe it or not, no one is perfect....YES! NOT EVEN THE PRESIDENT! But Bill Clinton and what he did for our nation while he was in office, for positive. BUSH screwed us, point blank. I think we all figured that out a long time ago...him nor his father did much good for our nation. He needs to get the hell out of office, and quick. We are all getting back money in June, kind of as a payback for all we've lost throughout the year in high gas prices, etc. Who's giving that to us? BUSH....but we're did he get that kind of money from? He borrowed from China. When does it need to be paid back and who will be responsible for it....haha, NOT BUSH. The next president will be. Bush is trying to create hell for when he's out of the office. He wants to see the next president struggle to pay China back Billions of dollars, cuz then he thinks We, the People...will wish for him back. He is a manipulator, deceitful, awnry, coniving, and a very bad president. Hilary is best for this position I believe. For many reasons...just listen to the differences, between her and Obama. Both speak of good intentions, ofcourse they will they are trying to win. Who in the long run, do you believe has the mind and will power to fix this Earth before it is no longer. Our day will come...and we still have a chance to make our lives here more at ease and less stressful. Don't vote if you have no clue what is going on in the world, because you can create a huge problem for voting for the wrong person. The last thing we need is a GEORGE BUSH REINCARNATED!