Whining As Strategy
Whiny is such a bad look for Bill Clinton. Yet here he goes:
KEENE, N.H. - (AP) — Bill Clinton said Tuesday the public would benefit from more attention to the records of the presidential candidates — like his wife's — and less to daily skirmishes that "won't amount to a hill of beans."
The former president, known as a keen strategist himself, lamented that the campaign has become too much about the horse race at the expense of policy and experience.
"Sixty-seven percent of the coverage is pure politics," he said, citing a study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. "That stuff has a half-life of about 15 seconds. It won't matter tomorrow. It is very vulnerable to being slanted and rude. And it won't affect your life."
Clinton is, of course, well known for playing politics above all. Policy was always a secondary consideration. But this is meant to distract from other bad media news, of course. Like Hillary's slide in the polls among other things. Oh, and that pesky Federal indictment of Norman Hsu.
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Norman Hsu, a top Democratic fundraiser accused of cheating investors of at least $20 million and using some of the money to make illegal donations to political campaigns.
In the 15-count indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, the government accused the 56-year-old clothing-industry entrepreneur of duping investors nationwide with a massive Ponzi scheme.
Ed Morrisey is calling the whine party Clinton threw going on offense. It is, but it will not appear that way to a lot of people, I think Joe Gandelman has a good take on why this was an extraordinarily bad move by the Clinton campaign.
(1)It won’t win over any votes and will lose his wife votes. Most people who don’t like Hillary Clinton have other issues. It is not because she is getting a terrible press. In fact, for the first part of her campaign she had an almost adoring press. But candidates beware: the media doesn’t really DECIDE there is a narrative, it happens (sort of like..you know what). And the typical cycle is The Rising Candidate, The Now Top Candidate Stumbles, The Now Top Candidate Falls. And there is The Former Top Candidate Returns.
(2) It’ll lose her votes because it’s keeping the issue out there of the fact that during a Hillary Clinton’s Presidency Bill will be either lurking in the shadows or perhaps fighting some battles for her. Yes, many Americans do love Bill Clinton. But Bill Clinton is as much as piece of old baggage for her as he is a beautfil valise.
He has more reasons as well. The Clinton campaign does seem to be lurching around right now. Attacking a kindergarten paper supposedly written by Barack Obama made them look desperate. I think Bill whining is a really bad idea that will, indeed, cost votes. When a candidate has the high negatives Hillary has, she cannot afford to lose a single vote.
By martian, Tuesday, 4 December , 2007 @ 5:59 pm
Bill Clinton shouldn’t whine? But the Clintons and the Democrats in general do it so well! You might say it’s their biggest talent.
By NortonPete, Tuesday, 4 December , 2007 @ 6:16 pm
At this time Reuters is headlining the Hsu indictment.
Strange, they bury everything that doesn’t fit their socialistic agenda. I guess the word is out “Hillary” is out. Rove was right, and finally the Dems have realized that, she is unelectable.
By Gaius, Tuesday, 4 December , 2007 @ 6:31 pm
I have no idea why your comment was getting caught in the spam filters, NortonPete. I’ve rescued it now.
By NortonPete, Tuesday, 4 December , 2007 @ 7:18 pm
Thanks, I truely enjoy Bluecrabboulevard, its clearly 3 notches above the best. Bravo to the thinking blog!.
By Gaius, Tuesday, 4 December , 2007 @ 7:27 pm
That one came through perfectly. I have no idea why the filters do that sometimes. Possibly it got caught when a bunch of spams hit at once - that just happened a little while ago.
Thanks for the kind words.
By feeblemind, Tuesday, 4 December , 2007 @ 7:41 pm
I think the voices of Clinton Inc will become even more shrill if her numbers continue heading south. This is begininng to be fun to watch.
By NortonPete, Tuesday, 4 December , 2007 @ 7:47 pm
I think “fun to watch” is finally in order.
By Mwalimu Daudi, Tuesday, 4 December , 2007 @ 10:18 pm
I am the classic pessimist - when others say the glass is 99% full, I deeply mourn the fact that it is 1% empty.
So in that spirit I want to point out that Clinton Inc. is not finished yet. In the Clintons we are talking about the meanest and dirtiest political pair in America today. Don’t underestimate their ability to sleaze their way out of trouble. Derailing Hillary’s path to the nomination means counting on the Democrat Party showing intelligence and good sense - and in a party that worships Murtha, Pelosi and Reid, what are the odds of that happening? Democrats are not known as the Insane Party for nothing!