by Anita S. Lane
She did it. Senator Hillary Clinton made a big comeback by winning primaries in Rhode Island as well as the delegate-rich states of Texas and Ohio. Her husband Bill Clinton said she had to win Texas and Ohio to stay in the game—and she did. Kudos to Clinton. She’s a fighter and she’s demonstrated that she knows how to win.
Her game plan moving forward: more of the same. You know the saying, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Clinton has proven that her tactics aren’t broken. They work.
The question is, do Democrats see her tactics as fair and above board, as desperate, or as potentially harmful to the Democratic Party and the Democrats’ chances in the general election?
I think the answer is “yes” to all of the above. However, I think Clinton is willing to risk it all on winning. One of Clinton’s early campaign themes when she first announced her candidacy was “In it to Win.” She may have changed her campaign theme a dozen times since then, but she hasn’t changed her intent. She’s in it to win it. This is her time. It’s now or never.
So, what does she have to do? As one Clinton strategist put it, “We gotta mess him up.” (Obama that is). How exactly does Clinton “mess Obama up?” If the March 4th primary is any indication, Clinton Must:
She did it. Senator Hillary Clinton made a big comeback by winning primaries in Rhode Island as well as the delegate-rich states of Texas and Ohio. Her husband Bill Clinton said she had to win Texas and Ohio to stay in the game—and she did. Kudos to Clinton. She’s a fighter and she’s demonstrated that she knows how to win.
Her game plan moving forward: more of the same. You know the saying, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Clinton has proven that her tactics aren’t broken. They work.
The question is, do Democrats see her tactics as fair and above board, as desperate, or as potentially harmful to the Democratic Party and the Democrats’ chances in the general election?
I think the answer is “yes” to all of the above. However, I think Clinton is willing to risk it all on winning. One of Clinton’s early campaign themes when she first announced her candidacy was “In it to Win.” She may have changed her campaign theme a dozen times since then, but she hasn’t changed her intent. She’s in it to win it. This is her time. It’s now or never.
So, what does she have to do? As one Clinton strategist put it, “We gotta mess him up.” (Obama that is). How exactly does Clinton “mess Obama up?” If the March 4th primary is any indication, Clinton Must:
- Keep raising the question in voter’s minds as to whether or not Obama is experienced enough to lead on “day one,” as well as handle a national security crisis.
- Make voter’s question whether or not Obama is tough enough to fight off the Republicans and win in a general election.
- Attack Obama on his judgment by continually bringing up his relationship with Tony Rezco.
- Continue accusing Obama of pulling away from his fervent anti-war stance after his speech in 2002.
- Attack Obama’s credibility as to whether he is really a candidate for “change” against the “politics as usual” given the Obama economic advisor’s recent meeting with the Canadian Consulate and the questions the “memo” that surfaced raised.
When Clinton won Ohio, and Texas was still too close to call, we knew Clinton wouldn’t give up—in spite of her husband’s clarion call that she must win both states. But once she won the Texas primary, there was no doubt that Clinton had gotten her groove back—particularly with white males and seniors.
Regardless as to whether or not Clinton’s accusations of Obama are factual or valid, the lawyer in Hillary Clinton must press hard to raise reasonable doubt in the minds of voters—including the superdelegates. If she does this, she just might win it.
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