Spin Cycle

The fat is in the fire, and we seem destined to find out whether legions of outraged Democrats and women will respond to the Clinton campaign's complaints about 6 men piling on a strong woman at the debate. Or, not.

She has waded into some pretty deep waters with the gender card. Soon enough, her rivals will go there with her. Here's a sample of what she may be in for, from an (unnamed) strategist for another campaign who spoke to Time's Mark Halperin:

“There’s just no way she wins running as a victim. She and her team reflexively go there because it’s worked before. But this is different. She’s not the first lady. She’s an aspiring commander-in-chief. She can’t simultaneously put on boxing gloves and call herself the tough guy in the field (“i’m your girl”), ask for the keys to 1600 and the nuclear codes, and complain that Russert and boy candidates are being mean to her. She’s asking to be made the most powerful person in the world, and aggrieved victim isn’t part of that profile.”