As we noted yesterday, the Obama camp is in high-confidence mode. Obama has been campaigning against McCain as much as Clinton, and his strategists have argued that the delegate math makes it pretty much impossible for Hillary to catch up in pledged delegates.
The Clinton campaign, which has not always picked the right tone, hits this one pitch-perfect: Hillary, talking to Wisconsin reporters:
"I hear yesterday that Senator Obama’s campaign declared that this race was over. Well I beg to differ, and I think the people of Wisconsin and other states would like to have a say before anyone declares themselves the nominee. We have important states up ahead that deserve their chance in this process. They deserve to be heard and they deserve to hear from us." (Audio is here).
There is a theory that tussling with the other party's candidate makes Democrats love you. And a theory that bragging about your strong position will pull superdelegates to your side, creating a cascade. But there is also a theory that nothing revs up the other team and its fans more than premature high-fives.
Do the Obama guys remember that they lost New Hampshire? Have they noticed that Clinton has shaken up her staff? Possibly stabilized her funding? Started to compete in smaller states? Charged up some populist rhetoric? And started to focus attacks on Obama?
Also see this.
Comments (3)
I think Hillary Clinton hit the nail on the head. Independant voters don't want to hear a candidate arrogantly declare , 'it's pretty much impossible for someone other than wonderful me to be the nominee'. It sort of makes me cringe. We already have someone arrogant in the White House.
I think Obama has started to believe his own press. I think the uniter, the non-politician, the only candidate to talk about change, the only one with new ideas, turned out to be the same old thing; a politician. His campaign is looking more like the Bush campaign all the time. He is subtle but his mistakes are getting more noticeable.
If you said something in the past, own up! The fact of the matter is that Clinton supported NAFTA then but now claims that had she known what she knows now, that it would be different. And this is also her position in the Iraq war. If we cannot make good judgements, then we cannot lead a nation. If I knew what I know now, I would have purchased the lottery ticket last week. The fact is that no one knows and that is where I will choose good judgement over experience. The number of years that you have been doing something does not translate into good judgement.