Hillary builds a Super Tuesday firewall

[Capt. Obvious]

Bernie Sanders is soaring in the polls. Joe Biden is making increasingly loud noises about joining the race. But Hillary Clinton’s campaign staffers are working methodically to build the fail-safe they think can secure the nomination, and it’s pegged to a single day on the calendar: March 1, 2016.

Super Tuesday.

That’s when, according to their plans, Clinton’s financial advantage, combined with early planning and strategizing, can deliver the knockout punch.

Some of this is the product of a compulsion to avoid the mistakes made in 2008 that allowed Barack Obama to swoop in. Indeed, her aides began planning for Super Tuesday before the campaign even launched, back when her inner circle was more worried about Martin O’Malley than Sanders.

....

“When we did move past the early states [in 2008], they [the Obama team] had a leg up. They had the boots on the ground, they had the organizational infrastructure, they had the press relationships that we didn’t have. So when the history is told of the 2008 campaign, that is an important piece of it.”

Still, Sanders in particular is working to throw roadblocks in Clinton’s way by doing some organizing of his own. The Vermonter’s camp disputes the notion that Clinton’s organizing will be enough to deliver her the nomination by Super Tuesday.

....

Politico

[Armstead]

1. Including the brick of no debatres until late in the process -- and limited ones

[brooklynite]

2. Four months before any votes is "late in the process"?

[Armstead]

3. Yep

[Fred Sanders]

5. I respectfully suggest the purchase of a printed calendar.

[Armstead]

7. I respectfully suggest I'm looking at the same calendar as the Clinton campaign

They are trying to maintain the "inevitability" meme a a core strength of the campaign. That's a major material in the bricks they use to build their "firewall."

The longer the otehr candidates are hidden from view, the more she is able to maintain that. If the supporters who are kind of so-so in their level of support for her were to actually see that there are choices, the worse it could be for Clinton.

tick,tick,tick...

[kenfrequed]

8. History, apparently, doesn't matter.

Look at every other year that there has been an open ticket on the Democratic side. This is the fewest number of debates we have had in decades and we have never used the stupid republican rules to punish "unsanctioned debates."

[Fred Sanders]

9. The Democratic Party, because it is a well established political party, gets to decide it's own rules...not the newbies.

Want new rules, host your own party.

[kenfrequed]

10. Uhm...

These ARE new rules. The limited number of debates and the rule against "unsanctioned debates" are entirely NEW to the Democratic party.

The point is the rules were changed. We just want the old rules to be restored and for our party to not duplicate republican nonsense.

And I am offended at your "newbie" suggestion. Many of Bernie's supporters, myself included, have been democrats for literally decades.

[Fred Sanders]

11. It's my Party and I'll rule as I want to! To simplify it for you.

[sadoldgirl]

14. Now that shows a true democratic spirit. Thanks

[kenfrequed]

15. Are you even really a Hillary supporter?

I mean, I don't support her at all and prefer Bernie, but in the end I will end up voting for her if I absolutely have to.

You almost seem to be here just to try to make progressives hate her more by acting badly towards Bernie supporters. Is that your intent? Are you trying to make things worse for everyone?

[Capt. Obvious]

20. +1

[RobertEarl]

21. He's doing quite a job at division

I can hardly believe he believes in half of his words here in his attempt at dividing Democrats into his camp and the other.

But his continued insistence on division makes me believe he is solely interested in that division. PUMA is the term that comes to mind as a description of the effort.

[Armstead]

19. Tell that to Martin O'Malley....who last I heard was not a "newbie"

[frylock]

23. This has to be some of the stupidest shit I've ever seen posted here.

[Fred Sanders]

27. You would know.

[frylock]

28. You're embarrasing yourself.

[Fred Sanders]

30. Ditto. And Sanders.

[frylock]

31. I thought you took your ball and went home..

run along now.

[cali]

25. you think O'Malley is a newbie. Fred fail.

[roguevalley]

26. politics to win, rather than agreement of the electrorate. remember money will buy this.

how does that make her different or better? Billionaire's money is paying for this. And of course, she won't be beholding because of it.



that's still a long time to fuck up and shoot yourself in the foot.

[MoveIt]

13. Thanks Debbie!

[bigdarryl]

16. Someone in her district needs to run against her in 2016

You mean to tell me there isn't one true progressive state politician in that district

[Motown_Johnny]

18. It is ok, she should be behind by the time the debates start

and the schedule is set to protect a front runner.

Strategery!

[Gothmog]

4. Texas will be part of that firewall

[mmonk]

6. Oh no, not another email server.

(It's a joke, don't get upset).

[bigdarryl]

12. If some of you guys are upset about the debate schedule don't blame Clinton blame the incompetent

DNC Chair person I agree the schedule is a complete mess and in fact we should be going into our second debate as of this date the idea that we won't debate until Oct. is NUTS!!!

[Motown_Johnny]

17. Exactly what she did in '08.

Now I feel better about Bernie's chances. Thanks for posting.

[Romulox]

22. She's trying to run out the clock--a rather uninspiring strategy. It will hurt her in the GE. nt

[MisterP]

24. she made quite sure democracy didn't break out in Honduras, either

[Rosa Luxemburg]

29. Firewall?