Hillary Clinton Aims To End Joe Biden Talk

[Purveyor]

The weakened front-runner is going to Democratic elites with one message: My campaign is on track.

By Gabriel Debenedetti
8/27/15 5:50 PM EDT

CLEVELAND — Hillary Clinton’s team is getting tired of the Joe Biden talk. And this week, they want to kill it.

The Democrat’s strategy heading into a meeting of party elite on Friday is aimed at dismissing the idea now fueling Biden supporters that her campaign is going off the rails, strategists, donors and political allies familiar with Brooklyn’s thinking told POLITICO.

From a sprint through Iowa that deflected attention from the email saga to her first stop in the swing state of Ohio and now the Democratic National Committee cattle call in Minneapolis, Clinton’s operation knows it needs to both flex its political muscles and prove it can keep its nose to the grindstone to score a controversy-free week.

The workmanlike stretch is meant to convince Democratic power brokers and big-money donors that they don’t need to place side bets on the vice president — and to suggest to Biden himself that there’s no role for him here; there’s no race to save.

The campaign is inviting its top fundraisers to Brooklyn headquarters for a day of strategy sessions with top aides next week, and Clinton’s operation told that group of “Hillblazers” that it would soon start getting regular policy briefings via conference calls with one of Clinton’s closest policy aides, Jake Sullivan.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/hillary-clinton-aims-to-end-joe-biden-talk-121818.html#ixzz3k3xuSv1P

[onehandle]

1. Weakened?

She's doing fine, plenty far ahead, and will be #45.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. Collapsing is closer, weakened is an understatement.

http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-national-democratic-primary

[onehandle]

5. Still way ahead. Wait until the campaign cranks up in late fall.

I can't believe people think this is the real campaign season.

[MoveIt]

6. Maybe it was the Republicans having debates that confused us little people.

[onehandle]

8. They have almost four times as many candidate as the Democrats.

They had to start debates to weed our... or actually, enhance the crazies in their case.

We have the luxury of having multiple good candidates.

[MoveIt]

14. Thanks for your civility!

I still think that DWS is doing the Clintons bidding by slow playing the debates, and they are pretending nobody would notice it.

[Motown_Johnny]

7. We know it isn't, which is why the claims of being ahead make no sense

to us.

It hasn't even started yet. How can she be so far ahead if it hasn't started?

[onehandle]

10. She was 55 points ahead in January, almost five months before Senator Sanders announced.

People like to say it's all 'name recognition' now, but then get excited by these polls.

Can't have it both ways.

[Motown_Johnny]

13. I keep saying we need to get 2 debates behind us.

I only post the stuff that shows Hillary's numbers collapsing as a rebuttal to people who make claims such as yours.

From my point of view, you are the one who wants it both ways. You say it is only August and the race has not started but you also say she is way ahead. Isn't that wanting it both ways?

[frylock]

9. You never roll out new product in August

[ram2008]

15. Can't wait for the re-re-re-re introduction of Hillary !

This time it'll really work!

[jfern]

27. There were 9 debates by this time in the 2008 election

I think having had 9 debates counts as the real campaign season.

[onehandle]

28. There were more than twice the number of Democratic candidates that primary. nt

[jfern]

31. There were only 3 above 3-4% in the polls.

Same as today.

[Metric System]

12. Considering how crazy high her poll numbers were it's not surprising to see them decrease as the

primary season nears and, as the front-runner, she's attacked from fellow Democratic candidates and Republican candidates. Frankly, I would have been be shocked if there wasn't tightening in the polls.

[Motown_Johnny]

16. Weakened is still an understatement

when you consider that she can't even get through 5 minutes of questions about her emails.

Her numbers are down and she can't face reporters for any reasonable length of time.

This is more than just name recognition support drying up.

[Metric System]

18. That's your opinion. I say you're wrong, but we're both biased, so...

[onehandle]

17. And I don't think she and her campaign wants her number to stay 'crazy high.'

The closer the primary, the more incentive for voters to come out for the GE.

This is a basic fundamental of politics that many here don't understand.

[Metric System]

26. The only people who were expecting a coronation were Hillary detractors.

[onehandle]

29. Exactly right.

Pure projection on their part.

[Motown_Johnny]

39. You do understand that without a coronation, she could lose.

Are you prepared for her to lose? Or are you advocating for a coronation?

[Metric System]

40. I'm prepared for her to win.

[Purveyor]

38. " My campaign is on track...", indeed.

?w=300&h=165

[NanceGreggs]

23. "Forget it, onehandle ...

" ... this is DU Town."

That's where HRC is weak despite her poll numbers, can't possibly win the GE, has never accomplished anything in her life, only gets support from low-'fo voters who "recognize" her name, has "too much baggage", is only famous because she was married to Bill, is a lousy speech-maker and an even worse debater, has to "hide" from the media because she loses support every time she opens her mouth, vacations in (gasp!) the Hamptons, and owns way too many pantsuits.

The good news is that what gets said in DU Town stays in DU Town - because nobody in the real world is the least bit interested in the bullshit that gets posted here, simply because (among other reasons) what gets posted here is so far removed from what is happening in real life.

But don't take my word for it. Check out http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/democraticunderground.com#

Even with all of the dedicated Bernie fans posting here 24/7, DU isn't anywhere close to what it was less than a year ago.

[onehandle]

24. Preachin' to the choir, my friend.

But of course, I know that wasn't for my benefit.

[NanceGreggs]

33. No, it wasn't for YOUR benefit ...

... but for the benefit of those who delude themselves into thinking that if they trash HRC - and the Democratic Party as a whole - day in/day out on DemoicraticUnderground, there are actually people other than themselves who are interested in reading it.

[Puzzledtraveller]

34. President Obama knows she's in trouble

that's why Biden was given the go ahead to run if he wants to.

[onehandle]

36. What makes you think that Biden needed 'permission?'

[Zorra]

2. I'm wondering how much of her support Joe will actually siphon off.

He must be seriously thinking of running, because after all this speculation, he has not said he isn't running.

If he wasn't thinking of running, I'm sure he would have the courtesy to say so, amid all the speculation.

Clinton camp appears to be in serious damage control crisis mode.

[KMOD]

4. He would most likely replace Sanders as the ABC candidate.

[TSIAS]

19. Come on!

I don't think he'll siphon off any of Sanders' support. I like Biden, but he's much closer to Clinton on the issues than Sanders.

The crime bill, voting YES on Iraq, and supporting the bankruptcy bill are hardly enticing to most Sanders voters.

[KMOD]

21. The polls tell a different story though.

The undecided vote is very low. Which means most polled Democrats are already firm in their candidate.

There are three different factions in our party this year. Those who are supporting HRC, those who are anybody but HRC, and those who think most Democrats are the same as Republicans. The first and third group won't change their support, but the anybody but HRC will join the Biden vote, and that group currently backs Sanders.

[Garrett78]

43. Biden would clearly take more votes from Clinton

It's completely illogical to suggest that a big name party establishment candidate would do more damage to Sanders than to the other big name party establishment candidate.

Biden would only hurt Sanders in that Sanders would get even less media coverage. But there's no doubt Biden would draw more support from Clinton than from Sanders. Enough to make Sanders the nominee? Not even close. But it's crazy to think he'd actually take more votes from Sanders. Pure lunacy.

Lastly, people need to stop thinking DU is representative of the population as a whole. It isn't. Most people don't pay close attention to politics and follow the Cult of Personality instead.

[KMOD]

44. illogical? crazy? lunacy?

Boy aren't you a treat to converse with.

[Garrett78]

45. I guess I'm amazed...

by the lack of logic that I see expressed repeatedly at this site. Sorry for being so harsh, but it really doesn't make any sense to think an establishment candidate will take more votes from the non-establishment candidate than from the other establishment candidate. Logic 101.

[KMOD]

46. I explained my reasoning.

I'm sorry you don't agree and find it illogical. I stand by it.

[Garrett78]

47. The primary reason Biden would jump in the race..

is the perception that Clinton is faltering and isn't electable on account of being polarizing and surrounded by scandal. That perception, right or wrong, is the dominant factor. Just because DU Clinton supporters, by and large, wouldn't switch doesn't mean diddly about the population as a whole.

[KMOD]

48. That perception is BS spin.

Biden is being pressured by his backers to run. Since he's VP, I'm certain he has considered it. However, he very clearly stated yesterday that his heart and soul is not up for it. I don't believe he will run. People are using this storyline as just another way to bash HRC. Biden and HRC are very close, and are very good friends.

[Garrett78]

49. As I said, right or wrong, that's clearly the perception.

Perception can be wrong but it's still perception. And perception is as good as reality. I'm also leaning toward the idea that Biden won't run, but that's beside the point.

[Juicy_Bellows]

25. Yep.

Sanders supporters aren't going anywhere except perhaps to Warren if she ran. Other than that, I think we're about as steadfast as a politician could want.

[NanceGreggs]

35. "Sanders supporters aren't going anywhere ...

... except perhaps to Warren if she ran."

That kind of takes the piss out of Bernie being the be-all and end-all, doesn't it?

IOW, I'm a staunch BS supporter and believe he is the bestest candidate evah - unless someone else comes along, in which case I'll think they're the best candidate evah!

[Juicy_Bellows]

37. I said perhaps some would as Warren is popular.

I'm all in for Bernie and I don't do binary thinking very well. Cheers!

[NanceGreggs]

41. Well, in fact ...

... there's no "perhaps" about it. Quite a number of DUers posted that if Biden entered the race - with Warren as his VP - they would switch their support.

And let's keep in mind that Biden would not be "announcing" Warren as his VP choice - but many here were willing to switch their allegiance based on that unsubstantiated rumour alone.

Ya know, it's almost as though there were RW trolls here who were promoting the idea that a further divide among Democrats - i.e. HRC v Sanders being split into HRC v Sanders v Biden supporters - would be a grand idea.

But, of course, this is a Democratic site - so such a thing would never be condoned, no less promoted.

[Juicy_Bellows]

42. I believe that Sanders folks see Hillary and Biden as largely the same.

I know I do. Adding Warren as his VP would do little to muster additional support. By the time a VP would be announced, convictions are mostly set. Heck, Biden hasn't announced and I doubt he will.

However, I do think he is being kept in the DNC bullpen on the chance Hillary blows out her arm.

She's got a good, well-funded arm though. Cheers!

[Autumn]

11. Will her “Hillblazers” pass down to we little people her

regular policy briefings via conference calls with Jake Sullivan so we know what her policy will be?

[in_cog_ni_to]

22. Of course!

They'll let us know after she's elected...

[tularetom]

32. She's hired Moses to keep us informed with her pronouncements from on high

[Joe the Revelator]

20. Who would have thought that Hillary would spend more time making donors feel better....

instead of actually addressing issues.

[ericson00]

30. the media needs to stop being Gretchen Weiners

Biden is like fetch: he's not going to happen.

[winter is coming]

50. The only person who can end the Biden talk is Biden.

And he hasn't chosen to do so.