Seems Hillary's attacks on Obama didn't focus group well - Quiet, conversational tone back in effect

[jefferson_dem]

Clinton: Muted, urgent appeal, backing off Obama
by Rick Pearson

DES MOINES — Hillary Clinton returned Friday night to the same high school where she kicked off her campaign last January, but spoke in much quieter tone to explain to Iowans why she needed them to show up for her on caucus night.

Attending a rally of a couple of hundred people at the city's East High School, the Democratic presidential contender was joined by her mother, Dorothy Rodham, at a "Take Your Buddy to Caucus" event.

On Jan. 27 of this year, her kickoff event was entitled "Let the Conversation Begin" and the crowd was estimate that day at more than 2,500 people.

But on Friday night she spoke in a low conversational speech with a hidden urgency that struck an empathetic tone with potential caucusgoers. In sharp contrast to the much louder tones she has used in the past week, she did not mention or criticize her chief rival, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

In her talk, she chided the Bush administration for its handling of the sub-prime mortgage crisis and the failure to regulate lenders who awarded adjustable-rate mortgages to people who couldn't afford to pay them off.

"It's not going to help enough people. It's too little and too late. So that's why we need a president again who wakes up every day thinking about what really goes on in America," she said.

Rather than attempt to draw a direct contrast with Obama on the issue of experience, as she has done in previous weeks, she noted that she has experience from traveling the world as a former first lady, attending conferences in which she represented the United States.

<SNIP>

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/clinton_muted_urgent_appeal_ba.html

[DemocratSinceBirth]

1. As I Predicted Several Days Ago...

They should let me run her campaign... I'd do a better job than Penn...

[Adelante]

4. You really would, it's true nt

[geek tragedy]

8. If she loses, Penn and what he represents will be the reason.

Does anyone outside of her inner circle think Penn is an asset to her campaign or the party as a whole?

[MannyGoldstein]

14. But Her Campaign Is Perfect. Flawless.

How many times have I read that?

[geek tragedy]

16. Not recently you haven't.

Easy to run a flawless campaign when you're up 25 points in the national polls.

[sandnsea]

12. Hell I would and I don't even like her

Has there been anybody worse for a campaign than Penn? I don't think so.

[creeksneakers2]

28. Me too! n/t

[BeyondGeography]

2. Another day, another strategy

[emilyg]

10. So unlike Obama

:sarcasm:

[sandnsea]

13. Completely unlike Obama n/t

[Progress And Change]

15. good one

:spray:

[jefferson_dem]

18. Indeed.

Some supporters can't resist projecting their own candidate's deficiencies onto others.

[Progress And Change]

25. my how things change...

Mark Penn, a Clinton pollster, criticized Obama for not detailing his position on the war and voting for Iraq appropriations. "Senator Clinton has taken responsibility for her vote," Penn said. "I think the voters are smart enough to get the full records of the candidates."

But David Axelrod, a top Obama strategist, told Penn that Obama is being cautious about an Iraq withdrawal strategy and chided Penn for attacking a Democratic comrade. "Are we going to spend the next 10 months savaging each other?" Axelrod said.


http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/03/20/obamas_record_shows_caution_nuance_on_iraq/

[Progress And Change]

3. or maybe her internal polling is showing she does not need to be as aggressive now?

[Capn Sunshine]

20. Her internal polling showed she lost ground trying that aggressive tack

In fact, she's been going backwards since her campaign in Iowa got underway.
That's because this particular group of geniuses has that unique ability so prevalent inside the beltway; the ability to turn off the general public at ground level.

Take a good look at the next three weeks, and when they try the chicanery and dirty tricks we know are coming remember this gang took a 30 point lead and was able to lose a close election/caucus.

Then ask yourself, do you want to WIN in November 08?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

26. You're Making Stuff Up

Why would you do that?


Here's Iowa polling going all the way back to 10/12/06... She never had anything close to a thirty point lead but John Edwards did:



http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/ia/iowa_democratic_caucus-208.html#polls

[creeksneakers2]

29. She doesn't need internal polling

In the Rasmussen national daily poll, she fell from 43% on 11/20 to 33% on 12/06. The timing and the problem wasn't hard to spot. I'm glad her advisers can see their own mistakes though. That wasn't the case with Kerry's team.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/daily_presidential_tracking_polling_history

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. I Really Thought Bill Clinton's "It's Not About Me , It's About You" Theme Worked Well

DSB

[Capn Sunshine]

24. I LOVED that theme

if only they had meant it, in the long run

[Zueda]

6. I think she is conceding...

and does not want to tarnish the true eventual nominee.

[Perry Logan]

7. I think she's sparing the little guy.

[Inuca]

23. I am not into polls, else

I would start one to coronate the most offensive Hillary supporter here. "Little guy" :puke: ...

[Cameron27]

9. It didn't work,

and if she wants to stay viable, her campaign better try a different strategy.

[Adelante]

17. I was hoping for a couple more weeks

Say until just before Christmas. But I didn't really think it would happen. :D

[TeamJordan23]

11. Not a surprise. nm

[Bitwit1234]

19. Nothing stops Obama's attacks on Clinton tho.

and the most asinine is he keeps harping about the Kyl-Liberman resolution. When first he didn't vote. And second Hillary did not say attack Iran, and third Obama gave an interview to the Chicago Tribune where he said HE WOULD BOMB IRAN...I have posted the link four times.

[Capn Sunshine]

21. Post that link again

so we can all re-read the actual CONTEXT of that statement.
Which of course, is that with the evidence and intel and diplomatic circumstance having exhausted everything else, as President he would surely bomb if he felt it would do some good.

[hedgehog]

32. So, you're comparing a statement made three years ago the week Iran announced

it was enriching uranium in which Obama said he would use force as a last resort to balance Sneator Clinton's vote on Kyl-Liberman?

[cuke]

22. She learns from her mistakes

Better than those who continue to mimic the right wing. Sooner or later, that's gonna bite back, and it's going to hurt

[BootinUp]

27. Lets see what she's got in the home stretch

I predict she will do well.

[Renew Deal]

30. I've attended many technology conferences. I should be the new CEO of Microsoft.

:shrug:

[MGKrebs]

31. I don't think it's any mystery that negative campaigning only works

in the short term. Candidates do it because it works, but you can't do it for very long without damaging yourself as well. It's tricky though, because you also have to respond to attacks.

So it's not a change in strategy, it's just the next page in the playbook.
This was just a skirmish. We will probably see it again in the final week before the Iowa caucus.