Hillary's only hope: Vicious mudslinging

[theboss]

From a purely political standpoint, Hillary can no longer win this on the "issues."

First of all, there is not enough difference between the candidates to really make up a lot of ground on an issues-oriented campaign. Secondly, you don't make up a lot of ground in general on "issues" unless you are pushing a really radical concept - a Jerry Brown flat tax type of issue (Remember '92? I do).

So, if I'm Hillary's campaign advisor, I take her in a dark room, put on my Death Eater's mask, and let her know her options. She can either get a little nasty and lose or get a narrow, ultimately useless win in Texas and Ohio.....or get really really really ugly and maybe get a bigger win that gives her some real traction.

I'd run an Obama's soft on drugs because Obama did drugs ad tomorrow in Cincinatti.

(PS I'm an Obama supporter. But I'm also an attorney. I'm trained to think for both sides).

[ingac70]

1. I think the mudslinging she has done so far...

has blown up in her face. But if she wants to step it up a notch, then I think she should knock herself out (of the race, through huge margin losses).

[MannyGoldstein]

3. Wisconson, For Example

Obama snagged the vast bulk of late-deciders - Clinton's crap lost her a lot of votes.

[ericgtr]

7. Yeah that hasn't worked out too well for her yet

but I am sure we'll see more and I agree, she has absolutely nothing else to run on with any sort of legs. A lot of her supporters will assert that she does have some sound policies and I will agree to an extent but so far it hasn't given her any traction.

[theboss]

There were weak silly attacks

She needs to get down and ugly.

[cali]

12. like what?

down and ugly stands a very good chance of boomeranging on her.

[theboss]

15. She ain't gonna win being pretty

I don't know. I'd be tempted to play the "How do we know he's not a Muslim?" card.

The question she needs to ask herself, how bad do you want to win this?

[cali]

19. I can't imagine a worse approach

The media would tear her apart in way that would make their treatment of her to date, look gentle. And SDs would flee. She's just not good at this stuff.

[theboss]

22. I'm not saying it's a great option

I think it's her only option.

[cali]

23. I think what you're saying is that she's run out of options

and I see her only hope as being shredding him in the debates.

[theboss]

27. I don't think enough people watch debates

The most disastrous debate performance in American history was Reagan's first debate with Mondale. And he won in a laugher.

As far as I can tell, the only debate that ever changed anything was 1960 and that was for reasons well beyond simply issues.

[Yupster]

28. And then there were Bush's debate performances

and it didn't seem to hurt him either.

[JeanGrey]

25. Yeah she needs to continue to sling mud.

That'll help! NOT

[babylonsister]

2. She's not done yet, but that's okay. She won't win, and that's okay also. nt

[HeraldSquare212]

4. The superdelegates will abandon her if she does that.

My guess is she's already been warned quite explicitly, and the finance issue was pretty close to the line - validating the Rep nominee attack has to lose you a lot of friends on the Dem side.

[backscatter712]

8. The big donors will also likely abandon her.

It's only a matter of time before Clinton's campaign runs out of gas...

[HeraldSquare212]

16. Right, and that's probably more important.

[GarbagemanLB]

5. Every attack only strengthens Obama's message of change and draws clearer distinctions between them

[sjdnb]

6. Well, I'm glad your not my attorney because, I'd suggest

Hillary just keep putting out the truth -- the fact that she actually has concrete plans and policies, while Obama's are fluff sprinkled with fairy dust (rhetorical speeches).

[Renew Deal]

9. I think Obama should throw a bucket of shit at her tomorrow or Thursday

Something to severely throw them off their game. Maybe it should be next week, but Obama should preemptively put them on the defensive.

[faithfulcitizen]

20. LMAO!

[TexasObserver]

10. Hillary will go negative further. She cannot sell herself. She's in a hole and gonna keep digging

[tularetom]

11. She sucks at the negative campaigning

and her campaign "organization" (a euphemism) is just as weak. Witness the big plagiarism scandal.

soft on drugs won't cut it for her either. She has to eat into Obama's huge lead among younger voters. Think they give a shit if Obama used drugs? Besides her and Bill's record on the use of drugs is a bit murky as well. I think Obama would be well within his rights to turn the question around on her and compare his forthrightness with what would undoubtedly be an evasive and focus group tested non answer from Hillary.

The Obama campaign is far more expert at deflecting these negative attacks than the Clintons expected and the Clinton's campaign is bumbling at best. I'm afraid she is in deep shit and the more crap she tries to fling the more will wind up on her.

[BringBigDogBack]

13. You got it./

Look for more garbage on the horizon.

[Bread and Circus]

14. She has to control the news cycles. Her antics in the past few days...

did that. It may or may not have backfired for her.

But if she can continue to control the newscycles so the idiots parrot her points, then she can do some damage.

Camp Obama is fairly good at controlling the newscycles so lets see what they do.

[theboss]

18. Good point

The conversation needs to change from "10 in a row....10 in a row....10 in a row...."

[madrchsod]

26. that`s why she ran out of wisconsin

and flew to the media center of the world today. she needs to control the media tomorrow morning to cover up her disaster in wisconsin.

[faithfulcitizen]

17. And she's had 35 years of "experience".

[SoCalDem]

21. I would advise her to hold on to her dignity, and bow out

while there is still a shred of "legacy" left for the Clinton adminsitration.

They endured a brutal decade, and left office with high approval ratings. Those high approvals did not automatically mean that it was her "turn", or that we wanted another Clinton admin.. It just meant that we liked them,. and were pleased with the stewardship they provided us all.

If she wanted to be a senator, that was just fine with us..and BC kept the patina of excellence, and was on his way to even higher ratings as an ex-president..

and now...

they are in the process of throwing it all away and appearing to be petty and two-faced.

BC's approval from black people is all but thrown under the bus, and I'm not sure he can ever get that back..

Instead of pushing her on to the stage, he should have his hand on Obama's shoulder and out there being HIS champion.. That would be more believable (based on what he's told us all these years)..

Snide, quasi-racist comments from him , does her no good and it sure tarnishes his reputation..,

[madrchsod]

24. going negative will not help anyone

but the cable news talking assholes