Ace of Spades HQ

September 07, 2008

Clinton Insider: "We're not going to be anyone's attack dog against Sarah Palin"
— Ace

I hate to keep making this point, but Obama's spectacularly failed his first attempt at diplomacy. Someone who should be your ally who nevertheless only helps half-heartedly and works against your interests behind your back? Hey, Obama -- Hillary is France. And you seem to have had just as much success with Hillary-France as Bush did with real-France.

The article has several choice nuggets in it apart from the lede:

Although she is 60 and unlikely to have another shot at the White House, Clinton is apparently concerned that she would appear ungenerous to the Republicans' first female vice-presidential candidate if she were to go after her.
It is a rationale that will fuel the belief - lingering among Democrats since Al Gore's failed 2000 presidential run - that the Clintons always put themselves before their party.
...
Her refusal to roll up her sleeves against Palin, who describes herself as "a pit bull with lipstick", has already come under questioning by Democratic apparatchiks. "The strategic imperative right now is to do something about Palin and prevent her cutting through the race," said Democratic strategist Tad Devine.
...
Attacking Palin represents an even more slippery challenge for Obama.
Just before Palin's selection, David Plouffe, Obama's astute campaign manager, looked at the electoral map of the US and declared the national polls less important than the 18 battleground states where Obama had the ground troops, enthusiasm and money to win.
Palin's emergence has upset those calculations and forced the Obama campaign for the first time to re-examine its successful campaign tactics. Obama now has a great need to drive up voter turnout among black people and the young, while staunching defections to McCain from blue-collar workers and women.

I've cut a lot from the article, but Hillary will be campaigning for Obama; just not play the role of an anti-Palin attack dog. In one bit I liked, Obama asked Hillary to campaign like crazy in Ohio and Pennsylvania, which he needs, and Hillary said, Sure, I'll do that, in between campaigning in Texas, where you have no chance of winning but where I have big donors to help retire my debt.

Hint, hint.

Former top Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson also says it's not going to happen, because... it wouldn't be classy, or... something.

For whatever unfortunate reasons, editors and news executives are convinced that two women fighting sells magazines and attracts eyeballs. You can imagine the thinking....if Angelina Jolie vs Jennifer Aniston and Britney Spears vs Christina Aguilera sell copies, what could be better than Hillary Clinton vs Sarah Palin?
Don't hold your breath. It's not going to happen.
It's not in Hillary Clinton's interest, and its certainly not in the interest of Barack Obama and the Democratic party.
You may not remember, but Hillary Clinton is at her best staying positive and contrasting with her opponents on issues...
Democrats are running against John McCain, not Sarah Palin. Running against Gov. Palin instead of Senator McCain would be a mistake...
Clinton-Palin might drive ratings and sell magazines, but it wouldn't be good for the Democratic party, or the cause of women's rights. Some might enjoy the spectacle, but don't expect Hillary Clinton to play along. Hillary Clinton has spent a lifetime resisting quick and easy stereotypes, and she's not about to stop now.

You'd have to think that if money could fix this Obama would have just given her a couple of suitcases of cash by now. He's got a couple of hundred million, after all.

End of the 57 State Strategy: Barack Obama promised to compete in 57 states (50, 57, whatever it takes), but is now cutting all spending in all the states you'd figure he'd lose.

A bit of reinforcement for the above article's point about Obama reevaluating his whole strategy for the first time.

Thanks to CJ.

Posted by: Ace at 07:55 PM | Comments (68)
Post contains 668 words, total size 4 kb.

1 The Messiah's miracle powers are lagging these days.

Posted by: Christoph at September 07, 2008 07:57 PM (hawOV)

2 Race card throwing begins in 3......2......1.......

Posted by: rockmom at September 07, 2008 07:59 PM (iZqUY)

3 Obama: sinking ship
Hillary: rats fleeing

Posted by: Purple Avenger at September 07, 2008 07:59 PM (6L459)

4 After reading Patterico, I'm not sure Obama can spare the money needed to retire her debts.

Posted by: Eleanor Clift at September 07, 2008 08:01 PM (wgLRl)

5 "After reading Patterico, I'm not sure Obama can spare the money needed to retire her debts."

He should do it anyway and let her majestic fund raising power come to his aid.

Snicker, snicker.

Posted by: Christoph at September 07, 2008 08:03 PM (hawOV)

6 I can think of no reason why anyone would believe that the Clintons put themselves ahead of the party. None at all!

And, seriously, did Obama really think this would end any other way? This is a completely fair point, it was obvious that insulting Hillary by not even pretending to vet her would lead to her sweetly knifing him in the chest. If he couldn't recognize that, how can he deal with Iran, North Korea, etc.

Posted by: alexthechick at September 07, 2008 08:03 PM (ByYTn)

Does the DemSM really want a catfight?

From the guys catfight fantasies, the girls end up making out after the fight..

Posted by: KBDaBear at September 07, 2008 08:04 PM (miw86)

I'm laughing my ass off at these last few posts. Once I was playing Sims and got bored, so I walled up a family of eight with standing-room only. They waved their arms, shrieked, pissed themselves, got into slapfights, and eventually all announced they were running away. Then they stood there with their little packs slung over their shoulders, sobbing, until they died.

This is how I picture Obama HQ.

Posted by: Rebekah at September 07, 2008 08:04 PM (Hjij/)

9 You can just SEE the wheels coming off.

Posted by: someone at September 07, 2008 08:06 PM (2z2WN)

10 Obama is meeting with Bill Clinton on Thursday for lunch to discuss price according to the New York Times. Don't be fooled, once the cash has been passed Bill and Hillary will be Obamatrons. I don't really see how that helps though, there is too much video on both of them trashing Obama. I have faith in Americans as they have already made the media back off.

Posted by: robtr at September 07, 2008 08:09 PM (C6ME0)

11 By Thursday it may be too late. Though Bill will still wheedle the cash out of him...

Posted by: The Obvious at September 07, 2008 08:11 PM (1g+FW)

12 Oh, holy crap, I think I've just gone into diabetic shock from all of this sweet, sweet schadenfreude.

I'm beginning to feel like Augustus Gloop.

Posted by: DelD at September 07, 2008 08:13 PM (FDAHM)

Ace,

You forget McCain and hillary have a good friendship. they both respect each other. You add in the MCain friendship, the popularity of Palin with women across the country, the relationship of the media and the rest of the country right now and the backlash the media has taken over Palin and Hillary might just sit it out and talk with Mccain about the Sec of helth and human services gig in McCain's admin along side Liberman.

Posted by: unseen at September 07, 2008 08:17 PM (aVGmX)

14 Oh, and meanwhile, tickets to see Slow Joe are still available.

Posted by: DelD at September 07, 2008 08:18 PM (FDAHM)

15 The ground game Obama has planned is expensive.
He doesn't have the money to pay the Clinton's.
And the Clinton's wouldn't really help him if they could.
Hell, I doubt if Obama was on fire Hillary! would whip out her dick and piss on the poor little bastard.

Posted by: Nom de Blog at September 07, 2008 08:18 PM (14k+t)

16 @13: Actually, I wouldn't be entirely upset if McCain offered a Sec. of State gig to Hillary. HHS? Hell no.

Posted by: DaveS at September 07, 2008 08:21 PM (pGdsh)

17 There's something more important at work here. Hillary is looking at what historians will say. Everyone who has given Palin a cheap shot has come out looking worse for the wear. Hillary spent a long time swallowing her pride with Bill...so to speak...and is not going to give up her cred as the first serious female candidate for President for some Chicago Playah.

Posted by: Quilly Mammoth at September 07, 2008 08:27 PM (ztYQR)

18 She'll do minimal, whatever she absolutely has to in order to not be seen as torpedoing the BO bandwagon.

The Dems molested the doggie this election, shoulda been Hilly with BO as Veep. They coulda won with that, I think. Too bad they hate each other, huh?

Posted by: mojo at September 07, 2008 08:27 PM (X19ob)

19 I really hope that the Palins have first-rate secret service protection at this point.

Posted by: Kensington at September 07, 2008 08:37 PM (xFNQx)

20 After Palin hit the scene, who wants Ms Orange Pantsuit, anymore?

Put a side-by-side pic of Hillary in that Orange pantsuit and Gov Palin during her speech. One of them looks sexy smart, and the other one looks like she smells like mothballs.

Posted by: Bart at September 07, 2008 08:41 PM (h66Dm)

21
Hey, Hillary's guy gave them good advice: "Democrats are running against John McCain, not Sarah Palin. Running against Gov. Palin instead of Senator McCain would be a mistake..."

No shit. But ya know what? McCain didn't insult Obama and make it hurt. Sarah stung and now Obama needs to hit back. Not for electoral campaign reasons, just he can't take it.

You can control this man with ridicule and McCain and everyone else knows it.

Fucking liberals. So obsessed with their own smarts they can't realize how fucking dim they really are.

Posted by: Ronsonic at September 07, 2008 08:46 PM (ywSvi)

22 Given what a strange election cycle this has been, I can't say I would be greatly shocked if Hillary endorsed McCain in a few weeks. She has little chance of another shot at the White House and still has a score to settle with Obama and the DNC elites.

Posted by: Travis at September 07, 2008 08:50 PM (/XCyf)

23 You guys really need to check out that British guy (?) in the "Top Headlines" sidebar.

WTF? Did Michael Jackson and Roddy McDowell have a genetically bastard offspring or something?

Posted by: Dead Career Sketch at September 07, 2008 08:57 PM (5Psnq)

24 "Fucking liberals. So obsessed with their own smarts they can't realize how fucking dim they really are."

Are you right about that! A cursory look at various lefty message boards tonight shows two themes occurring over and over with regard to the latest polls:

1. Bitter denial because the American people can't be that stupid; and

2. Bitter panic because the American people are really stupid.

There is no self-reflection, no consideration that things might be more complicated than "those who disagree with liberalism are stupid". None whatsoever.

Oh how I'd love to drink the sweet, sweet tears of their bitter disappointment come election night. Please, lord.

Posted by: Kensington at September 07, 2008 08:57 PM (xFNQx)

25 Travis, she can't do that because (a) she'll need the Donks to sustain the Senate seat she intends now to occupy until she dies, and (b) if McCain can win the presidency at 72, then Hillary can certainly try again in four years. She won't be too old.

Posted by: Kensington at September 07, 2008 08:59 PM (xFNQx)

26 There's only two 'good' scenarios for Hilary - Obama wins and proves to be James Earl Carter III, or McCain wins and Palin proves incapable of filling his shoes. In other words, Hilary really needs an open race in four years.

An Obama win followed by anything better than a completely inept term leaves him with the nomination in 2012, and 2016 is a long way off.

A McCain win and four years of Palin looking like top-ticket material means 2020 (and that's assuming McCain does not run for a second term) before the Democrats can contemplate the Oval Office again.

Posted by: mrkwong at September 07, 2008 09:12 PM (G8Eo0)

27 Obama: "Please, Auntie Hillary! Make the mean girl stop beating me up!"

Hillary: "Barry, you should've thought of that before you pulled her hair. Don't come running to me with your bloody nose. I've got no sympathy."

Posted by: Dead Career Sketch at September 07, 2008 09:13 PM (5Psnq)

28 Hillary is smart enough to see how attacking Palin has harmed many in the media and Obama by association. Hillary won't let herself be seen as Obama's surrogate.

She gave a great speech, and that's more than owed and all democrats will recall in a few years. They will believe that Obama's caucus tricks cost their party the white house if they lose.

Posted by: Shill at September 07, 2008 09:17 PM (8jYMc)

29 Kensington I am not so sure she needs the DNC as much as we might imagine. Lieberman didn't. The current elite within the DNC are far to the left of her and Bill and unless that changes, they will not be supporting her or Bill without some kind of palace coup. She has to lead that, or change the game. Also she is a woman and she is less likely to be elected to the Presidency than a man of the same age. In four years there will be new players we cannot forsee and its long odds the DNC will look to her failed bid in 08 for the next batch.

Posted by: Travis at September 07, 2008 09:33 PM (/XCyf)

30 One thing I've never seen pointed out about the 57-state-gaffe is that Obama is a member of the US Senate! How many Senators are there in the Senate, Senator? How many Senators are there from Illinois, Senator? Didn't they teach you how to do simple division in the 4th grade, Senator? Maybe that's why he picked Biden - that guy can really count to 100.

Posted by: Walt Pimbley at September 07, 2008 09:39 PM (9tBfk)

31 I lover this He smugly declined to pay her debt and did not even "vet" (which only matters to her insiders - Hill is quiet vetted politically speaking ) her for his veep pick. Anyone recall the letter McCain wrote a number of years ago calling Obama out as a disingenuous asshole - reneging on legislation that Obama sought Mccain on? A year into his tenure on Capitol Hill, Barack Obama (D-Ill.) approached John McCain on the Senate floor to propose the two work together on a lobbying and ethics reform bill. The four-term Arizona Republican, 25 years Obama's senior, quickly saw a willing apprentice to help shake up the way business was done on Capitol Hill. "I like him; he's probably got a great future. We can do some work together," McCain confided to his top staffer. Instead, what began as a promising collaboration between two men bent on burnishing their reformist credentials collapsed after barely a week. The McCain-Obama relationship came undone amid charges and countercharges, all aired publicly two years ago in an exchange of stark and angry letters. Obama questioned whether McCain sided with GOP leaders rather than searching for a bipartisan solution; McCain accused Obama of "typical rhetorical gloss" and "self interested partisan posturing" by a newcomer seeking to ingratiate himself with party leaders. "Please be assured I won't make the same mistake again," McCain wrote Obama on Feb. 6, 2006. It was the first, and only, time the two ever tried extensively working together. Obama stiffs and sticks the knige in the back, and so Madame Hillary says FU.

Posted by: topsecretk9 at September 07, 2008 09:46 PM (Om2yS)

32 TSK9,

Worth pointing out in the above story is that the 'bipartisan' legislation that Obama wanted Mccain to sign onto had zero republicans signed onto it (at least at the time Obama brought it to Mccain). Mccain's bill was indeed bipartisan. So Obama simply lied, but in an obnoxious question format. Obama was a junior Senator who was probably pushed into supporting his party elders, and had he told Mccain the truth about it, I bet Mccain would have accepted the realities of DC. Instead, Obama attacked Mccain as a GOP hack, a ridiculous smear.

Had Mccain run against Hillary, who he seems to like (bizarrely), I don't think he's be fighting this hard. Mccain genuinely dislikes Obama, and he's been playing this game extremely hard and well. Other than Mccain being too moderate, I was worried he's be another tame Bob Dole. I was wrong.

Posted by: Shill at September 07, 2008 10:17 PM (8jYMc)

33 Let's see, by the time Palin's out of office it'll be at least 2020, if not 2024. But I think Hillary could still take another shot at it, given advances in medical technology and the fresh blood of enough virgins.

Posted by: Jim Treacher at September 07, 2008 10:32 PM (NV3P1)

34 End of the 57 State Strategy

Who is foolish enough to give Senator Obama any more money after he wasted the earlier donations on an arrogant 50-state strategy? His early financial advantage is gone because of poor management.

This is the man who says his sole executive experience is running the presidential campaign--which is terribly mismanaged, at least fiscally.

Obama made unrealistic promises about competing in every single state, because he's such an arrogant dweeb--and now he can't pay the bill.

That's exactly what we can expect in an Obama administration: wasteful spending on arrogant, grandiose projects--and then he will come back and ask us for more money.

Too bad he broke his promise re: public financing. If he had done that, and not gone off on this stupid strategy, he wouldn't be in such dire straits now financially.

Posted by: Daryl Herbert at September 07, 2008 10:55 PM (YvLui)

35 2020 huh? I figure by then its a sure thing we'll have flying cars. Well, I will.

Posted by: fredras at September 07, 2008 11:12 PM (1OMSg)

It sure has been a rough couple of weeks for the Messiah and his disciples in the media:

The fumbled roll-out of Joe Biden 2.0

The giant bottomless moneypit in Denver

Palin shows up twelve hours after the most-anticipated boilerplate speech in a gazillion years.

The nutroots and the MSM (but, I repeat myself), caught completely flatfooted, climb onboard every Palin conspiracy theory, and promptly find every one to be just another pie to the face.

OK, I'm bored with this..fast forward to right now

1. Ten point McPalin lead in the latest poll

2. Chris Tingle and Where's Waldo demoted at DNCTV

3. Joe Biden having conversations with a cardboard cutout of John McCain, and himself, but mostly with himself.

4. Barrack Obama requesting permission to deep throat the Sink Emperor, if only he'd make the bad lady stop.

So, what will the slappytits at DU, Kos, and Huffpost do now?

Posted by: A Balrog of Morgoth at September 07, 2008 11:28 PM (wgLRl)

37 You know, I can't help but wonder why the media sees no problem in Obama stating bluntly "we need to get out the black vote". In modern day US politics, we don't even try to hide nor are we surprised by the fact that black people vote for candidates just because they are black. Sigh.

Posted by: Jerry at September 07, 2008 11:32 PM (mzfP0)

"...if money could fix this Obama would have just given her a couple of suitcases of cash by now."

Maybe not. Mrs. Clinton's sole hope of becoming president now lies in a McCain victory. A two-term Obama presidency would mean that her next viable campaign would come at age 69 -- probably a dealbreaker for the Democrats.

Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at September 07, 2008 11:59 PM (GY/ii)

39 I guess then by extension ... Going to war without Hiliary-France is like going deer hunting without your accordion

Posted by: Neo at September 08, 2008 12:13 AM (Yozw9)

40 @37:

Black people can vote???

Posted by: Reagan Smash at September 08, 2008 01:37 AM (aRRWd)

41 Hillary endorses McCain?

The mind boggles...how could this campaign get even more fucked-up?

Pass the vodka.

Posted by: Dr. Remulak at September 08, 2008 01:45 AM (X7GZm)

42 Let me see....

If The One cuts all spending in all states he figures he's going to lose...(you know, in order to make best use of his remaining 1.763 trillion dollar campaign chest). Won't that also liberate Palin/McCain from having to spend money in those states too?

Posted by: DngrMse at September 08, 2008 01:45 AM (u/+56)

43 I think Teddy Kennedy helped stear the bus for Obama (especially in Massholechusetts) and promised him support in the senate once he was elected. So, naturally, the bus is now sinking.

Posted by: TomJW at September 08, 2008 02:46 AM (xRCpL)

44 Obama now has a great need to drive up voter turnout among black people and the young, while staunching defections to McCain from blue-collar workers and women.

Any campaign strategy that is banking on the turnout of "the young" is doomed to failure.

Posted by: DoDoGuRu at September 08, 2008 03:31 AM (xBkZj)

45 Bush rolled over the real France.

Posted by: erp at September 08, 2008 03:38 AM (BDRHK)

46 (50, 57, whatever it takes)

Heh. Nice.

Posted by: Michael Keaton at September 08, 2008 03:39 AM (xWk3U)

47 Hillary to Obama: "I have to wash my hair this fall."

Posted by: A Reasonable Man at September 08, 2008 03:58 AM (xYlaY)

Posted by DoDoGuRu

Any campaign strategy that is banking on the turnout of "the young" is doomed to failure.

True. The Youth Vote won't vote for a perceived loser. In their mythology, it's a waste of time. Their choice would be to "take to the streets" instead.

Except they'll be too busy posting photos of last night's kegger on Face Book.

(Not that there's anything wrong with keggers).

Posted by: SlaveDog at September 08, 2008 04:35 AM (H6Jyg)

49 Obama = Titanic
Hillary = The drunk chef who survived

Posted by: MrsPaulsFishSticks at September 08, 2008 07:46 AM (PBGAP)

#44 Heh. Nice.

Seconded. The only reason I ventured onto this thread was just to say, "I see what you did there."

Kudos on the "Mr. Mom" reference, Ace.

Posted by: Lewis at September 08, 2008 07:54 AM (Y3uPw)

51 A liberal site was talking about helping get out the youth and student vote. I figure flooding the campuses with some really good, inexpensive weed the weekend before the election would crush that plan easily.

Posted by: Have Blue at September 08, 2008 08:01 AM (WuPk/)

52 Vichy Hillary = Victory McCain

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