A five step plan for Hillary
James Forsyth 12:12pm
Joe Klein, a journalist who has covered the Clintons from their first national campaign to what will surely be their last, lays out what Hillary should do if she wants to be VP or merely restore affection for her across the Democratic Party. He suggests that she starts by endorsing Obama tonight and then have her finance people start raising money for him. After that, he thinks she needs to help Obama with the constituencies where she is strongest and he is weakest. So, a few days barnstorming through Ohio, Pennsylvania and the other states where she easily bested him followed by a large-scale, women for Obama rally. Klein also wants Hillary to use her AIPAC speech to reassure Jewish voters that Obama is sound on Israel.
For all the talk that the Clintons will fight on, I have a hunch that Hillary might surprise us tonight. If she doesn’t endorse Obama tonight, she risks being embarrassed as super delegates move decisively to him. By conceding tonight, she at least leaves the race at a time and place of her choosing. It would also do much to mend fences with those the Clintons have rubbed the wrong way during the campaign and win her much praise for staging a dignified exit.
Kevyn Bodman
June 3rd, 2008 2:40pm Report this comment'what will surely be their last' (national campaign) ?
No.
Obama's going to get routed in November.
Hillary will not have ruled out the chance of a run in 2012.
I bet she'll endorse Obama before the convention, do some campaigning for him but with the hope that he'll lose.
She'll be working through the summer and autumn to build up support for a run in 4 years time.
208 weeks is a very long time in politics.
She might not be able to put a campaign together for 2012, but don't think now that she has given up on her ambition to be President.
She'll try to run again, unless Obama somehow wins the general election.Or unless she can't the support in the coming 4 years.
I bet she won't take the second spot on the ticket. VP isn't a proper job.
Martin Adamson
June 3rd, 2008 3:42pm Report this commentAgree with Kevyn. Any Obama defeat, but especially a heavy one, automatically installs HC as the "told you so" front runner for the next time. As far as mending fences is concerned, I am sure that HC will require the people who've "betrayed" her to be the ones getting out the wood, nails and creosote.
Analogous
June 4th, 2008 3:06am Report this commentGuess that didn't happen
Ganpat Ram
June 4th, 2008 10:13am Report this commentEven if Obama wins in 2008, he will lose.
Because he is the kind of guy who talks his way out, who has no long term energy for delivery and no appetite for dull policy detail.
Running a great slick campaign is the only thing he is good at.
When he faces tough problems - jobs, houses, Iraq - people won't settle for slick speeches.
He talkes big, and can only deliver samll.
The disillusionment will be terrible, and will come very soon.
He will be a one-term wonder, with Hillary running again in 2012.
All Hillary has to do now is WAIT.
Back to top