Thursday, March 13, 2008

So, they're back to arguing 'electability,' then?

Near the end of a truly astonishing couple of weeks during which Hillary Clinton redefined the term "kitchen sink," her effort to win the Democratic nomination has come almost full circle back to the Electability argument - with a twist.  She used to argue that she was the most electable general election candidate in the Democratic field.  Today, her pollster/strategist Mark Penn said to reporters on a conference call that "Senator Obama really can't win the general election."
 
But then, as USA Today's On Politics blog notes, there seemed to arise a problem with message consistency.
 
Later, a reporter asks what he meant. Clinton campaign communications chief Howard Wolfson jumps in to say that "Mark did not say that."
 
Then Penn says that if Obama doesn't win the Pennsylvania primary, it "raises serious questions" about whether he can win the general election.
 

Pick a lane and stay in it, guys.

 

And by the way, if you're going to argue that your  opponent is not electable, it is more  persuasive when that opponent is not beating your candidate in delegates won, in states won, and in the popular vote total, to boot.

1 comments:

billie said...

i find it ironic that obama hasn't played the gender card- but camp clinton has repeatedly gone the race route- through subordinates natch- and the words are left to linger while hillary apologizes with a wink. if her 'experience' can't win her the election- well, isn't this the time to re-evaluate?