NYT: Clinton Campaign Underestimated Sanders Strengths, Allies Say

[cali]

Advisers to Hillary Clinton, including former President Bill Clinton, believe that her campaign made serious miscalculations by forgoing early attacks on Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and failing to undercut his archliberal message before it grew into a political movement that has now put him within striking distance of beating Mrs. Clinton in Iowa and New Hampshire.

As the Democratic rivals prepare for what is likely to be a contentious televised debate on Sunday night, the Clintons are particularly concerned that her “rational message,” in the words of an aide, is not a fit with a restless Democratic primary electorate. Allies and advisers of the Clintons say Mr. Sanders is clearly connecting with voters through his emotional, inspiring rallying cry that the American economic and political systems are rigged for the wealthy and powerful. By contrast, Mrs. Clinton has been stressing her electability and questioning the costs of Mr. Sanders’s ideas.

But Mrs. Clinton’s problems are broader than just her message: Opinion polls show that some Democrats and other voters continue to question her trustworthiness and whether she cares about their problems. Recent polls show that her once-formidable lead over Mr. Sanders in Iowa has all but vanished, while he is holding on to a slight lead over her in New Hampshire.

Several Democratic leaders agreed, saying the Clinton campaign underestimated Mr. Sanders from the start. They argued that Mrs. Clinton and her advisers should have competed against him more aggressively, in debates and on the campaign trail, rather than appear so sharply negative with their recent attacks, which have given the campaign a jumbled feeling heading into the first voting states. Even Chelsea Clinton jabbed at Mr. Sanders, an unusual move given that relatives are traditionally used in campaigns to soften a politician’s image.

<snip>>

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/us/politics/hillary-clinton-regrets-not-attacking-bernie-sanders-earlier-her-allies-say.html

[cantbeserious]

1. When We Stand Together - No Citizen Need Settle For The Lesser Of Two Corporate Evils - Go Bernie Go

eom

[haikugal]

3. +1,000,000!!!! nt

[Qutzupalotl]

9. That's being taken care of.

[cosmicone]

13. That is the 2173rd time you have posted that stale line. n/t

[cherokeeprogressive]

32. And it's the two thousand one hundred seventy third time I've enjoyed it.

[thereismore]

35. I never get tired of it. Go Bernie! nt

[Jackilope]

19. Amen! No reason to settle for corporate evil with either a D or R!

I smile every time I read this.

[lewebley3]

22. Go HIllary: Sanders promises are like Trumps: he cannot breakup banks and

he has not plans, votes or money to do it with.

[roguevalley]

31. she's waited so long she let history and momentum overtake her. Her attacks now reek

of desperation because she waited too long to begin them. Before, they would have been rough and tumble politics. Now they're desperation driven by despair and sinking poll numbers. She didn't learn a thing after 2008. Nothing and I believe its too late to repair or change the impression. She will raise her negatives now with the botched effort preceding the debate and its her own fault. she lost her window.

NO NEED TO SETTLE is a great line.

[Live and Learn]

2. As did many Hillary supporters on DU. nt

[Segami]

4. "Serious miscalculations"......

Last edited Sat Jan 16, 2016, 03:49 PM - Edit history (1)

Am I going to see James Carville sport the studio trash can once again?......

[demwing]

5. You can't say he didn't warn them...

[appalachiablue]

16. Bernie said he was a LONG DISTANCE RUNNER in his youth, quietly in a TV interview early on.

I took note. That kind of stamina, endurance and pace would slay people half his age.

[lewebley3]

23. We dont underestimate Sanders losing 49 states : he is McGovern and Mondale

[Metric System]

6. Now they love the corporate media and trust everything reported!

[cali]

7. No. I'm judicious. Simple as that. I read a piece and

judge it on it's merits.

[lewebley3]

24. Sanders people Hippocrates: but the Ny times is a rag: printed

stories about Hilary's emails that were false.

[Lucky Luciano]

28. What do Sanders people have to do with becoming be medical doctors? nt

[cui bono]

40. I know Hillary supporters keep asking us to take an oath...

but the Hippocratic Oath? That's above my pay grade.

.

[Gregorian]

8. And that's after Bernie told everyone not to underestimate him.

Hmm, that seems to remind me of another time she didn't listen to someone. Hans Blix said there were no wmd's, but I'm digressing.

[peacebird]

34. ^^^this!^^ goes to judgement required of a potus. Bernie got it right. Hillary blew it.

[antigop]

10. it shows how out of touch she is with people who have been screwed by the status quo.

Is Mark Penn advising her?

[Howler]

11. Over estimated her electability

As well as underestimated Bernie Sanders.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. They believe they should have attacked earlier???

[cui bono]

41. That was what struck me too.

.

[Kall]

14. The sad thing

is that they think their problem was in not attacking Bernie Sanders early on. Their problem was in not developing a message or excitement for the people an honourable person like Bernie Sanders speaks to, and trying to win by attacking a good man rather than develop a campaign message and policies designed to earn it.

The Clintons attacked Bernie dishonestly for supposedly wanting to dismantle Medicare and take millions and millions and millions' of peoples' health care away, in order to fear-monger some poorly informed votes for themselves. I will remember that, and so will a legion of people.

[MisterP]

17. "we should have had MORE thumbs on the scales!"

from NYT comments

It's a sad commentary that Hilary Clinton's campaign sees her mistake as a failure to "undercut" Bernie Sanders, rather than a failure to realize just how desperately many people are seeking what Bernie has to offer. She had a lot of time to get out in front of that parade.

[tex-wyo-dem]

26. Wish I could Rec your post...

Spot on!

Clinton campaign JUST.DOESN'T.GET.IT

[magical thyme]

37. + million. Not only not develop a message, but not develop policy plans that would attract people

other than the 1%!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

42. Their message was "Ready for Hillary?"....

If you weren't than there was something wrong with you.

[Helen Borg]

15. What will Hillary morph into now?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

44. Be afraid.

[NRaleighLiberal]

18. "rational message" as in "shut up, vote for me and be satisfied with what you have"?

no thanks!

[thesquanderer]

20. They say that HILLARY set the debate schedule!

There has been a general assumption here than DWS set the debate schedule--few debates, inconveniently scheduled--to benefit Hillary... with only conjecture that this was done at Hillary's specific request. But at least according to this article, it indeed appears to be the case that it was Hillary's decision to make:

Mrs. Clinton, who entered the race as the prohibitive favorite, played it safe, opting for as few debates as possible, scheduled at times when viewership was likely to be low — like this Sunday at 9 p.m. on a long holiday weekend.

Also of interest:

Mrs. Clinton has been stressing her electability

Yes... and possibly a losing proposition as more polls continue to indicate that Bernie is as strong as she is--if not stronger--in potential November matchups. Which really should not be a surprise. Which brings me to the headline... Yes, she probably underestimated Bernie Sanders' strength, but I think she also underestimated how many people--especally outside the Democratic base--really dislike her. (Has she not seen the favorable/unfavorable polls?) That hurts her electability argument, and for that matter, also hurts her in many of the primaries themselves, since the primaries often permit non-Dems to vote (i.e. they are Open primaries, or people can select/change their party on the day of the primary/caucus itself), which means that appeal to independents and others outside the Dem base can still be a factor even in the primaries. Which I think is actually a good thing, because we *need* appeal outside of the base in order to have a candidate with the best chance to win.

[magical thyme]

36. I read they'd actually wanted only 4 debates and compromised on 6

with most of them set, of course, at times they wouldn't be watched.

So funny that now they suddenly see the need for more debates and more visibility for her to try to beat up Sanders. Amazing. Just amazing.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

43. I thought they only wanted one between her and a pinwheel hat on a stool.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

21. The media articles keep coming

Something must be up

[tom_kelly]

25. But she quotes scripture! n/t

[thereismore]

29. She quotes scripture now? I missed that. nt

[tom_kelly]

38. Yes!

Some reporter said she walked up to him and asked what he was studying. He told her a name and number of some scripture. Apparently she started reciting the whole scripture by heart. It was on DU earlier this week.

[truebluegreen]

27. I wonder if we will suddenly see more debates scheduled.... nt

[Warren DeMontague]

30. It's pretty clear her advisers figured she could just phone it in with a bunch of empty slogans and

soft-focus videos.

Shocking that she should actually have to compete on the basis of actual policy proposals. The nerve!

[WillyT]

33. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[JRLeft]

39. The comments section on that page has some interesting posts.