Clinton begins regrouping; must fix message and strategy

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Dan Balz's Take
Extended Take: Clinton's Challenges Ahead


A supporter holds a pen and campaign flier, hopefully to be signed by Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton as she makes a campaign stop at the McAllen Convention Center in McAllen, Tex. (AP.)

Hillary Clinton urgently began the regrouping process Wednesday after big losses to Barack Obama in Tuesday's Potomac primaries, sharpening her rhetoric, throwing new television ads on the air in Wisconsin, Texas and Ohio and determined to overcome her rival's organizational edge. But the pummeling she took in Maryland, Virginia and the District raised new questions about her campaign's message and strategy, which Democratic strategists said she must fix if she hopes to slow Obama's growing momentum in time to defeat him in what are now must-win contests in Ohio and Texas on March 4....

If anything conveyed the sense of urgency inside Clinton's headquarters, it was the news from Maggie Williams, Clinton's new campaign manager, during a conference call she and the candidate held with supporters and fundraisers, that a number of staffers had spent the night at the Virginia headquarters. The recent shakeup in her campaign offers Clinton an opportunity to relaunch after what has been a series of defeats, in which Obama has won contests in six consecutive states and the District, with impressive margins and signs that he has begun to expand his coalition. If those patterns take hold in coming contests, Clinton's hopes of winning the nomination will be seriously diminished.

Clinton's first steps toward reversing Obama's momentum came early Wednesday with a release from campaign headquarters of a new ad criticizing her rival for refusing to debate in Wisconsin before next Tuesday's primary. Clinton also signaled a tougher approach toward her rival early Wednesday during a rally in McAllen, Tex. "I am in the solutions business, my opponent is in the promises business," she said. "I think we need answers, not questions." Obama and Clinton have agreed to debates in Texas on Feb. 21 and Ohio on Feb. 26. But the New York senator's advisers are eager to draw Obama into as many joint encounters as possible. They believe that the California debate arrested Obama's growing strength there and helped Clinton win a crucial victory. They now see additional debates as their best opportunity to shift the focus from talk of Obama's gathering momentum to comparisons on matters of substance and readiness.

Clinton's first key decision will be whether she will go all out in Wisconsin between now and Tuesday. The campaign had sent mixed signals, indicating that they regard the real showdowns as Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania's April 22 contest. But she now plans to campaign actively in Wisconsin after stops Wednesday and Thursday in Texas and Ohio. Her husband, former president Bill Clinton, and daughter, Chelsea, also are spending considerable time in the state. Clinton advisers see Wisconsin as unpredictable, with a mix of blue-collar Democrats who should be favorable toward her, and a tradition of independence and liberalism that tilt the state toward Obama. Clinton can ill afford another loss the size of those she suffered on Tuesday. Lopsided victories by Obama not only add to his lead in the delegate hunt, but also create an unmistakable sense of momentum that could overwhelm Clinton on March 4....

Given the favorable coverage Obama is now receiving, exceeding expectations in Wisconsin might prove a moral victory for the embattled Clinton campaign. As one strategist put it: "She needs to get to Wisconsin. She'll probably lose but she needs to lose right."...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/13/extended_take_clintons_challen.html?hpid=topnews