Yepsen: Ballot jockeying designed to gang up on Clinton

[rinsd]

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"The guys are figuring "first things first": Let's try a gambit that might trip up the lady. If we don't stop her now, in Iowa, we don't have a chance of our own. Maybe we can get her to do something that will tick off Iowa and New Hampshire Democrats. Let's see if we can force her to pull her name off the Michigan ballot. If she doesn't, maybe the Hawkeyes and Granite Staters will be miffed.

Let's give the lady a little credit for seeing through the maneuver. She is her party's front-runner. She's in the difficult spot of having to worry about winning the nomination and then competing in a general election. She knows a Democrat probably can't win the White House without carrying Michigan. She also knows the state has been beaten down by the crisis in the auto industry. Why pile on?

The betting here is that she won't pay a price in Iowa for leaving her name on the ballot in Michigan - as long as she, her husband and her campaign stay clear of Michigan - and Florida. No Clintonian word games about what constitutes campaigning. No going to Michigan to accept Gov. Jennifer Granholm's expected endorsement.

If they stay away, they won't be seen by Iowans as violating the spirit of the pledge not to campaign in those states. Iowa Democratic activists care a lot more about real issues."

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/OPINION01/710110375/1035/OPINION

There more stuff in the article including some advice to Clinton on campaigning in Iowa