Question: Did HRC paint herself into a corner for tonight's debate?

[yourguide]

So, after HRCs much covered press conference over the mailer flap in which she declared:

"Shame on you Barack Obama, let's meet in Ohio and have a debate about your behavior in this campaign!"

Obviously there is going to be a discussion about campaign behavior at this debate.

The Clinton camp still hasnt denied the Drudge leak from yesterday.

Do you guys think she has herself painted into a corner now. I am sure Russert will push her to answer whether it came from her campaign or not - I think the drudge leak yesterday, due to it's inflammitory nature, will look far worse than any mailer issue.

Thought all?

See any way for her to get out of this?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. I'm sure her advisors have already met to give her the script

I wonder what other little catchy word they will dream up?

[Deep13]

2. How about, "Yes I can!"

:eyes:

[yourguide]

9. Um, ok...

I asked a reasonably thoughtful question, perhaps you could muster a thoughtful answer?

[yourguide]

4. I am just trying to figure out how she could...

possibly get around this.

[tekisui]

13. The only way is if her camaign really had nothing to do with the pics.

If they had any involvement, and Drudge or anyone else has evidence of that, she toast.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

21. in another post on DU the Herald Tribune had some info

not necessarily the photo but they suggested that her campaign were using Drudge.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. don't worry the HRC campaign have something up their sleeve

Obama just has to remain presidential and make Hillary look infantile

[OneMoreDemocrat]

3. Seems like her campaign is attempting to get things all riled up.....

so I'd expect the same from Hillary this evening.

The only thing left for her to do really is to go into attack mode, which she has been doing for the last
couple of days. I would expect tonight's debate to be rather colorful.

[Demeter]

5. She Did That Way Back, Trying to Be "Inevitable"

Because when you are "inevitable", there's nowwhere to go but down.

[jasmine621]

19. She never claimed to be "inevitable" that's what the media labeled her

and it worked! Now people hate Hillary for being "inevitable" though she never claimed that or even acted like she believed it. She has always believe she was the best person for the job and campaigned just like Biden and Dodd and Richardson and Obama in the beginning. It was only the media building up that label so they could work to tear her down from a pedestal she never climbed on herself.

[MoJoWorkin]

48. Umn, do you remember the Katie Couric interview where Hillary kept answering

the question, if you are the nominee, and Hillary kept saying---OH, BUT I WILL BE.

[Window]

55. I'm sorry, but when you're on record as saying things like, "It will

be all over by Feb. 5," Hillary's acting like she's inevitable.

[Deep13]

6. Maybe. Making the campaign itself an issue is always a mistake.

Frankly, no one cares about that.

[yourguide]

14. This is an issue - a big one.

Hypocricy and fear mongering

[Deep13]

25. And you've totally misrepresented HC on both.

Hypocricy is holding others to a higher standard than one holds himself. The funny thing about it is that even if the critic is a hypocrit, he can still be right in his observation. If one robber calls another a thief, he's a hypocrit but is correct, nevertheless.

You only think HC is a hypocrit because you have such an unrealisticly low opinion of her anyway that any criticism she has of O is taken as a personal insult not matter how valid that criticism might be.

And frankly, I am afraid to have a rank amateur as president.

[yourguide]

33. hypocracy

is calling a candidate out on his or her behavior then stooping to a lower level with the drudge leak yesterday.

this will be an issue in tonight's debate - I guarentee it. I am asking how she gets around it.

[samdogmom]

56. Hypocrisy: ranting about Barack "xeroxing" his hope and change theme and then closing with words

borrowed from others.

[papau]

7. Clinton camp still hasnt denied the Drudge leak - wrong - they have denied - they also said that

Obama tries to smear via putting shit out and claiming others are smearing him - well the last part about them saying Obama smears is not true - they are too classy to do that - but the facts do show Obama as the smearer (as the photo published to 400,000 and perhaps seen by 3 million on 2/7 of Obama in a turban - where now Obama camp pretends it was Hillary that put it out just this week).

[tekisui]

22. Individuals within the Clinton camp have denied it. They have not

said that "No Clinton aides sent the email" I fully expect that we will learn soon enough who sent it to Drudge. And, I expect more Clinton staffers to lose their jobs when we find out.

[Alamom]

23. self delete

[Alamom]

27. CNN reported the same this morning. NO Link. Live report. nm

[peaches2003]

51. So Drudge is in on this Obama plot too?

Drudge said it came from the Clinton campaign, so I assume you are saying he is secretly working for Hillary? And her campaign never denied it. Hillary herself said she didn't know about it but can't say what everyone working for her has done.

[Capn Sunshine]

8. Having spent millions this month on advisors

she'll feel obligated to take their bad advice. She's going to come off like the most negative candidate ever. Too bad. If they had let her be herself, if she had ever had the confidence in her own feelings about this, it would have been a far different race.

No one planned on anyone outside the beltway mounting a successful campaign.

[4themind]

10. Well I don't think she can give a similar closing speech..

as last time at this point. Well she could, but I think it would be relatively less effective after this weekend. I think she'll most likely try to box him in and catch with a "gotcha" moment, or hope that he loses his composure at some point, and then try to pounce on that. If I had to bet though, I don't think either will cause any dramatic increase in her poll numbers, but we'll see.

[babylonsister]

11. The m$m this a.m. is asking which Hillary will show up. That

can't be good.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

28. she's used Shock and Awe on us so much that...

she has unnerved many of us.

Which "voice" of Hillary will we hear tonight?

All sweetness and syprup?

Or Caw, caw caw! Shame on you naughty boy!

[hisownpetard]

42. She's become the poster child for multiple personality disorder.

[stevietheman]

79. It's called the "Gore 2000 syndrome", methinks. n/t

n/t

[bunnies]

12. Id say so.

Since she called him out, she'd better be prepared to deliver a smack-down. I dont see how she can play all nicey-nice after that meet me at the bike rack after school bit.

[yourguide]

18. she calls him out, then she is done.

she cant get around the drudge thing. Russert will corner her asking for a straight denial that it came from her campaign.

[bunnies]

30. I really dont think the photo thing will be made into a big issue...

however, Im certain that Hillary's deceptive mailers will be. And if they are, this will be a major problem for her. It'll be interesting to watch.

[yourguide]

37. I do

it was ALL over the media and again really hypocritical considering her "shame on you" diatribe.

[Egnever]

15. The most amazing thing happening in this campaign

Is The Clinton's camp seeming proficiency in setting themselves up over and over. They have fielded an incredible string of attacks that have rebounded and seemed to point out her flaws as much as if not more than Obamas.

[mtnsnake]

17. Hillary now has everything under control. She's going to make Obama get all angry tonight

without raising her voice. Hillary will make people see the other side of Obama tonight when she gets him so perturbed and frustrated that he won't be able to get the words out of his mouth. Wait and see.

[yourguide]

How is she going to do that

and still get around the drudge issue and her throwing down the gauntlet of talking about campaign behavior?

[mkultra]

34. i doubt it

Some articles ive read today point to a clarity withing her campaign regarding the negative attacks. I think that since the xerox comment backfired, she will probably go back to talking about her experience and record and at most draw only mild contrasts between them on policy based issues.


She really needs to stick with policy issues to win this. If she strays into character land, she will get lost again.

[tridim]

36. I've never seen Obama "perturbed and frustrated"

He just doesn't lose his cool.

Your prediction will most likely not occur unless Hillary starts physically slapping his head or something.

[mtnsnake]

49. He did at least once or twice. He was clearly at a disadvantage when he was angry

I think it was Kucinich who got him upset in one of the earlier debates where Obama half lost it and could barely speak his mind.

[ihelpu2see]

39. I put it out there now... If HRC uses the MI and FL delegates to win I will go work for Nader

His health plan is the same as Dennis K's and is the only way to go... Take it from a Dr.

[hisownpetard]

44. Not gonna happen.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

73. The Many Faces of Hillary - Which will it be tonight? You pick:

Angry Hillary x(

Crying Hillary :cry:

Concilatory Hillary :hug:

Nuclear Hillary :nuke:

Serious issue focused hillary :think:

Just can't win Hillary :banghead:

No matter what we'll be ok Hillary :thumbsup:

Scorched earth Hillary :grr:

[Enrique]

20. they did deny it

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-080226-obama-turban,0,2618155.htmlstory

But Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for Hillary Clinton's campaign, said: "I just want to make it very clear that we were not aware of it, the campaign didn't sanction it and don't know anything about it."

[yourguide]

24. Russet will ask her:

Did someone on your campaign send this out. I dont think the non-answers the campaign has issued will not fly on national television during a debate.

[Independent-Voter]

47. Russert's the moderator tonight?! Oh shit, she's all kind of screwed.

Tim, for whatever foilables he has, will not go for her smarmy shit. The same for Obama if he squirms out too much.

[tridim]

57. If Hillary can't handle a lightweight like Russert, no way she can handle the GOP machine. nt

[Enrique]

69. you're welcome

I'm sure you appreciate my providing you with information you didn't have, i.e. the Clinton campaign's denial. No problem! :hi:

[tekisui]

29. But, they have not said that they can unequivocally deny that

a Clinton staffer sent it to Drudge. They admitted they haven't "asked each of the 40,000" staffer if they were responsible. Someone will be found out, and most likely that someone will be fired from the Clinton camp.

[cali]

35. that's not a denial

"not awre of it" "didn't sanction it" "don't know anything about it". Nope. not a denial that staffers from the campaign did it.

[Enrique]

65. if you think that's not a denial

you're in denial.

[yourguide]

74. um

again, she cannot state that no one on her staff sent this. NOT a denial.

[Enrique]

76. oh, I see

so when you said the Clinton campaign didn't deny the story, you were being untruthful.

I apologize for giving you the benefit of the doubt and thinking you didn't know about the denial.

[yourguide]

78. enrique, where is the denial. oh stop.

"I know nothing about this" is not a denial that someone on the campaign staff sent it out

"why is he concerned about what he is wearing" is not a denial that someone on the campaign staff sent it out

"we did not sanction this" is not a denial that someone on the campaign staff sent it out

Show me where, anywhere they have said, "a member of my staff did not circulate these images" - that is a denial

[Enrique]

85. who are you trying to convince?

yourself? Is it working?

[yourguide]

86. I am already convinced, it appears that you

need a reminder of your candidate's grace and class. :sarcasm:

[mkultra]

58. yes, wolfson did

Hillary should probably do so herself. She doesn't need to apologize, just show that she is above that kind of crap.

[Enrique]

66. the OP said the campaign didn't deny it

I was correcting the record.

[mkultra]

81. and i was agreeing with you.

lol

[CoffeeCat]

26. No one puts baby is a corner!

LOL!

Yes, she did put herself in a corner. She can't show up being reasonable.
Then she would look schizophrenic.

She has to continue the "Hello I'm a raging lunatic on acid" shtick" or
else she appears inconsistent.

:popcorn;

[pdxmom]

31. I think we'll see her try to transfer the blame onto the media, instead of

directly onto Obama. Her camp has been doing that for the past 48 hours, by bringing up the media over and over. So many in the public hate the media and that will cause no hard feelings and she will be able to get the sideswipes in at Obama, while targeting the media.

[IndianaGreen]

32. Once the last nail goes into Hillary's campaign coffin

she should sue Mark Penn and Harold Wolfson for incompetence.

[NeedleCast]

38. She can ignore it away I think

If she doesn't want to talk about it the best thing to do will be not to bring it up. If this is another debate with the same format as Texas, then she can just handle the topics they throw to her. I think she (or her advisors) want to bring it up though. They need something to try and rattle Obama with becuase they're been unsuccessful with it so far. If Hillary wants to trot out the "dirty campainging" topic I think she'll lose that fight. For better or worse, our country is still at a point where we don't like to see angry women on TV. I'm sure someone will come along and call me a sexist for pointing that out, but it is what it is. I think Hillary would have been much better off trying to play the cool customer than going on the offensive. Unfortunatly for her, once Obama got the momentum, she was in the position of having to show some sort of distinction between them without trying to seem overly negative.

In her favor though, is the short memory of the electorate. If she sticks to the topics of the debate and has her staff do the "no comment" routine when the press asks why she didn't bring up Obamas "campaign behavior" the press will let her skate because "no comment" is boring and the press doesn't like boring.

[Independent-Voter]

70. Does anyone know the format for tonight? Seated/casual, or podium/formal?

[shadowknows69]

40. She threw down the gauntlet

"Be careful what you wish for" comes to mind when searching for a cliche.

[MoJoWorkin]

41. I just heard Lee Cowan on MSNBC that said that Hillary camp is saying

they are going to "call him out" on Obama saying one thing in public and another in private. Hillary, look in the MIRROR!
It is politics as usual to call the other on what they are doing themselves. It fools the slackers in the media sometimes.

[yourguide]

43. then she goes down in flames...

wow.

[shadowknows69]

45. How are they supposed to know what Obama says in private exactly?

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

50. what a gift that'd be. if he resists the bait, she's done.

[tridim]

60. He'll duck and weave, adjust his tie and move on.

Just like he always does. Calm and cool all the way to the WH. :)

[mkultra]

61. If she does, it will be over for her.

[Window]

67. How does Hillary know what Obama says in "private?"

Has she infiltrated his camp.

[Infinite Hope]

46. Tonight's debate is going to tank Hillary. n/t

[elixir]

52. Nah, it's pretty obvious that it came from Drudge. You're reading too much into it.

[mkultra]

62. i agree

Drudge likes to stir the pot. All she has to do is just mention that they had nothing to do with it.


That will be the short end of it.

[Window]

68. Drudge is a POS, but her campaign is tight with him. If she makes

him look bad, he might get angry and spill the beans -- if there's any truth to the fact that he said it came from one of her staffers.

[mkultra]

83. i doubt he would do it.

he will protect his source.

[TexasObserver]

53. They'll talk about conduct, alright. Hers. That's the irony of her recent fits of rage.

She came off looking very bad, and now she's going to have to watch as they play the tapes of her (1) being excessively gushing at the end of the last debate, (2) her red rage on Saturday, (3) her snide attack of sarcasm, and (4) her campaign's trashy attempt to smear Obama with a photo which they lied about and told media was in Somalia.

She's also going to have to defend her failure to pay campaign workers, her failure to pay vendors, and the terrible way she's handled $125 million in her campaign. She can't run a campaign, so she certainly can't run the country.

[Window]

54. I think it largely depends on which Hillary shows up tonight.

On the other hand, I don't think it matters much which Hillary shows up. It's as you suggest, she has painted herself into a corner with her actions since last Thursday's debate.



Peace:thumbsup:

[SeaLyons]

59. I hope Hillary let's it all hang out

tonight....I hope she nails Obama on his NAFTA lies, Healthcare lies, war lies - all of it. I hope she does loud and proud. I hope she screams, laughs in his face - whatever!!! She can slap him for all I care - he deserves it.

[Window]

71. Oh, yeah. That will surely endure her to people.

But, I hope she does do some dumb shit like that...it will spell THE END.

[SeaLyons]

88. It's "endear", not "endure"

[JBoy]

63. Hillary is pretty good at answering a question by answering a different question

When asked "Does A+B=C?", she'll explain at length why B+C=D. Her best approach is to deflect the question and try to get out whatever message she thinks will resonate. Being harsh on camera is not good for her.

For Obama, he needs to just stay cool. If Hillary launches a "shame on you" grenade, he should calmly respond followed immediately by something like "how is this getting anyone healthcare?". That one-two combination will make Hillary look petty and make him look presidential.

[thereismore]

64. Yes. She has to attack. nt

[Window]

72. Oh, goodie. Bring it on Hillary.

[high density]

75. The problem is that the corner she has put herself in helps no one

except perhaps John McCain. We can assume that the debate tonight will probably be at least 25% discussion on attacks and related non-issues, which does nothing to advance the ideas of either of our candidates.

[yourguide]

82. you are correct

and as much as I bet that HRC, considering yesterday's events, probably doesnt want to talk about the attacks anymore there is no way Russert will let her out of it after throwing down the gauntlet on saturday.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

77. Fuck yeah.

She's stuck her foot in her mouth, the media smells blood, and she can't fight Obama.

Last week I had three predictions for the Texas debate.

1. It'd be a rather boring draw, wouldn't influence anything.
2. Clinton commits a gaffe, gets booed (again).
3. Obama makes a gaffe, makes Clinton just slightly more competitive.

I had predicted #1, turned out to be #3. The same possibilities are still around tonight, but I think #2 is far more likely.

[peaches2003]

80. Last week's result was #2, not #3

She didn't end up more competitive after the debate last week. Her poll #s have continued to drop and she had no bounce from the debate at all. However, she was booed for that idiotic Xerox comment. She's still spinning her wheels and getting nowhere. :crazy:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

87. Whoops, that's a typo.

Yes, #2. Too late to fix.

[malik flavors]

84. She'll have the "shame on you moment" turned around on her...

because she's been sending out negative mailers about Obama since New Hampshire on everything from health care to his stance on abortion. Russert will call her out and most likely make her look a bit like a hypocrate. It's hard for her to slam Obama for his tactics when she's used all of the same tactics and then some, so I think that might come back to bite her tonite.