Financial Times: Clinton Too Little, Too Late on Penn

[ginnyinWI]

Interesting that Penn was almost demoted after Iowa.

Clinton move ‘too little too late’
By Edward Luce in Washington
Published: April 7 2008 19:18 | Last updated: April 7 2008 19:18

(starting with third paragraph)

Mr Penn, who was undone by a meeting last week with the Colombian ambassador in his role as chief executive of Burson-Marsteller, the public relations company, was originally due to be demoted in early January following Mrs Clinton’s poor third place showing in the Iowa caucuses, which kicked off the nominating season.

But the former first lady’s unexpected victory in New Hampshire five days later saved Mr Penn and others, including Patti Solis Doyle, her campaign manager, who was eventually removed in February. Had Mrs Clinton lost New Hampshire, she would have radically restructured her campaign, say insiders.

Although it was Ms Doyle who gambled Mrs Clinton’s declining January finances on the “Super Tuesday” primary at the expense of the post-February 5 states that Barack Obama swept by landslides, Mr Penn is accused of “triangulating” Mrs Clinton’s campaign message for the general election on the assumption that she would be the nominee.

“You could say that New Hampshire was a pyrrhic victory for Mrs Clinton,” says one Democratic consultant. “It was like a patient who had a heart attack and then after a brief reprieve goes straight back to eating Big Macs and French fries.”

More here on Hillary's campaign mis-steps, including presenting an inconsistent image to the public: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f0d90ab6-04cd-11dd-a2f0-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

[XemaSab]

1. Like making a plan to retrofit a bridge

the day AFTER it collapses.

[SoonerPride]

2. Why was he just demoted and not shown the door completely?

Have they lost their minds?

That dude is kryptonite to her campaign. He should be jeetisoned into the sewer from whence he emerged.

[ORDem]

4. Because that would just be too simple and honest for HRC I'm afraid.

Examples:

Taking heat on NAFTA - just twist the facts around to make it look like you were against it before you were for it
Caught in a bald-faced lie about sniper fire - just laugh it off, no big deal
Caught in another lie about someone being refused medical care for a $100 bill - just ignore it, never happened
Lose a primary - just ignore it or spin it into a victory of sorts

Need I go on?

:nopity:

[nichomachus]

3. It's called a reality check

I have a friend who's working for a company that isn't run very well -- and it's a widespread problem in the company. He's thinking of leaving, but believes in the company's product. He just thinks a lot of management, in several areas, is incompetent.

He had some hesitancy about leaving and asked me for advice. I simply told him to take a pad and write down all the things that needed to be done for the company to turn around to where he thinks it would be run well enough for him to stay. Then, I told him to write next to each item the likelihood of that happening. Then, I told him to compute the likelihood of all the necessary things happening together in enough time to save the company and his sanity.

He's giving his notice in a couple of weeks.

Hillary needs to do the same kind of analysis. She's in a serious tailspin and public perception, which is all important in a political campaign, is dismal.

[ginnyinWI]

5. yeah but like the title says, it's too late.

She just doesn't have enough time to turn it around, even if everything lined up the right way from here on out. She won't be able to turn public perception around in time--those who have gotten behind Obama are no longer listening. You really don't get do-overs in big politics. Not very often, anyway.

[nichomachus]

6. You may be right

But the analysis would show her that. She seems to be clinging to be belief that she can turn it around.

[Cha]

11. My theory is because she's made

of sand and there's no there there..so our country lucked out after enduring 8 years of the bush nightmare.

[samsingh]

7. yup

[Danger Mouse]

8. One of Hillary's flaws is that she is overly loyal to people who she is better off without.

Holding on to Penn as long as she did was a mistake from day one. He's given her bad advice, and now by the power of association she will be hurt by this latest scandal.

[Cha]

12. How stupid do you have to be to hold

on to a loser who's in a heated contest with yourself for who's the most detrimental to your campaign..that you seemingly want so badly you are willng to destroy the "fertile ground of the Democratic Party with your Scortched Earth Policy"?

[Life Long Dem]

9. Sounds like a coensidense n/t

[Cha]

10. And it's those big macs and french fries that are

saving our country. It's like with bush..the country needed 8 years to discover :wtf:..and hilary's campaign needed a few more months of hilary taking mark penn's advice(not having an original thought in her head) to fling her on her own petard. She'd been lying about Obama since day one..but that didn't seem to bother anyone except Obama supporters.

"The Ultimate Irony..hilary Swiftboated herself"..SCD.

“You could say that New Hampshire was a pyrrhic victory for Mrs Clinton,” says one Democratic consultant. “It was like a patient who had a heart attack and then after a brief reprieve goes straight back to eating Big Macs and French fries.”

[Zachstar]

13. I can hardly believe she did not get rid of him before Texas.

Oh well her mistake!