Clinton Campaign Stung By Third-Place Finish - HuffPo

[WillyT]

<snip>

Des Moines - After a stunning defeat and finishing third in Thursday night's Democratic caucuses, Senator Hillary Clinton congratulated Barack Obama and John Edwards, and vowed to jumpstart her national campaign and win her party's nomination for president. "I am ready as I can be," Clinton told a crowd of a few hundred invited guests at a downtown hotel ballroom. "We're going to take this enthusiasm and go to New Hampshire."

But, as she spoke, shock and despair seemed to replace enthusiasm in the Clinton campaign. Months ago, the New York senator rolled into Iowa with an aura and attitude of invincibility. She now leaves the state for next Tuesday's primary in New Hampshire after suffering a humiliating finish nine points behind Obama and one point below Edwards.

Clinton was joined on the stage by her husband Bill Clinton and a pack of other Democratic luminaries including former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, former General Wesley Clark and Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles. As the TV networks projected Obama's insurgent victory about 90 minutes after the opening of the 7 p.m. caucuses, Clinton's rented ballroom seemed the loneliest place in town. Not a single guest was seen on the cordoned-off floor. And then shortly after the network projection was broadcast, the tightly disciplined Clinton campaign literally assembled the crowd for the batteries of TV cameras in the room.

Putting the best face on her stinging defeat, Clinton attached herself to what she called the "clear message of change" manifested in the massive Democratic turnout. After congratulating her two top rivals she claimed that "together we have presented the case for change" and declared the results to be "a great night for Democrats." Both Obama and Edwards, however, vigorously counterpoised themselves as agents of profound change and generational turnover against an ossified status quo embodied by Clinton.

The rumblings of Clinton's defeat could be sensed in the past few days as a sense of momentum and swelling crowds fueled the numerous campaign events staged by Obama and Edwards as they feverishly crisscrossed the state. A few hours before the caucusing began Thursday night, Bill and Hillary Clinton were seen striding through the Hotel Fort Des Moines with a look of consternation on their faces.

And...

As soon as the doors to the more than 1,700 caucus sites opened, there was a clear foreboding of Clinton's coming defeat. Long lines of caucusers, shortage of registration forms for first-timers, and standing-room-only crowds marked the high tide of a turnout tsunami in favor of Obama. The caucus at one northwest Des Moines precinct seemed a microcosm of the political drama that rattled the entire state on Thursday night. Residents of Precinct 9 waited patiently in line to caucus as poll workers were overcome by the sheer scope of the turnout. As the 125 Iowans in the room dispersed into separate groups supporting different candidates, a visibly striking generational gap slashed the room.

With a mixed group of about 25 Edwards supporters in the middle, on the right side of the room sat about 40 mostly white-haired and subdued Clinton adherents. On the left side of the high school classroom, about 60 decidedly much younger, boisterous and ramped-up Obama supporters gathered in noisy clumps. "I've never caucused before but I like everything Obama has to say," said 30-year-old machinist Chris Augustine. Typical of exactly the kind of voter the Obama campaign had hoped to mobilize, he added: "For me, Obama is the un-politician. If it comes down to Hillary Clinton versus a Republican in November, I would rather vote for the Republican. There's nothing Clinton could do to prove she's really different than the same old, same old of the past."

<snip>

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/04/clinton-campaign-stung-by_n_79699.html

The second coming of the "Generation Gap"???

:shrug:

[ccpup]

1. what was the percentage separating

Edwards and Clinton? Was it something % or .something %?

Hillary ending in a strong tie with a man who not only had media momentum going into yesterday, but had basically lived in the State for the past four years is nothing to hang one's head about. Add to that the fact that Bill Clinton had a dismal history in the State when he was running, and I think Hillary did much better than even THEY expected!

On to New Hampshire (and Nevada on the 19th)!

[papau]

5. I tend to agree - I saw NBC try to say she was the expected winner so as to make not

winning a bigger deal - Huff is doing the same media nonsense as they try to kill off Hillary.

based on post 72 first in nation IA results, your odds of winning nomination are as good for the IA winner as they are for the losers - not a good predictor of anything.

[rocktivity]

6. But consider how much Hillary must have OUTSPENT Edwards

and that Edwards' anti-corporatism has supressed his national media attention until recently. And on top of that, she lost to Obama so decisively! It suggests that Iowa, at least, simply wasn't buying what Hillary was selling. But like you say, the next few primaries will determine whether Iowa was an "isolated incident" or a very real trend.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Pastiche423]

16. Percentages

Clinton 29.47%

Edwards 29.75%

[Captain Hilts]

2. HuffPost has been the leading 'left' anti-Clinton site. nt

[WillyT]

4. Hey... Andrea Mitchell Reported Almost the Same Exact Thing...

about the mood of the Clinton Campaign.

This thing is by no means over, but this is certainly a test of the Clinton Machine.

If they pass the test, they're in.

If they don't, she's still in the Senate.

:shrug:

[papau]

7. Andrea of GE/MSNBC & Alan Greenspans (exFED chair) wife is anti-Hillary? shocked! :-)

[WillyT]

10. Is It Really That Hard To Imagine The Clinton Camp As Upset ???

They tried to put their best face on it last night, but I'd bet you anything they were having one hell of a discussion on the plane ride to New Hampshire.

:shrug:

This article, and Mitchell's report, were not surprising to me.

And the Clinton Camp might wanna figure out EXACTLY what's goin on, because sticking your fingers in your ears and screaming, "La, la, la, la... I Can't Hear You !!!" is not a recipe for success.

Just sayin.

:shrug:

[papau]

11. It is hard to recall honest reporting from that crowd - but a broken clock is right twice a day so

the report may be correct.

I actually know a few in each of the various camps - and "upset Clinton camp" is not obvious - perhaps I just do not know the right folks (I certainly do not know the leaders).

[Raster]

13. HRC should stay in the Senate--as Majority Leader, replacing Reid.

This country is craving change. And not just changing the face on the corporate body.

[Captain Hilts]

15. I actually agree with this. We need a tiger in that spot. nt

[HamdenRice]

3. She's a win win for the Republicans

Either she energizes the anti-Clinton right and loses; or she wins and presides over a presidency crippled by anti-Clinton hysteria from the right.

That's what the Repugs themselves are saying.

[papau]

8. no that is not what the GOP are saying in private - only in public comments so as try to stop her

[dailykoff]

9. A little late for a campaign makeover

like six years too late. Too bad they took the low road but that's what the Clintons are all about.

[The Wizard]

12. Clinton like Romney

is running a 1990s campaign in the 21st Century: Raise corporate money, buy TV time and spread your message. The TV remote control and the Internet have change the political landscape and how to run an effective campaign. Almost no one pays attention to political TV ads. They're seen as a nuisance.
The Iowa caucuses are a reflection of the new political campaign strategies.

[FogerRox]

14. Generation Gap bullshit, its about "We the People"