Whatever Happens to Hillary Clinton’s Campaign, It Won’t Be ‘2008 All Over Again’

[BlueMTexpat]

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/01/2016-democratic-contest-not-repeat-of-2008.html?mid=facebook_nymag#

This article includes many of the points that we have made all along.

It's understandable that Hillary Clinton supporters are feeling nervous now that Bernie Sanders appears to have overcome an autumn swoon in the polls and is showing strength in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

But that doesn't completely justify Paul Kane's Washington Post piece on Friday describing Team Clinton's jitters as "a sense of deja vu from 2008, when Clinton’s overwhelming edge cratered in the days before the Iowa caucuses." For one thing, the momentum has seesawed back and forth in the Clinton-Sanders race. It's hyperbolic to say there's any cratering going on. And looking back to 2008, the element of surprise at Clinton's showing is apparently stronger in the rear-view mirror. The early leader in Iowa was John Edwards, not Hillary Clinton. And Obama was leading in an ABC/Washington Post poll as early as July.

Another major difference is the key dynamic in the Obama-Clinton contest, wherein his Iowa win instantly moved the bulk of African-American voters from her column to his after this demonstration of viability. Kane's piece suggests the same thing could happen to Sanders, but the analogy is questionable unless there are vast numbers of self-described democratic socialists lurking in Clinton's columns in the post–New Hampshire states, waiting for a sign.

But the biggest difference is in Clinton's own team. It could not be 2008 all over again without Mark Penn, the ubiquitous pollster-strategist who offended just about everyone (including his many detractors in Hillaryland) and hogged media attention. By all accounts, in fact, the whole Clinton operation, under low-key campaign manager Robby Mook, is massively less fraught with rivalries and negative vibes. And the strategic lessons of 2008 have surely been learned; there is zero chance Clinton will neglect to devote resources to small-state caucuses, where Obama, nearly unopposed, offset her Super Tuesday wins.

[Thinkingabout]

1. No, this is not a repeat of 2008, first there is not a candidate named Obama.

Hillary has the experience of SOS, she has a wonderful team, she has many endorsements at this time and in 2008 Obama had many of the endorsements from congressional members and we know Hillary by far is the most qualified candidate.

[BlueMTexpat]

2. The Obama candidacy was indeed

Last edited Tue Jan 19, 2016, 02:18 PM - Edit history (1)

unique. We will not see another like him for a long time.

I feel privileged to have had him as my President for the past eight years.

[Thinkingabout]

3. I agree, the only comparison with Obama and Sanders is they have been members of

Congress and ran for the DNC primary nominee. Obama's appeal has always been greater.

[William769]

4. Kick & highly recommended!

[ladym55]

5. M$M is a big part of the problem with the narrative

They have to have this horse race going on so they don't have to do any real work in reporting. They don't have to look at issues if they can treat all elections like a horse race.

Add to that the Beltway hatred of all things Clinton (which I don't get because they sure give all things Bush a pass). I follow Eric Boehlert from Media Matters on Twitter. He does a great job of chronicling M$M's on-going Clinton derangement syndrome.