Bloomberg's Al Hunt: Tension in Hillaryland Grows as Plan Goes Awry

[flpoljunkie]

Tension in Hillaryland Grows as Plan Goes Awry: Albert R. Hunt

By Albert R. Hunt

Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) -- To appreciate Hillary Clinton's fundamental political problem, consider the 11 Democrats from Philadelphia who gathered last week to discuss the U.S. presidential race, almost all of whom would vote for her in a general election.

The focus group was moderated by an expert on such forums, Democratic pollster Peter Hart. The participants were informed and enthusiastic about their party's prospects, had no interest in the Republicans or third-party candidates, and were about equally balanced between front-runners Clinton and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

When Hart pushed the group during a two-hour conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of the two candidates, a different picture emerged.

Obama, they worried, can't win the nomination; voters aren't ready for an African-American president (a point expressed most directly by the two black women participants), and he may not be sufficiently experienced.

A couple of victories in Iowa and New Hampshire would cure most of those problems.

The concerns about Clinton, 60, a New York senator, are that she is devious, calculating and, fairly or not, a divisive figure in American politics.

Those are a lot tougher to overcome.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=anRcoLyfN0VM

[babylonsister]

1. I just read this! Very interesting... nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. That's Just Factually Incorrect !

"If she can't adjust and rise to this challenge, however, she may well finish third in the Iowa caucuses and lose to Obama in New Hampshire. In the past 30 years, no candidate has lost both these tests and won the nomination."

[Connie_Corleone]

3. Didn't Bill Clinton lose both?

Yeah, that's some poor researching by the reporter.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Most Of His Analysis Was Spot On

Her campaign requires a shake up... Hell, Ronald Reagan, I believe, fired his campaign manager on the plane ride from Iowa to New Hampsire in 1980 , turned his campaign around after losing the Iowa caucus to Bush Pere and went on to win the presidency...

Maybe the Clinton campaign can say Mark Penn is sick or needs to spend time with his family or something...

[itsrobert]

10. Yup shake up. Too bad they can't replace

Hillary with Al Gore. ;)

[geek tragedy]

12. She needs an "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green"

moment.

[flpoljunkie]

6. Clinton did not campaign in Iowa, as Senator Harking was the favorite son there in '92.

[flpoljunkie]

9. Sorry about the typo, Senator Harkin!

[MethuenProgressive]

4. Billionaire 'Bama Backer Bloomberg Bashes by Blog

Big bucking beal.

[sendero]

7. Quote...

...."Top Clinton campaign officials were privately furious at the former president, saying he had revived the complaint that the Clintons lack credibility, unfairly tarnishing his wife in the process."

Hey, if you are going to ride someone's coattails, you have to take the bad with the good. Cry me a river.

[flordehinojos]

8. hillary has to look really hard for the cucarachas. they are all coming from poppy bush's cupboard.

[Inuca]

11. Obama - "inspirational, motivating"

These can be very strong forces in a country that as Frank Rich (I think...) said recently suffers from clinical depression.

I have strong misgivings about the conclusions one can get from analyzing such a small group. Still, the conclusions are interesting, and probably in synch with what many other people think/feel.