So why did Hillary think that waiting to endorse would increase her leverage?

[sfam]

How is it that these politically astute people - masters by some accounts, that being confrontational with Obama and not endorsing would increase her leverage? My question isn't whether she's a rotten person or not - we all have opinions on that. My question is more how they could have been sooo off-base on this?

Regular party supporters like us could CLEARLY see this was a horrid idea (I'm referring to the withholding of the endorsement, not whether or not she would make a good VP). Why on earth did Hillary think this was the right way to go to get what she wanted?

Like seriously? Are they just deluded to the point of absurdity, or is it just that they were soo in the bubble that they couldn't see the forest from the trees?

[shenmue]

1. Again, what do you mean, a horrid idea?

She got the popular vote. That's a very good reason to "want" to be VP. That's how many others have been picked in the past.

And what's so terrible about wanting to be VP?

Why must you attribute anything else to her?

Again, more hatred and derision of someone you don't even know. If Clinton wants to do *anything*, it must be evil. It must be unreasonable craving (nice stereotype, by the way) instead of the normal reaction at times like this.

:eyes:

:puke:

Obama fanatics at DU lost credibility a long time ago, but this is getting pathetic. I think some of you are going to spontaneously combust.

[Lerkfish]

5. I felt the OP was worded very fairly. I think you're finding conflict where there is none.

my advice: take a week off, drink some beers, relax, and then come back ready to support the nominee. If you can't come back in a week ready to do that, don't come back.

[sfam]

6. Please reread my OP. You are misunderstanding my question...

The horrid idea was withholding endorsement, not wanting the VP. I'll be happy with whomever Obama chooses for the VP. I trust his judgment.

But clearly, Hillary's approach to her speech last night was fatally flawed, as most of her closest supporters have finally convinced her. My question is how could her campaign have so horribly miscalculated this.

[goldcanyonaz]

7. how could i have never noticed you before

HUGS!

[NanceGreggs]

15. She didn't get the majority of the "popular vote" ...

... but don't let facts get in your way. And even if she had, it is irrelevant; the nomination is decided by delegate count, which she decidedly lost.

The fact that she "wants" the VP slot is of no consequence. I should think this entire process would have confirmed the fact that just because Hillary "wants" something, that doesn't mean she gets it - nor does it mean she is entitled to it.

Whether "Obama fanatics" or "Hillary fanatics" lost their credibility during this campaign is neither here nor there. It was Hillary herself who lost credibility as a candidate - which is why she's on the losing side of this race.

[Snarkoleptic]

18. "She got the popular vote"???

Democrats Obama Clinton
Total Delegates 2,174 1,922
Super Delegates 408 283
Pledged Delegates 1,767 1,640
Popular Vote 17,535,458 17,493,836

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
Seems to me that your math is a bit flawed.
Don't forget what Hillary said about the Michigan primary "It's clear. This election they're having is not going to count for anything.". So I guess she was against counting Michigan until it became another fallback/firewall state.

[Window]

20. You're just throwing up all over DU tonight.

Number 1: The OP was not "hating" on Hillary.

Number 2: Hillary did not win the popular vote.

Number 3: You are pathetic and sound like you're about to spontaneously combust.

[tabatha]

2. I think she has some serious psychological problems.

She needs help.

[Lerkfish]

3. seemingly a lot of her campaign's decisions were perplexing

and this was one of them.

[Recursion]

11. The month of February comes to mind

About Valentines day it kind of became clear she simply wasn't going to contest any of those states. It was astounding. I think a lot of this reflects the 20-year-old politics she's still stuck in: big donors, big states, big moves.

[sfam]

14. Agreed. They clearly had horrid strategy...but it seems that their short term decision making is...

even worse, at least in the last week or so.

[JerseygirlCT]

4. That was a real miss, judgement-wise

It's puzzling.

[sfam]

19. Perhaps we can just put it down to complete exhaustion and anger over the loss...

This really might be it. OK, we all know they had horrid strategy, but this is really basic stuff here. You don't jam the nominee as if you were looking for a coalition government. NOBODY will buy that approach, including Hillary if she's looking at it from the outside.

[JerseygirlCT]

21. Yeah, truly that's the only explanation that works, I think

She's too smart for that otherwise.

Oh well. I think he's big enough to see that as well, and then we move on.

[Recursion]

8. What has she gotten right this campaign?

I've been astounded by most if not all of the decisions she's made in the campaign.

[sfam]

10. Actually, I thought they started doing lots better after the race was essentially over...

Hillary's campaign seemed to finally get on track in April or so. But these last few days have been an abomination on a lot of levels.

[NanceGreggs]

9. I'll take "deluded to the point of absurdity" for $1,000, Alex.

The only logic (or what passes for logic in the Hill camp these days) I can see in this is that she thought that at the very last minute, when faced with the reality of an Obama nomination, the delegates and SDs would realize the error of their ways and start coming over to her side.

Other than that little piece of baseless conjecture, I've admittedly got nuthin'.

[sfam]

12. Perhaps there is no difference between deluded to the point of absurdity and...

living in a campaign bubble. Its just amazing that they thought they were making a well-informed decision.

[pdxmom]

13. Jonathan Alter on MSNBC just said that the Clinton's didn't understand

how little support she had in Congress and that her anger was clouding her judgment. Said he was told this by a Clinton supporter. No link, but on Olbermann.

[Exilednight]

16. Because it worked so well for Edwards?

:rofl:

[breakaleg]

17. Bad decision making all around. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence in her does it?