2008 Primaries, Leadership, Messaging • May 27th, 2008

The vast left-wing conspiracy?

by Chris Lato

The Clintons are crying cover-up again – this time, it’s the Democrats and their friends in the media that are working to take them down, not the vast right-wing conspiracy.

There aren’t a lot of ways that Hillary Clinton could actually become the nominee at this point. But for all his missteps on the campaign trail this year, Bill Clinton is no dummy and he understands the messages that resonate - the victim card, the underdog pose, and the notion of the party bosses denying a voice to the disenfranchised voters. It is one last desperate swing for the fences.

Any of this ringing a bell? It’s the same thing Democrats accused Republicans of doing in 2000 in Florida, in 2004 in Ohio, and in 2008 in goodness-knows-where. It is the same thing that Wisconsin Republicans have been dealing with for years in trying to require a photo ID when voting. That perfectly reasonable requirement is just common sense, and is supported by a clear majority of Wisconsin voters (including – horrors! – a fair number of Democrats). But Wisconsin Democrats, including our governor, have blocked it at every turn. It disenfranchises voters, opponents claim.

Watch the video that comes with the CNN story I linked to up top. Clinton takes a dig at the Florida situation – 2000 vs. 2008 - that will become a rallying cry as this thing plays itself out.

The Clintons are on the ropes, but they know how to play the game and keep on punching until they officially throw in the towel. Needless to say, the leaders of the Democratic Party have their work cut out for them.

From a messaging perspective, the Clintons also understand their last, best hope is to appeal to the sense of disenfranchisement and victimhood. And this time, considering all the ludicrous complications built into the system of selecting a Democrat nominee for president, the Clintons have a point.

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2008 Primaries, Messaging, Speeches, Views on News, public relations, wispundits • March 4th, 2008

Is this race over yet?

by Chris Lato

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you already know Texas and Ohio vote today, and the stakes are high indeed for Hillary Clinton.

The interesting thing is that the polls suggest Clinton has a shot to pull both out. Particularly in Ohio, where Barack Obama hasn’t yet laid a glove on her. In Texas, Clinton’s numbers have been trending upward while Obama’s are taking a downturn.

As always, take the polls with a grain of salt. They’ve been wrong a lot in this cycle.

How have the messages changed, or stayed the same? By and large, Obama has been able to stick with the high-minded rhetoric, although the worm is turning as far as the press is concerned. It was only a matter of time, and I’m betting he’s not quite ready for it. Meanwhile Clinton is alternately playing the victim and the victimizer. And she’s no stranger to scrutiny and tough questioning. Right now, when the going gets tough with the press, Hillary has the edge.

We’ll know more tomorrow, but reports of the Clinton campaign’s death may be just a bit premature. I still believe it’s Obama’s to lose, but there’s still a chance of this two-person primary continuing after Tuesday.

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2008 Primaries, Report from the Field, Views on News • February 19th, 2008

Primary still secondary to Nov.

by Dennis A. Shook

Was Hillary total punched up by a right cross?

Near record numbers of people were willing to shrug off the cold and snow to vote in today’s primary. But did they also shrug when they entered the voting booth?

Much of the talk of the February 2008 primary might center around what really would have happened if the GOP nomination fight was more pugnacious.

The Democrats are expected to be the major beneficiaries, courtesy of their exciting, history-making contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But it is difficult to say how much impact the state’s primaries will have in the end for either party.

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