Do-or-die Hillary turns bully as Obama starts to pull away

[babylonsister]

Do-or-die Hillary turns bully as Obama starts to pull away
With her rival ahead in the polls and wooing her bedrock Hispanic and female voters, Clinton is trying to force her way back with a risky strategy that could split her party
Sarah Baxter, Columbus, Ohio


THERE is an air of desperation in Hillary Clinton’s camp. The New York senator has embarked on a door-die mission to hector and bully her way to victory, putting her on a potential collision course with Democratic party leaders.

It is a risky strategy that could leave her more isolated and unpopular as voters defect to Barack Obama, the new front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama, 46, is being tarred as a cultish, messianic figure who talks big but cannot deliver.

Clinton, 60, is being driven into her last redoubts as white women, blue collar workers and Hispanics – her core supporters – have begun to peel away. In public she is adopting a feistier tone and a more populist message against the Illinois senator in a bid to stem her losses.

“Speeches don’t put food on the table. Speeches don’t fill up your tank, or fill your prescription, or do anything about that stack of bills that keeps you up at night,” she said at a rally in Ohio, a swing state with a heavy component of “rust belt” working-class voters who are already feeling the effects of looming recession.

Underdog Obama outpaces Hillary

Privately, her mood has darkened after losing eight primaries and caucuses in a row. The realisation that without a series of huge victories in the remaining contests it is impossible for Clinton to win enough “pledged” delegates to clinch the nomination has sent her staff into shock.

more...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3382295.ece

[Donkeykick]

1. Hillary is right on this.

“Speeches don’t put food on the table. Speeches don’t fill up your tank, or fill your prescription, or do anything about that stack of bills that keeps you up at night,” she said at a rally in Ohio, a swing state with a heavy component of “rust belt” working-class voters who are already feeling the effects of looming recession.

Experience matters to me; not just being a great orator.

[Deja Q]

3. Career politicians rock.

And she's right. Words don't put food on the table.

Can you prove she is more than just... words?

Or any politician?

[Donkeykick]

7. No.

ht: no more or less than you can prove that Obama can do all those things that he incites.

But if he takes it than I will vote for him; however, I would rather have someone that has had more experience trying to get my progressive values through. Cheers to ya. :toast:

[ixion]

12. Hillary a progressive?

:rofl:

Good one. :rofl:

[From The Left]

30. HAHAHAHAHA!

Hillary the Hawk is Bush in a rayon pantsuit.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Progressive??

You're kidding, right?

Hillary is about the LEAST progressive of all the Dem candidates. Ron Paul is more progressive on Iraq than Hillary is!

:rofl:

[asthmaticeog]

25. Which progressive values are you talking about, exactly?

Warmongering? Corporate statism? Whatfuckingever.

[Exilednight]

34. What do you mean progressive?

Hillary is far from progressive. She's the furthest right leaning Democrat to run for President this year.

I agree with a previous poster.

Exactly what progressive ideas are you talking about?

[tekisui]

4. Lame. Speeches invigorate and motivate voters.

Speeches bring many into the Democratic Party, and will help ensure a New Majority in the House and Senate. All the better to get things done.

This is nothing more than attacking your opponents strengths. And it is because she is trailing.

[Donkeykick]

27. Yes. You have a point.

:rofl:

[Exilednight]

36. You want substance?

Obama, in his blueprint for change, has put forth a 16 month detailed plan for withdrawing troops from Iraq.

Hillary has said she will begin to draw down troops in her first sixty days, but has no time table or plan detailing how.

Obama has dedicated two pages in his blueprint for fixing the VA and taking care of our returning veterans.

Hillary states she will "direct" the DoD and DVA (the same government agencies who screwed up in the first place) to take care of our veterans. She has not put forth a detailed plan of how she will "direct". (what ever the hell 'direct' means)

Hillary keeps asking 'where's the beef' in Obama's plan, when all she has is two empty buns.

[Donkeykick]

39. OK.

From Obama's site on Iraq

Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.

Sorry, but if you can believe the bold part, I have some ocean front property in Arizona you might be interested in. If these soldiers can't encamp somewhere safely, how can they go about performing their duties safely?

From Obama's site on Veterans

Fully Fund VA Medical Care: Barack Obama will fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it, when they need it. Obama will establish a world-class VA Planning Division to avoid future budget shortfalls.

Va Planning Division?! Sounds like another government screw up agency, right? Let's face it; it's not the agency; it's the lack of caring of the present administration to look in and see if it is being ran properly

[polpilot]

6. Hillary delivered the Iraq War, not healthcare, Bill delivered NAFTA..

Time to end deliveries from the Clintons.

[babylonsister]

8. "Time to end deliveries from the Clintons." - I love that line! nt

[Donkeykick]

9. If he does make it...

than God Bless him. But I feel that you're going to be somewhat surprised on how quickly you are going to see us get out of Iraq. (Thinking: just looking at this from a realistic point of view.)

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Good one!!

:yourock:

[From The Left]

29. Ka-Ching!

Bush - Clinton - Clinton - Bush - Bush - and Clinton?

Oh no. This isn't a Monarchy and wifey doesn't get to be president because her husband promised her the keys to the White House if she didn't divorce him after Monicagate.

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Her experience is not what we need

She is experienced at being divisive and arrogant. That's not what I want in a president.

[Exilednight]

18. I agree

These are the exact same things we bash Bush for, but somehow, some people justify it when it's their candidate doing it. I agree, her divisiveness and arrogance will be her down fall.

Obama is bringing out new voters, and if Barack wins more earned delegates, but Hillary wins the nomination by super delegates,it will turn off all those first time voters. Personally I will leave the Democratic party because that will prove that there is nothing Democratic about it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. My experience:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4627853&mesg_id=4629929

[tabatha]

19. I guess that is why

Obama was able to pass health care in Illinois and Hillary was not able to do so, despite her husband being president.

I guess that is why Hillary supported Obama's ethics reform bill, then turned around and attacked it.

[dchill]

22. A lot of Democrats don't like...

the kind of "experience" that Hillary is now trying to take advantage of.

[Cha]

31. Duh...if all Obama did was do good speeches.. but

Obama has the gravitas to back himself up. All hilary does is whine and she backs it up with cheese and more whine.

[Emillereid]

37. Does she have experience putting food on America's tables, cause she sure didn't

deliver health care reform!

Obama is a great orator and a lot more - he has very specific proposals just like she does. Putting him down because he can give inspirational, galvanizing speeches is stupid. It's like faulting MLK or JFK for only giving great speeches. She doesn't have any greater experience that him - in fact, I believe he has more legislative experience than her. Unless you mean her experience as the WIFE of a president. Hey does that mean Laura should run for president? I wonder if I can get a job using my husband's resume? Or maybe you mean her experience at the Rose law firm sitting on the boards of Wal-mart and Tyson and the like. I prefer Obama's experience as a community activist and civil right lawyer.

[Deja Q]

2. Maybe Russell T Davies was right...

In a popular British show he is producer of, he is on record for saying he'd NEVER hire anyone over 45, claiming nobody sees older people as leaders anymore.

http://www.google.com/search?q=russell+t+davies+ageism&btnG=Search

[lynnertic]

11. The popular British show would be.... Doctor who?

It's a children's show. I don't think there was anyone over 45 on Pee-Wee's Playhouse, either.

And OBTW I don't see how your comment is relevant to the article, could you explain?
thx

[Mojorabbit]

5. Is the author of the piece

saying her campaign is the origin of the cult meme?

[lynnertic]

10. "Obama's being tarred" "Clinton is adopting a feistier tone"

One really great thing about this election is that we're taking long hard looks at how language is used to diminish anything not white and male.

Things are really going to change, no matter who gets the nomination and is awarded the Presidency.

[Forrest Greene]

13. As She Noted In Her Speech,

“Speeches don’t put food on the table. Speeches don’t fill up your tank, or fill your prescription, or do anything about that stack of bills that keeps you up at night...”

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Voting for a war doesn't bring our troops home

Never apologizing for that vote doesn't fix it either.

Supporting permanent bases and the world's largest embassy perpetuates that war.

And 70% of Americans want our troops home and that war over.

Hillary needs to focus on her agenda rather than attacking Obama.

[IndianaGreen]

20. Interesting what the article says about Al Gore

Al Gore, the former vice-president, was revealed yesterday to be waiting in the wings to broker a deal should the “superdele-gates”, comprising 796 party figures, end up with a casting vote.

The New York Times reported that he had held talks with Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the former presidential candidates John Edwards, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd over how to avoid a bruising party battle. Tempers have been running high within the Clinton camp.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3382295.ece

[mopinko]

23. i wonder are people thinking that al is the only one who can

say no to her, and have her accept it? i gotta think so.
well, let's just hope that bo continues to not just beat her, but blow the doors off. let's leave no room for doubt.

[Hydra]

24. God, are these two REALLY our only choices???

K&R, BTW

[Hekate]

26. Fascinating. Our fearless Dems may yet snatch defeat from the jaws of victory...

Ohgodohgodohgod don't let the convention become a train wreck.

Hekate

[From The Left]

28. Le Hill is becoming Le Desperate

Her concession speech to Barack Obama will be worthy of Helen Lawson in Valley of the Dolls.

[Cha]

32. Hopefully she'll get a couple of digs

in about "good speeches".

[From The Left]

33. HRC is Losing Her Mind

Spreading garbage that Obama supporters are like Charles Manson followers?

Sad. She's slipped the rift.

[Cha]

35. Unfortunately, that's not an

exaggeration..because who does she think is going to help support her in the General besides her hilarys? A bunch of whack cultees?

[Traditional Liberal]

38. Hillary is Dead WRONG on this

As President, about all you can actually do IS give speeches. Unless you are Darth Vader, and decide to run the government from the VP chair and know that you'll never be tried for sedition because your dumber than rocks boss would have to burn for what you did too.

Once you appoint your cabinet and walk into the Oval Office, the bulk of your life is going to meetings and persuading people to do things your way, making them feel stupid for not doing it your way, vulnerable to retaliation by the voters, the President, or someone else if they don't do it your way, or smart for doing it your way, and figuring out how to get enough credit to the right people.

Why do you think Ronald Dickhed Reagan was so agonizingly, astonishingly, arrogantly, offensively effective? The guy could give a speech that would bring tears to the eyes of people that would rather poke his out.