Craig Crawford: In Clinton World, Whining Often Wins

[babylonsister]

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/

In Clinton World, Whining Often Wins

By Craig Crawford | February 12, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (198)

When Clintons start whining, it is wise to resist taking it at face value. But these days the poor-mouthing from Hillary Rodham Clinton’s camp is on display as never before -- and being taken as seriously as ever.

On the eve of today’s Beltway Primaries, the New York senator’s team made something of a spectacle about a supposedly sudden staff "shakeup" (of one person) that had actually been underway for weeks. And campaign aides are whispering to reporters that Clinton’s nomination hopes could be slipping away.

Last week it was Clinton’s spokesperson who revealed that she had loaned $5 million to her campaign, provoking a wave of ominous news accounts that ended up provoking a burst of $10 million in online contributions.

Funny how the prospect of imminent losses produce spates of Clintonian self-pity that often manage to rally just enough votes to survive.

This death-and-resurrection cycle played out in the last days before Clinton's comeback New Hampshire win. Her own staff was moping around as though the end was near. Whether or not by design, their apparent breakdown produced reports of impending defeat that rallied crucial, last-minute deciders to her side.

Once again, dejected Clinton aides are spinning doomsday scenarios. This time, they might be right. But their pain, whether real or manufactured, might also pave the way for another comeback down the road.

[robbedvoter]

1. I thought he was in the pay of the Clintons! Anyway, official Obama whining strategy

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4497661&mesg_id=4499369
"
Advisers believe that the more the Clintons poke at Obama, the more sympathetic he becomes"

Looks MSGOP took Hillary's advice to heart: they now entrusted the one pundit that was NOT attacking the Clintons with the paint brush. Hooray! "freedon of speech" is safe!

[blm]

6. Bushes and Clintons have often whined as a tactic to distract from their closed government

actions. Alot of secrecy and privilege gets protected when Bushes and Clintons are whining the loudest.

It's a noticeable pattern going back two decades.


While Clintons were pretending to be upset over Whitewater, Bushies were IN the Rose Law Firm scrubbing files and documents of GHWBush's fellow BCCI partner, Jackson Stephens, the firm's BIGGEST CLIENT, and the man who bankrolled Bill's political career AND his primary campaign.

[robbedvoter]

8. Nice Arkansas project rehas - how about Obama official whinning memo strategy

that he "allegedly" didn't give to the press but MSGOP enforced to a T? No one seems to answer to that one! How about the official

VICTIMHOOD MEMO

[Yael]

2. She is appealing to the soap opera-ish drama addicts apparently

I for one am sick of the circus atmosphere she thrives in.

[Yael]

3. Delete Dupe

[Skwmom]

4. Republicans are being encouraged to keep her in it so they can win it.

(by Limbaugh and others). A VA newspaper guy on CSPAN said Republicans were talking about voting for Hillary in VA to keep her in the game. Heck even Bush was out trying to round up votes for Clinton.

[H2O Man]

5. Nominated.

A pattern.

[AtomicKitten]

7. Her campaign is all smoke and mirrors.

And soon her campaign will be run on farts and chewing gum.

K&R

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. it's all so contrived and sickening. I wish I could get people to

raise $10 million bucks for me because they "felt sorry for me". :puke: I am so sick of her victimhood. I'm listening to a female caller on the Stephanie Miller Show, and she said Hillary has finally lost me "playing the victim". She seems really pissed about the whole David Shuster thing, and HRC trying to get him fired.

Stephanie and the mooks just admitted that they've been receiving hate mail from HRC supporters. HRC supporters have written letters to the station managers, advertisers, etc. to get them kicked off the air. I can't believe that after the last seven years of *, that progressive minded people are trying to get people kicked off the air because they don't support HRC.

[0007]

10. Craig is right on the money. The whining wheel wins all the grease.

The full court press is on RIGHT NOW as we speak. What form will it come in? We've seen Bill, we've seen Chelsea, we've seen campaign change and the dewy-eye one.

next?

[Rageneau]

12. What whining? Where in the article is any whining?

Clinton-haters are not to be believed on any subject because their hatred makes them see things that are not there, or vice versa.

I hope everybody who unfairly bashes a Clinton, from this day forth, burns in hell.

[0007]

15. Egads!! Am I gald yore back to give us the straight poop

The whining wheel does get all the grease. And no ONE is gonna burn in hell over your silly whims and devotion to an irrational belief that an object, an action, or a circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.. You should be ashamed of yourself for making such a witchy superstitious statement.

Psst ... there is no hell. But there is a ignore list, which you have just been put on. Have a nice day toots.

[sniffa]

16. I feel very much the same for you

:hi:

[0007]

17. Thare ain't no hell sister. But the whining wheel does get all the grease.

I'm far from being a Clinton hater in any way or form.

Your witchy superstitious and irrational belief that an object, an action, or a circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome. I would never wish you harm for oving or hating someone. You are a DUers I think?!?!? I respect what you say and do. I don't have to like your attitude.

Have a nice day toots!

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

11. I have a 4-year-old, and believe me, what Clinton is doing isn't whining

;)

Seriously though, I think "whining" is not really the right word for it. It's true that her announcements of failures have helped her in the past (witness the $10M she raised after announcing her campaign was broke) but in the long run this is just going to demoralize her own supporters, and negatively impact her vote tally.

[NoBorders]

14. You'd think it, as a strategy, would be subject to diminishing returns

But maybe by using a different scenario each time around, it keeps working. Or people really will start to get fatigued from it.

[bigtree]

13. Crawford has a whine of his own

the expectations game. standard politics. what a lightweight 'analysis'