What went wrong? (Exclusive story of Hillary's fall)

[antigop]

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=f7a4a380-c4a4-4f84-b653-f252e8569915

The exclusive story of Hillary's fall, as told by the high-level advisors, staffers, fundraisers, and on-the-ground organizers who lived it.

Endings are rarely as joyous as beginnings--and in the case of a long, wearing, and ultimately disappointing campaign, they can be downright brutal. But they also have the potential to be educational, for participants and gawkers alike. So it is that we asked (begged, really) a range of Hillarylanders for their up-close and personal lists of "What Went Wrong?" Not everyone wanted to play. Many stubbornly pointed out that their candidate is not yet dead. But, on the condition of total anonymity, a fairly broad enough cross-section of her staff responded--more than a dozen members all told, from high-level advisors to grunt-level assistants, from money men to on-the-ground organizers.

[lligrd]

1. One Word: Hubris

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to affect Repukes!

[AtomicKitten]

2. She bought into her own inevitability theme and forgot to run the primary race

with a wrong & inconsistent message, poor money management, hopelessly flawed strategy ... against an opponent she underestimated, in fact ridiculed, who beat her decisively in every possible way.

[atufal1c]

3. Two words: Obama Campaign

The Clinton campaign was like the Aztecs going against the Spanish Conquistadors.

You're a great people. United, powerful, respected, and feared, with a long history of success. Doesn't appear like anyone can stand up to you.

And then the guys on horseback show up.

[Arugula Latte]

4. Wow ... that is an interesting read. Fascinating to hear this stuff from the horse's mouth.

:kick:

[havocmom]

5. "Her people spent all of 2008 making lists blaming each other (but never themselves)

... rather than lists of solutions."

That's the money statement, right there.

Some other gems:

"Not learning from the mistakes of Kerry and Gore, the campaign was based in the D.C. area, rooting its perspective in the fishbowl and echo chamber nature of the capital. And was overstaffed with hired guns with no real allegiance to HRC; she was the safest and easiest bet, no sacrifice necessary."

"Harold Ickes's encyclopedic understanding of the proportional delegate system was never operationalized into a field plan. The campaign inexplicably wrote off many states entirely, allowing Obama to create the lead of 100+ delegates that he has today. Most notably, we claimed the race would be over by February 5, but didn't devote any resources to the smaller states that day and in the weeks that followed, allowing Obama to easily run up margins and delegate counts on the cheap--the delegate margin he will win by."

"Probably our second biggest mistake was much more operational: Making our chief strategist our one and only pollster. It is impossible to disagree and have a counter view on message when the person creating the message is also the person testing the message."

Noticed the absence of 'sexism' as the hook any of these insiders picked to hang the failure upon. Interesting that insiders and so many passionate supporters here at DU differ so much on the analysis.

[Hutzpa]

17. Most of the so called Hillary supporters

are masquerading as Democrats and thats is something we need to look into,
they are comfortable dishing out racist and sexism remarks.

The insiders do not feel the same way as these supporters that we see here
on DU, they know exactly where they went wrong.

[havocmom]

18. In some cases here at DU, I believe you are correct

But some are not gop ops. bush has his 29% and I think HRC has hers.

I am the granddaughter of a woman who worked to secure the votes for women. I am the daughter of a woman who struggled to feed her kids in a nation where she made about half what males made for the same work. I have a daughter. I have worked on women's issues. It all matters and I would LOVE to know my country is sane enough to pick a qualified female leader.

But Hillary is not that qualified person. Her poorly executed campaign is proof of that.

In my lifetime? Please, a woman who really can do the job. They are out there. I know plenty with the temperament, skills, and talent. Now, we find them and get them started on their way.

But, Hillary beat herself. And the 29% that won't face that are not helping the cause of elevating more women into higher/highest office.

:rant:

[RainDog]

25. I think she would have won

if Obama had not been in the campaign. I think ppl would have elected her for president b/c, at this time, the democratic "brand" isn't stale on the shelf. She's also a "brand name."

I honestly do not think her loss has anything to do with sexism. I do think some ppl have been sexist about Clinton, but I don't think that's why Obama won.

I think Obama won b/c at this time and place in history, America is ready for a big change. If Obama hadn't offered this, we would have politics as usual - and I think many, many ppl do not think this is what America needs at this time.

He offered an alternative and that's what people chose. His message. Not hers. That possibility for hope, change, for a govt that does not ignore its population.

[havocmom]

28. Am curious. Did you read the article linked inOP?

Lots of her staff seem to think it wasn't Obama that beat them.

[RainDog]

29. yes I read it

one said Obama was a phenomena they didn't expect and didn't react to early on. Even if they had, I don't think they could've beaten him.

They're all inside the campaign and have insight from that pov, and no doubt there were campaign mistakes. However, to blame this or that inside the campaign ignores that Obama has fired up the electorate in a way she will never be able to do b/c she's part of the bush/clinton legacy.

people are sick of what's been going on and want to change it. She's not that change.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

21. "Noticed the absence of 'sexism' as the hook..."

The truth behind the "truth."

[pompano]

6. She has insulted the....

intelligence of smart people, she lies without conscience, she ran a filthy campaign, she skirted the edges of racism, her husband's reamarks were outlandish, she practically endorsed McCain in a temper tantrum, she lied about NAFTA, stuck Mark Penn down our throats, and embarrassed this Party to tears with her wild Bosnian tales of adventure. More importantly she gave Bush the IWR and seems all to kissy cozy with the other side of the aisle if it fits her overall political scheme of things.

Thats how I see it. I'll get a chance to vote for better, and will.

[Me.]

7. No Overall Plan

no real strategy, people who didn't know or have any allegiance to her. How did she think she was going to run a country and a national budget (mismanagement bordering on fraud) if this is the team she put in place? Seriously.

[antigop]

15. I was wondering about that myself.

I don't think we want these "qualities" in a President.

<edit to add> But I thought she was ready on day one. Ready to do what?

[Barack_America]

23. Yeah, I don't see how any candidate with a shred of managerial experience...

Could notice that the campaign does not have an overarching plan.

It honestly sounds like she was far too hands off and unconcerned with the details. Which is, oddly enough, the type of managerial style she tried to criticize Obama for having.

[C_U_L8R]

8. fascinating article... but no real mention of the Bosnia gaffes

That was the tipping point for all the Hillary fans I know.
They just couldn't go along with the lying.

[TrogL]

20. Bosnia was the tip of the iceberg

Campaign had already gone down the toilet.

Yes, I'm mixing my metaphors.

[C_U_L8R]

31. yeah.. mixed metaphor = cold toilet = no fun

: - )))

[Colobo]

9. Good stuff!

[irish.lambchop]

10. Very insightful, thank you.

Administrations usually closely resemble campaigns. Yikes.

[FatDave]

11. I like that some of the first few were basically...

...we didn't hit Obama fast/hard/soon enough. Yeah, that was the big mistake. :eyes:

[Mme. Defarge]

12. Great read! nt

[antigop]

14. I just read your tag line-- funny. I took 4 years of French in high school. n/t

[anonymous171]

13. Problem: She became the anti-hope candidate.

[Hutzpa]

16. An interesting read,

this is something that majority of us at DU already knew so it comes
as no surprise to some of us.

We knew all along what her flaws where hence the reason some of us
chose wisely and waited for the implosion, for folks that have been
at this forum longer they would remember posts after posts exposing
her voting decisions and pandering, no need to explain as it has
become known as to how she voted in the Senate.

[JuniperLea]

19. Two Words: Old School

She went about this in a very old fashioned way... the way MEN have been doing it for a very long time.

Times are changing; Hillary didn't change.

There are many shades of Democrat here on DU. People need to learn to live with being a Democrat. There is not one group think, and those who believed there was, or that there should be, are far closer to the Republican ways than any Hillary supporter I ever saw here. I've been accused of being both a Hillary supporter and an Obama supporter, depending on who I was talking to and who was slinging bullshit... I never took it from either side.

If you are looking for an organized, group think political party, you are in the wrong place. As it should be.

[TexasObserver]

22. Her biggest problem from day one was believing her own press releases.

Never has anyone held such undeservedly smug attitude about herself. She's an ordinary talent with an extraordinary ego.

[mythyc]

24. fascinating read! thanks for posting

[dailykoff]

26. Thin resume, piss-poor voting record, tin ear, annoying personality.

She was never going to win, she just thought her RW pals would fix things so it would look like she did. She got pwned. :shrug:

[Lord Helmet]

27. she ran a crappy campaign

[OzarkDem]

30. ie Washington elite and corporate America

who grow increasingly uncomfortable as their efforts to push her out of the race and choose the Democratic candidate they can control continues to fail.

Voters don't want their candidates chosen in a corporate board room or DC lobbyist "think tank". They're not backing down this time.