Clinton Meets with Des Moines Register Prior to Debate --->>>

[Stephanie]

Um, did Dennis Kucinich get a private dinner with a Des Moines Register columnist?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/us/politics/12clinton.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Feeling Heat, Clinton Tries Iowa Up Close

DES MOINES — Ten months ago, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton went to East High School here on her first trip to Iowa as a presidential candidate and laid out a case for her candidacy to a cheering crowd in a packed gymnasium.

Mrs. Clinton returned to East High School late last week. But the crowd was much smaller and more sedate. And rather than discussing her candidacy, Mrs. Clinton explained the caucus process and showed a video titled “Caucusing Is Easy.”

***

Her aides said she had largely cleared her schedule this week to prepare for the Democratic debate on Thursday sponsored by The Des Moines Register, the final encounter here among all the candidates, which they now view as one of their final opportunities to shift the momentum back to her favor.

Needing a strong performance to head off inroads made by Mr. Obama and tamp down questions about whether she is too calculating, she is reviewing past Register debates and issues of particular importance in Iowa, and hoping to win The Register’s endorsement, the aides said. (She went from East High School to downtown Des Moines for a private dinner Friday evening with David Yepsen, the influential Des Moines Register columnist, who has repeatedly questioned whether Mrs. Clinton appreciated the nuances of the state.)

***

It is in the interest of Mrs. Clinton’s advisers to reduce expectations for their candidate. Still, their assessment that Mrs. Clinton was having trouble mastering the political intricacies of this state was echoed by Democrats in other campaigns, and reflected by the sometimes tin-ear quality of the Clinton campaign here.

<more at link>

[havocmom]

1. K & R

:kick:

[Stephanie]

2. ty!

:hi:

[HeraldSquare212]

3. Cleared her schedule for a week to prepare for debate?

I thought she was a seasoned campaign pro? Do the other candidates step off the trail for so long?

[Stephanie]

4. Yes, she needs a week to practice not seeming "too calculating."

:eyes:

[havocmom]

7. ::snarf::

Method acting can be exhausting too. Extra sleep might be required ;)

[Stephanie]

5. Well I find it curious.

The Register is using an arbitrary interpretation of the rules to bar Kucinich yet they have columnists sitting down for dinner with HRM HRC.

[superkia]

10. You know that the system doesnt want Dennis giving the people...

a voice and spreading his "terror and propaganda".

[Spike89]

6. It is a state-specific debate

If you read the article, you know she's being accused of not fully understanding IOWA, being an experienced campaigner doesn't translate at all into knowing specifics about one state. I'm not pro or anti Hilary at this point, but geez this is some pretty negative spinning and it strikes me as unfair.

As for Dennis, I love his stances, but his campaign is weak. He surely knew that if he didn't at least make a credible effort to appear to give a damn about showing well in Iowa, then he'd get dropped. This isn't a conspiracy, it is simply sloppy campaigning (or, perhaps Dennis thinks he can actually get sympathy/press better by claiming conspiracy?)

[CoffeeCat]

8. I doubt she got too far with Yepsen...

Yepsen is CLEARLY an Obama supporter. Yepsen has
criticized Clinton as routine (some of it warranted, some
of it not) and he speaks so disrespectfully of Edwards,
it's bizarre.

I don't know how much clout Yepsen has when it comes
to who the Register endorses, but I'm pretty sure he'll
be voting for Obama. As the Register's Chief political
reporter, he at least gets one vote.

[slipslidingaway]

9. Interesting and thanks n/t