For what she said she said it well. For a speech aimed at giving her supporters "catharsis" it was right on the money. As oratory intended to unite, it largely succeeded.
As for helping Barack Obama against the Republicans, it failed. It failed because she didn't say: "Barack Obama is ready to lead."
McCain seized that opening and issued a statement last night pointing that out. His new ads feature clips from her "3 a.m." ad as he continues to use her attack of inexperience against Obama. Romney was here yesterday saying, "Barack Obama is not ready to lead."
You can bet that the line "not ready to lead" will be on the lips of every GOPer leaving the Twin Cities next week. I'm not sure what line Democrats take with them from the Mile High City.
The most fatal mistake a campaign can make is work for the wrong goal. Yes, Clinton needed to unite her supporters behind Obama, which she did last night. But then, she needed to walk a step further an undo the damage her "inexperience" attacks caused him in the primary and that are and will be hurled at him from the McCain campaign -- with Clinton's implicit endorsement. Hillary may have taken the democrats to third base. But it doesn't count until they cross home plate, and she didn't get them there.
The "he's not ready" is a salient attack...one can think positively of Obama but then cluck sympathetically, "he's just not ready." People can think, "I'd like to vote for him, but he's just not ready."
Maybe Bill will deliver the "he's ready" endorsement tonight. Doubtful. But I'll be willing to eat my words.
2 comments:
It didn't need to be said, Scott. She said, up front, "Barack Obama is my candidate." How much more do you want from her?
McSame is going to use footage from Biden when he was running against Obama, too. Should Obama not have picked him as the number-two? Hell, comes to that, McSame is desperate enough that if he couldn't find some footage, he'd take a page from his BFF's book and just make shit up.
And for that matter, if Obama wants to riposte, all he's got to do is dig up footage from after the South Carolina primary in 2000 when suddenly John McCain thought it was a fuckin' great idea to elect an unexperienced guy to the White House. What changed his mind in the last eight years?
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