Clinton's last stand on road to oblivion

[jakem]

HILLARY CLINTON is now fighting to save her presidential tilt after new polls showed she trails her rival for the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama, by as much as 13 percentage points on the eve of polling in the crucial early state of New Hampshire.

Her strategy of blasting all rivals for the nomination out of contention in the early primary races is in tatters, and as soon as today's New Hampshire election is over she will need to focus on California and New York, where before Christmas she enjoyed solid leads, to avoid being overtaken by the wave of support that Senator Obama seems to be gathering.

The Clinton campaign team has altered its strategy to more sharply focus on the differences between her and Senator Obama, by painting her as the experienced one against a neophyte, and as a pragmatist against a naive dreamer.

"I think the debate was a defining moment in this campaign because it highlighted the difference between talk and action, between rhetoric and reality," she said on Sunday.

Until now she has emphasised her experience rather than going on the attack.

But the Washington newspaper Politico reported on Sunday that the campaign team had decided against starting to run ads against Senator Obama.

Politico said: "The senator's aides concluded that negative advertising would not work in the compressed time frame between Iowa and New Hampshire, adding to their worries about their ability to change a media and political environment that is embracing Obama as a historic figure.

"Conversations with campaign officials make it clear they feel besieged and unsure how to stop Obama's momentum."

Senator Clinton took to the hustings on Sunday, holding two rallies in New Hampshire that were well attended by both supporters and voters who are still making up their minds.

At Nashua High School, where Senator Obama had drawn crowds on Saturday that caused traffic jams and long queues, Senator Clinton drew a crowd only slightly smaller, of more than 3700, suggesting that she is still of interest to voters who are undecided.

Later in the afternoon, at the coastal town of Hampton, more than 800 were turned away, and a second hall at the school had to be opened up to accommodate those who were prepared to hear, but not see, her speak.

"This has been a day of enormous energy and excitement," she said, showing no sign that she is on a political precipice.

The former president Bill Clinton was sent to two other towns to speak on her behalf.

But whether she has time or the charisma to turn around the tide of support that appears to be ebbing away is doubtful.

The latest CNN/WMUR tracking poll in New Hampshire showed Senator Obama surging ahead of his rivals with 39 per cent support, followed by Senator Clinton (29 per cent) and John Edwards (16 per cent). Compared with a survey on Friday, Senator Obama was up six points, and Senator Clinton and Mr Edwards were down four points each. A new USAToday/Gallup poll had her 13 points behind.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/clintons-last-stand-on-road-to-oblivion/2008/01/07/1199554571309.html

[ccpup]

1. here we go

first they'll say she's on the road to "oblivion" and then, when she places a strong second or amazingly scores a shocking razor-thin win, she'll be "resurgent", the "comeback kid" while Obama will have "stumbled", his campaign in "disarray".

As far as media storylines -- the ones that sell papers or bring in viewers -- go, this one is shaping up predictably by-the-numbers.

[Bitwit1234]

2. Gee I guess real reporters don't know anything about the primaries

From 1952 thru 2000 the winner of the Iowa caucus and the NH primary never went on to win the presidential nomination....all Iowa has done is get the caucus by bussing in hundreds of thousands of students to vote for him. And we know why he has a boast in NH. Since bush is the only one who has ever won these two primaries and we know WHY AND HOW what's the big deal.

[Anouka]

3. What's with the reports those people were bused in from New York

and Massachusetts, questions were planted (again), and the Clinton campaign 'paid for everything'?

Is that right wing smear, or the truth?