Clinton campaign didn't see it coming

Win Mcnamee, Getty Images

What’s Plan B? It’s not as if Sen. Hillary Clinton can reinvent herself.

Her "run-as-the-incumbent" approach left her unable to make adjustments. Now someone needs to issue a wakeup call.

By TOM WROBLESKI, Newhouse News Service

Last update: February 14, 2008 - 6:23 PM

Just as the imperfect Patriots got whacked by the Giants in the Super Bowl, Hillary Rodham Clinton's march to the Democratic presidential nomination has been sacked by a combination of hubris, poor game-planning and an out-of-nowhere opponent on a roll.

A cumulative 0-8 against Barack Obama in Democratic nominating contests over the past week has left Sen. Clinton, D-N.Y., lagging Obama in the delegate count and erased any lingering doubt that Sen. Obama, D-Ill., is front-runner for the nomination.

The former First Lady's no-contest losses in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia continued a streak of unmitigated bad news, underscoring the impression that the Clinton campaign is staggering toward collapse.

How did the former all-but-nominated candidate, who has been preparing for this campaign for her whole life, get into this mess? Here's the breakdown:

'It's my turn'

Clinton's run-as-the-incumbent "Rose Garden" strategy has left her flat-footed and unable to make the midgame adjustments necessary to combat Obama. Too many insiders and pundits have assumed for too long that Clinton's nationwide organization, money and Democratic Party contacts would simply carry the day. Now that this isn't working, what's Plan B? Clinton tried to sit on her lead before she had built much of one. It's not as if she can reinvent herself; we know her all too well. What if all those uncommitted superdelegates she is banking on decide to break for Obama while there's still time to board the glory train?

The Obama Hosanna

Nobody saw it coming, and nobody believed it was happening even after Obama continued to outraise Clinton in campaign donations and started winning in places like Iowa and Nebraska, states not exactly known for their high concentrations of African-American voters. While some Clinton backers say Obama is winning mostly in smaller caucus states while she is taking the big fish like California, Obama lately has been running the table more smoothly than Fast Eddie Felson, and Clinton is gasping to keep up. Most chilling for Clinton: There has been no buyer's remorse about Obama among voters; the more he looks like the nominee, the bigger the Democratic turnout is for him.

'Billary' fatigue

Maybe it wasn't such a hot idea to send Bill Clinton into South Carolina and, in effect, remind everybody that if they elect Hillary, the former president comes as part of the package. His finger-wagging, race-tinged campaigning there killed whatever momentum Hillary had gained from her surprise win in New Hampshire and left voters recalling the nasty, vindictive Clintons of old.

The system

Sure, Clinton is winning in big-delegate states like New York, New Jersey and California, but because of the Democrats' proportional allocation plan, Obama is picking up big numbers of delegates even when he finishes second. And the more the Clintonistas talk about Hillary's "firewalls" in Ohio and Texas, which vote March 4, the more they sound like Rudy Giuliani discussing his "Sunshine Strategy." We all know how that worked out.

'We'll win, baby; don't worry'

Even after her recent drubbing, some politicos continue to believe that Clinton will win out. Part of their reasoning: Democratic superdelegates (elected officials and party honchos, for the most part) will flock to her out of fear that Americans simply aren't ready to elect the first black president, no matter how uplifting he is. Maybe some of Clinton's advisers have been telling her the same thing. Someone needs to issue a wakeup call. Which Democrat wants to be the one to go into a room with Barack and Michelle Obama and tell them, "It ain't your year, kids"? Forget about it.

Recent Commentary stories

Garrison Keillor: Let's leave Afghanistan before it's last call - February 14, 2008

Garrison Keillor: Let's leave Afghanistan before it's last call - We don't like quitting, but we also don't like overstaying our welcome. More

Comment on this story | Be the first to comment | Hide reader comments

New ideas for the public sector

THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME to create a more efficient Minnesota. Facing large budget deficits at the state, county and local levels, Minnesotans are seeing with new clarity that the public sector must adapt to new economic realities. Only the smartest, most strategic reinvention will ensure that our tax dollars are spent on the best programs and services. Read more

About Opinion Exchange

Opinion Exchange is produced by the Editorial Department, which is dedicated to hosting the discussion on a range of issues of interest to Star Tribune readers online and in print. In its new format, it's our hope that Opinion Exhange will create a more dynamic dialogue between Star Tribune readers and the Editorial Board. Many individual posts will be written and signed by members of the Editorial Board and will reflect their own opinions. Daily editorials will continue to represent the institutional voice of the newspaper and be researched and written by the Editorial Department, which is independent of the newsroom.

Subscribe to RSS|Learn more about RSS