body bg wrapper bg wrapper bg home news opinion sections classifieds affiliates
advertisement

« Jenna's 'Ellen' call not staged, aides say | Main | White House stands by scrutinized intel report »

Hillary's 'nightmare scenario'


At CQ Politics, David Corn talks to a "prominent Clinton campaign adviser" who sees a "nightmare scenario" for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton if Sen. Barack Obama should win the Iowa caucus:

If -- just if -- Obama wins in Iowa, this Dem says, the five days between the caucus and the New Hampshire primary might not be enough time for Clinton to derail Obama. Then a nightmare (for Hillary) scenario is possible. Independents and Republicans (who want to hurt Hillary Clinton) turn out to vote for Obama in the New Hampshire open primary. Then the next place truly to stop Obama will be South Carolina on Jan. 26. . . . But one word about South Carolina: Oprah."
The front-loading of the primary season has rendered just such a rapidly rolling snowball of momentum possible. And with Iowa less than a month away, the Clinton campaign can't be happy with the latest polls there.

How to turn it around? Corn's source says, "There may be no choice" for Mrs. Clinton but to go harshly negative. The big problem with that is, as another of Corn's sources says, "She's much better when she's being attacked. . . . She doesn't do sarcasm well."

Another problem, directly related to the early date for Iowa, is that if Mrs. Clinton goes on the attack now, it will be during the Christmas season. Running TV attack ads during "A Charlie Brown Christmas" or "It's A Wonderful Life"? She'd look like a Scrooge.

-- Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor, The Washington Times

Comments (18)

With tongue in cheek, would this make her the pot that calls the kettle black?

Yes, the nightmare scenario for HIllary is actually having a real race instead of just having the nomination handed to her like she felt was owed to her. Sounds about right

Interesting scenario. But Republicans CAN'T vote in the New Hampshire Democratic primary. And, given that there is a real contest on the Republican side, it's hard to imagine many Republican-leaning Independents choosing to vote in the Dem primary to hurt Hillary instead of voting in the Republican primary for the Republican candidate they like the best.

Edwards is the best candidate. He is a white male. They have always won the presidency and the nominations.

This scenario is too good to be true. Can you imagine the whining and complaining these two con artists would be doing? I hope Obama is the dem nominee because he will lose in a landslide for sure.

"Edwards is the best candidate. He is a white male. They have always won the presidency and the nominations."

That's what you think...there's a reason a quip like "spending like John Edwards at a beauty salon" went over so well. Maybe he could be the "first female president" in the way that Billy Jeff was the "first black president".

Hillary does not have nightmares. She gives them to others.

The imaginary series of events in Iowa and NH are not things that Hillary fears. She is worried about needing to tell people how she would govern. She can't tell how she would provide universal health care, good feeling effective reforms on immigration, more benefits for all by taxing the "rich", security through diplomacy with terrorists, etc.

The AMT is an example of the TAX THE RICH pattern where the middle class becomes rich and is taxed. Of course taxing poor people is not an option. There is no money there. The democrats can't admit that the rich really are the middle class.

I would never vote for this Obama guy because of the world trade center.

Oscar-this is not a white supremacist website--actually if you have not heard--the most support for obama comes from whites---apart from the back thinking ones like you--I'm white and you are the type i keep my kids away from

Since when has Hillary been nice? All of her stump speeches have been about blaming the GOP for the woes of the nation, and how she wants to take the money out of our pockets... by force.

uh, ANYONE can vote in the NH Primary, regardless of party or state they live in

It may be a "nightmare scenario" for Clinton, but it would be a real Christmas gift for the rest of the country. Hillary Clinton never had to face any real opposition in either of her two Senatorial races (both of the Republican candidates running against her were jokes) and so now she has to come to grips with the fact that she's in a real horse race, one that she could very well lose. Did anyone notice, too, that if you put together the votes for both Obama and Edwards, Hillary loses by a large margin? So much for the Democrats "rallying" around Clinton for the nomination. She's going down very quickly in the polls, and the more people see of her the less they like her. I really do think she's going to lose.

Terry said:

"ANYONE can vote in the NH Primary, regardless of party or state they live in."

Really? Anybody? Even if the don't live in NH? What would be the point of that, exactly? *If* that's the case, then NH's primary is worthless, useless, and means absolutely nothing.

IOWA OBAMA IS NOT THE ANSWER!
It is proven over and over in his short time as a senator that Obama doesn't have the nerve to take on tough issues. Notice Obama is ducking votes on abortion and Iran!!! Seeking a trillion-dollar tax hike and raising the retirement age for Social Security!!!! PLAY ATTENTION IOWA! DON'T WASTE YOUR VOTE!
Obama completely skipped the Senate vote on Iran. But throws mud at ALL the other senators doing their job. Take a look at his public tenure in the Illinois Legislature, where lawmakers can vote "present"?? (If you can believe that), instead of yes or no on a bill. Obama, votes "present" on SEVEN ABORTION MEASURES!!!! Unbelievable! WAKE UP IOWA! The President can't vote 'present.' Nor pick and choose which challenges he will face. This guy is afraid to make ANY decisions. LOOK AT THE FACTS, IOWANS.
IOWANS the world is watching you first! SHOW THAT YOU ARE INTELLIGENT PEOPLE, not Americans who would see out this great country for a TV talk show host!!!
DO NOT WASTE YOUR VOTE ON OBAMA. he cannot win in the general election. A vote for him is a vote for the Republican Party

Madame President of the United States -- it's an extraordinary thought. We truly are in a momentous time, where a woman's potential has no limitations.
SHAME ON YOU OPRAH!
VOTE FOR CLINTON

This is the lead we need to see:

"Sen. Hillary Clinton issued a press release this morning apologizing to rival Barack Obama for being so mean."

Hey "Anonymous," you just really showed how hypocritical you loons from the left really are!!! I guess it's NOT an "extraordinary thought" if Obama wins, right? You'd rather see a woman win than a black man? That type of logic makes me sick. A woman's potential today has no limitations, unless you're a lying, disingenuous, panderer like Hillary Clinton, then you're going to lose. Maybe, just maybe, Clinton is a bad candidate and should not get the nomination. She shouldn't get the nomination simply because she is a woman. And who are you to tell Oprah to do anything??? Maybe, just maybe, she is supporting the best Democratic candidate there is? But bigoted people like you probably can't see that. People like you in the Democratic party would rather support a bad candidate like Clinton just because she's a woman than go for a better candidate, like Obama, who at least hasn't lied and cheated his way to the top, like Clinton has.

Support terrorists rights and amnesty for millions of illegal aliens--plus special rights for felons to vote. Vote Democrat

I'd love to see a video clip of all the pundits telling us how Hillary & Rudy are a lock to win their Party's nominations.

I hope people will base their vote on actual solutions presented for our most vital problems.
I hope people will stop being loyal to a Party and start being loyal to their Country.

Post a comment

(Comments are moderated.)

The 

Washington Times Advertising Links


 

The Washington Times - Brighter. Bolder. Privacy Policy | About TWT | Site Map | Contact Us
Advertise | Subscription Services
All site contents copyright © The Washington Times, LLC.

home news opinion sections classifieds affiliates