Clinton Sets the Bar
A few weeks ago, Hillary Clinton was seen as the clear frontrunner in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary -- and the question was just how big her margin of victory would be.
But with several polls showing the race tightening, the Clinton campaign on Thursday made clear that it now thinks any win will be a success -- and that any loss in Pennsylvania should be seen as a defeat for Barack Obama.
Howard Wolfson, Clinton's communications director, told reporters on a conference call this morning that the Obama campaign is outspending Clinton's 2-to-1 this week, and did the same last week, breaking all political spending records in the state. "I do not believe they are doing that just to do well," Wolfson said. "They are doing it to win."
Wolfson then began what will surely be a running game of managed expectations until polls close on Tuesday. "If they do not win, they will have been unsuccessful in the state of Pennsylvania. That is where I believe the bar ought to be."
Pointing to Obama's heavy spending, his many visits to the state, and the support he's received from Sen. Bob Casey, Wolfson said Obama had created the best playing field he could hope for. "If they are unable to claim an outright victory, after all of that, it will be another example of Sen. Obama failing to win a large key state."
Comments:
Posted 04/17/2008 02:11pm with
I completely disagree with Howard Wolfson’s statement “If they are unable to claim an outright victory, after all of that, it will be another example of Sen. Obama failing to win a large key state.”
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I live in Pittsburgh, and the I know that the major hurdle here is that a lot, A LOT, of the people here are older (PA is second to FL in senior population I believe). The reason for this is a lack of entry level jobs, forcing college grads to move elsewhere, usually not turning back. As we know, Obama does not fair as well with older voters, especially older whites, which is pretty much the demographic here. Its amazing how rural the people become just thirty minutes outside of downtown Pittsburgh. These are your good old gun toting, bitter folk (they are and he was right with that statement). Furthermore, a lot of these people are racist.
The very fact that the polls are tightening now, when before Obama looked like a long shot, should be an indication of how Obama’s message is spreading, and people are liking what they hear. Even within the city limits, its amazing how politically ignorant people are. A know a good many people around my parents’ age (55 or so) that refuse to vote for him because of his name, which is ludicrous.
I still do not expect an “outright victory”, but Its amazing how many people either have changed which candidate they support, or they just picked Clinton upfront because she was known, but then when they truly decided to stand behind someone, they chose Obama.
Posted 04/17/2008 02:13pm with
Maybe you’re too polite to say, but I would have thought the general reaction of the press to Wolfson’s comments would have been to have laughed out loud.
Posted 04/18/2008 01:57pm with
So… If Clinton wins big after leading by over 20%, she wins but even if she wins a narrow victory and doesn’t significantly cut into Obama’s pledged delegate lead OR his popular vote lead, Hillary still wins?
How long before the Clinton camp comes up with a positive spin over the possibility of an Obama win in Pennsylvania? Let’s see….. Even if Obama pulls out a win in Pennsylvania, it won’t be considered a knockout blow unless he wins big. Another state and Obama hasn’t knocked her out of the race!!
I can see the parade on Obama’s inauguration day with Clinton declaring from her podium, “I can still win this thing! It isn’t over!”
Posted 04/20/2008 10:39am with
If Clinton doesn’t convincingly win the popular vote in PA, her candidacy is dead in the water. If she doesn’t win a significantly higher number of delegates in PA than Obama does, her candidacy is dead in the water. If she can’t win over enough Democrats in PA to reverse the superdelgate flood toward Obama, her candidacy is dead in the water, and superdelegates will abandon her en masse after Obama wins in a landslide in North Carolina. Does anyone think Edwards will endorse Clinton after the voters of North Carolina overwhelmingly vote for Obama? If Clinton hangs on after North Carolina, it will be to destroy Obama’s chances of beating McCain. What will the superdelegates do then? She has to win PA, NC and IN to overtake Obama. And that is an impossibility no matter what anyone claims of fantasizes.