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Hillary Seeks to Cast Herself as Underdog vs. Obama
Sunday, February 10, 2008
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, viewed last year as virtually
unstoppable in her bid to become the U.S. Democratic presidential nominee,
is now seeking to portray herself as the underdog against rival Sen. Barack
Obama.
Political analysts saw some irony in the idea that Clinton, who has been a
household name since her husband, Bill Clinton, first ran for president in
1992, is pinning the label of "establishment" on her opponent.
But many analysts saw it as an effort by Clinton, who would become the first
woman U.S. president, to try to neutralize Obama's message that he is the
candidate of change.
Clinton aides made their case last week, citing Obama's fundraising prowess
and a slew of endorsements he had racked up as evidence he was running an
"establishment" campaign.
With the two dueling in a very close race, aides listed some advantages the
Illinois senator had, such as support from prominent Democratic Party
figures like Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.
"Senator Obama, really in the last couple of weeks ran an establishment
campaign based on endorsements while he's saying that he was in fact a
change candidate," said Clinton campaign strategist Mark Penn, the day after
the "Super Tuesday" nominating contests in 24 states which she basically
split with Obama.
The New York senator and former first lady, 60, made her own point on the
campaign trail in Maine on Saturday.
"He has increasingly relied on big endorsements and celebrities to sort of
attach himself to, to get the kind of validation that comes from that sort
of endorsement," Clinton said when asked if she was now the "underdog" in
the race against Obama.
Later Obama cruised to decisive wins in Louisiana, Nebraska and the state of
Washington to gain momentum in the deadlocked, state-by-state fight with
Clinton for the nomination to take on the Republican nominee in November's
election.
While Obama has outpaced Clinton in fundraising in the first few weeks of
this year, she edged out Obama in 2007. She has also had access to the
Clinton political contacts of a decade or more.
CELEBRITY SUPPORT
Neither candidate has lacked for support from celebrities. The hugely
popular talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Caroline Kennedy, daughter of slain
President John F. Kennedy, have campaigned for the Illinois senator.
Luminaries like singer Barbra Streisand and filmmaker Rob Reiner have been
strong supporters of Clinton, especially in California, where she won last
week's primary.
Calvin Jillson, political analyst at Southern Methodist University in
Dallas, said Clinton is "very clearly the establishment candidate ... and
will not be able to shed the label of the establishment candidate."
Obama, who would be the first black president, uses soaring rhetoric to call
for a new kind of politics that seeks to bridge racial and partisan
divisions.
The 46-year-old senator burst onto the national political stage as an
Illinois state legislator four years ago with a rip-roaring speech at the
Democratic Party convention. Since then, he has portrayed himself as someone
who could transform Washington.
But Clinton has seized on the "change" message and insists her years of
political experience would make her better able to carry it out.
"What she's trying to do is find a way to reduce Obama's compelling argument
that he is the change candidate," said Terry Madonna, political analyst at
Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
But Madonna added that labeling Obama as the candidate of the status quo may
not make a dent in his support.
"I don't think that's going to dissuade the crowds of 10,000-15,000 from
showing up at Obama's rallies," he said.
At Clinton's campaign events, the idea of her as an underdog or
"anti-establishment" candidate drew puzzled looks from voters, many of whom
admire what they see as her years of seasoning and exposure in Washington.
"It seems to me that she is the one who is more established," said Penny
Nutting, a 53-year-old teacher who attended a rally for Clinton in Lewiston,
Maine.
Lois Pollis, 50, dismissed as just "more politics" the discussion of who in
the race represented the establishment.
"I don't know that either one of them is an underdog," Pollis said. But
Clinton has a reputation as a fighter who has taken hits and knows how to
come back swinging, and that resonates with some voters, in particular
women, she said.
Clinton's surprise victory in the New Hampshire primary was a case in point.
"The media had her down and out and women got angry and came out to support
her," Pollis said.
Hillary Seeks to Cast Herself as Underdog vs. Obama
Sunday, February 10, 2008
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, viewed last year as virtually
unstoppable in her bid to become the U.S. Democratic presidential nominee,
is now seeking to portray herself as the underdog against rival Sen. Barack
Obama.
Political analysts saw some irony in the idea that Clinton, who has been a
household name since her husband, Bill Clinton, first ran for president in
1992, is pinning the label of "establishment" on her opponent.
But many analysts saw it as an effort by Clinton, who would become the first
woman U.S. president, to try to neutralize Obama's message that he is the
candidate of change.
Clinton aides made their case last week, citing Obama's fundraising prowess
and a slew of endorsements he had racked up as evidence he was running an
"establishment" campaign.
With the two dueling in a very close race, aides listed some advantages the
Illinois senator had, such as support from prominent Democratic Party
figures like Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.
"Senator Obama, really in the last couple of weeks ran an establishment
campaign based on endorsements while he's saying that he was in fact a
change candidate," said Clinton campaign strategist Mark Penn, the day after
the "Super Tuesday" nominating contests in 24 states which she basically
split with Obama.
The New York senator and former first lady, 60, made her own point on the
campaign trail in Maine on Saturday.
"He has increasingly relied on big endorsements and celebrities to sort of
attach himself to, to get the kind of validation that comes from that sort
of endorsement," Clinton said when asked if she was now the "underdog" in
the race against Obama.
Later Obama cruised to decisive wins in Louisiana, Nebraska and the state of
Washington to gain momentum in the deadlocked, state-by-state fight with
Clinton for the nomination to take on the Republican nominee in November's
election.
While Obama has outpaced Clinton in fundraising in the first few weeks of
this year, she edged out Obama in 2007. She has also had access to the
Clinton political contacts of a decade or more.
CELEBRITY SUPPORT
Neither candidate has lacked for support from celebrities. The hugely
popular talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Caroline Kennedy, daughter of slain
President John F. Kennedy, have campaigned for the Illinois senator.
Luminaries like singer Barbra Streisand and filmmaker Rob Reiner have been
strong supporters of Clinton, especially in California, where she won last
week's primary.
Calvin Jillson, political analyst at Southern Methodist University in
Dallas, said Clinton is "very clearly the establishment candidate ... and
will not be able to shed the label of the establishment candidate."
Obama, who would be the first black president, uses soaring rhetoric to call
for a new kind of politics that seeks to bridge racial and partisan
divisions.
The 46-year-old senator burst onto the national political stage as an
Illinois state legislator four years ago with a rip-roaring speech at the
Democratic Party convention. Since then, he has portrayed himself as someone
who could transform Washington.
But Clinton has seized on the "change" message and insists her years of
political experience would make her better able to carry it out.
"What she's trying to do is find a way to reduce Obama's compelling argument
that he is the change candidate," said Terry Madonna, political analyst at
Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
But Madonna added that labeling Obama as the candidate of the status quo may
not make a dent in his support.
"I don't think that's going to dissuade the crowds of 10,000-15,000 from
showing up at Obama's rallies," he said.
At Clinton's campaign events, the idea of her as an underdog or
"anti-establishment" candidate drew puzzled looks from voters, many of whom
admire what they see as her years of seasoning and exposure in Washington.
"It seems to me that she is the one who is more established," said Penny
Nutting, a 53-year-old teacher who attended a rally for Clinton in Lewiston,
Maine.
Lois Pollis, 50, dismissed as just "more politics" the discussion of who in
the race represented the establishment.
"I don't know that either one of them is an underdog," Pollis said. But
Clinton has a reputation as a fighter who has taken hits and knows how to
come back swinging, and that resonates with some voters, in particular
women, she said.
Clinton's surprise victory in the New Hampshire primary was a case in point.
"The media had her down and out and women got angry and came out to support
her," Pollis said.
