 |
Evening Thread: Don’t Let Clinton Reset Expectations |
 |
As polls close up in PA, Hillary is resetting expectations, trying to say that if Obama doesn’t win it “will be a significant defeat.”
She’s also trying to portray the fact that he’s outspending her as a sign that she’s the underdog, and drawing attention to Senator Casey’s endorsement of Obama even though many prominent Pennsylvania Democrats endorsed her, including Governor Rendell.
So fuck all her noise. As Kos says, “the baseline is 19 points.” Anything less than a 10-point victory, I say, and Obama has once again proved how incredible of a campaigner he is.
Or as this blogger says:
Clinton needs to win big in Pennsylvania in order to keep her campaign viable. Pennsylvania is a state where Clinton had hoped to pick up extra delegates. Obama coming within a few points would make it a virtual tie in pledged delegates.
A small margin of victory for Clinton will still be seen as a loss and a victory for Obama. Obama winning the state would certainly be a major comeback and a deadly blow to the Clinton campaign.
So Obama supporters, let’s keep those expectations low. Harp too much on the closing gap and you’re just giving comfort to the enemy.
absolutely correct–Clinton was supposed to win PA big–20 points or so. I agree that 10 points or less is a great showing for Obama in a state Clinton should win big, and has to win big. and even winning big doesn’t change the ultimate math for HC
Yes, Clinton supporters, aided by the media, are doing exactly what they did with Texas, and for that matter with New Hampshire.
I posted an entry about a month back that examined the math for the remaining states. In order to justify stealing this primary from Barack Obama, Senator Clinton needs to pull within 50 pledged delegates in order to “muddy the water” and make things seem like a tie.
She cannot do this without 20-point victories in Pennsylvania and Indiana. She will do neither! She also needs Florida and Michigan to seat the delegates of the false elections. This is also extremely unlikely.
Senator Clinton may continue to prove herself to be an annoyance for the Obama campaign in the days ahead, though her continued desperation and her klutzy campaign strategy are making her look like a smaller and smaller fly at the Democratic picnic.
I do not, however, decry the length of this contest, as I firmly believe that the fervency of the Obama campaign engages more and more voters who will be brought into the fray come this November. Continued efforts in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and the Mountain West only raise more hope to what this campaign looks to do in Wisconsin, Iowa, Virginia, and Colorado–which is to flip traditionally-red states as they emerge from the mugging that has been the last two presidential terms.
I don’t doubt that we’ll have to endure Senator Clinton’s public relations sideshow for another month, maybe more. Maybe by June her campaign will realize that the joke is on her.