« Huckabee To Be Endorsed By Rubio | Main | More "Values Voters" Help For Huckabee In Iowa » Here Is Hillary Clinton's Latest Ad In Iowa09 Dec 2007 05:47 pm Comments (17)
Are you kidding??? We're talking about President of the United States-not the MTV awards. Glad to hear Obama and Oprah dance well together- but honestly-we have big problems facing our country and our planet. 
I don't think she can out-Obama Obama. I like the way she is attempting to take the inspirational tone and weave the experience thread throughout; but the reason her poll numbers are falling isn't because people don't think she can achieve her goals. It's because they think she's to polarizing and it's time for a new era. This doesn't change that calculus. Also, Huckabee's rise means bad things for Hillary in my opinion. If the Christian right unify behind a candidate like this; people are going to want to think about giving them a punching bag in Clinton to hit on the campaign trail. The Republicans going after her emphasizes they know how to fight her too; and it makes people antsy in the Dem camp. I kinda feel this ad is (1) to late to make an impact and (2) all the current trends are running against Hillary right now. People are questioning HER and she has to go negative to turn the conversation which I'd argue won't help her at all; as the last three weeks have shown. Meanwhile Obama has found a way to attack her without losing points; because he's just saying what people say alone. And that they've gone Deafcon Five on him and he responds w/a light touch; it serves a contrast to make his negative comments appear less. She's really in a bad box and I don't know if she has enough time to climb out of it. If anyone can, through, it's the Clintons.
I think this ad is pretty good in that it plays to Clinton's strengths in the polls: the issues mentioned in the ad are key issues, and Democrats tend to trust her on those issues, although her support on Iraq in particular had eroded a bit. I also agree, though, that it will inevitably invite unfavorable comparisons to Obama's recent ad.
Both the ad and the mood in their recent campaign appearances is comparable to a difference between a party and a wake. There's just no enthusiasm in the Clinton camp. Hillary's last chance are the last couple of debates.
... "stand up" for change What, exactly, does this mean? Seriously? I can't quite figure out the rock star part of Obama. There's a lot of vague talk about change, but not much you can really hang your hat on. Unless, I suppose, you count appropriating Republican talking points to bash liberals and Democrats. His campaign seems pretty good at that.
oooma, oprah, oprah, oomah who cares? Bruce freaking Springsteen didn't help in '04, Winfrey's a wash for '08. Clinton's the serious candidate.
Clinton's the serious candidate. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but Clinton's going to come in 3rd in Iowa. That will torpedo her whole inevitability campaign, and I doubt she can recover.
Looks like we'll all be dancing ourselves right over the cliff of losing Democratic nominees yet again. Drink the Kool-Aid and drive that 200 batting average down to 166!
Looks like we'll all be dancing ourselves right over the cliff of losing Democratic nominees yet again That's kinda cryptic ... what are you saying, and to whom are you saying it?
justinb - I think the cryptic message was that Obama will lose in the general. Its really kinda a funny point, because it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the Democrats have the advantage next year unless they nominate someone with negatives in the high 40s to maybe even 50. Not saying flat-out that Obama will win the general. But he would have a good shot. Any of the Democrats except Clinton and Kucinich would.
It is the MTV awards.The double O express just proves how mindless the American voter has become.When a celebrity says follow us to the stadium ,like sheep they go.That is frightening folks.
Any of the Democrats except Clinton and Kucinich would. Completely agree (well, of the "serious" candidates, anyway). If Clinton manages to win Iowa, though, I think it's probably all over but the shouting - the primaries, that is. If Clinton's the nominee, it'll be an ugly year.
The argument that Oprah's endorsement and these rallies are a symbol for the shallowness of the Obama campaign are rather naive. Oprah is hardly a normal celebrity - she is a person whom millions of Americans (9 million daily, I think is the figure) admire and look up to. Certainly she has more substance than Barbara Streisand. Even if you aren't an Obama supporter, even if you've already made up your mind on the candidate you support, you'd do well to watch the ads before making baseless attacks. Oprah's speech for Obama were an impassioned case for a politician who has not only proved himself substantive, informed, and experienced, but who also has the rare ability to connect with the hearts of the voters, to inspire in an age where politicians seem more machine than human. In a time where over half of the American people think the country is going in the wrong direction and where uncertainty and nervousness underlie every important issue, the ability to inspire is crucial. Competency is a must, but its a minimum requirement - not an outstanding characteristic. Obama is more than capable, but he is also inspirational. The last time we elected a president on experience alone, we ended up with Richard Nixon. By contrast, the greatest presidents in American history have been those who are not merely good administrators, but who can also connect with the masses, and to make them feel that they too have a stake in our government. Democracy relies on the active participation of the people - to support insipid, uninspiring technocrats will only further increase the alienation that millions feel regarding the political process. We need a hard worker, yes, but after 7 years of an ineffectual republican president, and 1 year of an ineffectual democratic congress, we also need someone who will tell us that we matter, who will show us that government, when used in the hands of the people, and not corporate interests, can be an unqualified blessing instead of a necessary evil.
Correction: Watch the rallies, not ads. Excuse me.
I've been enjoying the Oprah bashing amongst Hillary supporters! Don't cross the Clintons...they'll come and get you! RE: superficial narratives. All of the campaigns have them. Some are better than others though!
I think when you can get 29,000 or 36,000 people to a political rally, you are doing pretty good, both as a candidate and for the country. I think whether you are a clinton or obama supporter you have to admit as much. There is a subtle but striking difference between these campaigns--Hillary by virtue of being the annointed heir to the democratic nomination has talked about what she will do for america as president. Obama has been more about motivating the voter to get involved. Cynically, he has to be to shake the Dem establishment from its embrace of clinton. But whatever motives you ascribe to him--i think he means it but that's just my view--the message is still radically different. A lot of the problems we face today--a government that tortures people, an environmental crisis, poverty--I think are a side-effect of a sleeping electorate. Getting 36,000 people to sign up, to call friends and neighbors, to get involved to be inspired, does have the potential to pierce the veil of government. As one clinton staffer told me, get a list of 5,000 voters together in your district and your rep WILL show up. Elections are a chance for parties to get out there recalibrate get energized. Clinton's message of inevitability did precisely the opposite. So I do not think the Oprah Obama thing is negative; as Oprah said herself, she had never done anything like it before--my guess is that a lot of people who were there they day hadn't either.
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Marc:
Did you miss the 36,000 people that showed up to see Obama in South Carolina today?
Per MSNBC:
Obama also had a fine moment, bringing thousands to their feet saying that it was time to "stand up" for change. The event ended with the crowd dancing along with Obama, his wife Michelle and Oprah.
But the pivotal moment for those watching came earlier, when Oprah ended her ringing endorsement by chanting "Barack Obama!" and dancing with Mrs. Obama on stage. Music from U2 swelled across the stadium, and Obama sauntered up to the stage, throwing his arms around both women and the three waved to the screaming crowd. It was a beautifully choreographed political moment, and the question hung tangibly in the air: Can Obama take a crowd like this, take the enthusiasm, the upswing that Oprah could potentially provide and turn it into a real victory?
Posted by David | December 9, 2007 5:57 PM