Anatomy of a Comeback
Team Clinton was too giddy to provide much analysis directly after their 2-point victory in New Hampshire tonight. Communications Director Howard Wolfson hugged Director of Press Advance Jamie Smith. Senior Strategist Ann Lewis exchanged an exuberant embrace with an unknown woman who said “we’re on our way to the White House!” Junior staffers cheered and exchanged high fives in the press filing center.
But, when pressed, advisers were at a loss to explain what happened here. Spokesman Jay Carson said he’d heard anecdotal evidence that her crowds were bigger than Obama’s, and that there were more of the voters likely to support her (mostly older women) than to support him at the various polling places — but that he didn’t believe it after many polls put Obama’s margin in double digits.
Wolfson called the win a “tremendous comeback that nobody anticipated, except for her.” He says “she said to me that she was seeing something different in the last 48 hours.”
Those two days included a fiery debate performance in which she went further than ever in arguing that Obama and Edwards have never achieved substantial change, and contrasting Obama’s soaring rhetoric with her record of results (a debate that could have been interpreted as positive or negative but seems to have landed squarely in the first category); a tearful moment at a small roundtable discussion in Portsmouth that gained national attention (Wolfson called it “critically important); and rallies around the state as well as six stops and numerous TV and radio interviews today.
Clinton’s explanation? “I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice,” she told supporters in her victory speech. Indeed, Wolfson says Clinton herself made the decision to make herself more accessible to New Hampshire voters and to the press — leading to marathon 2-hour Q&A sessions at events and two media availabilities (as well as 2 Fox News interviews) in three days.
Watch a 2-minute run-through of the last 24 hours of those race-changing two days below.
done
Carson says Clinton and the campaign will fall back to NY to figure out what to do next to capitalize on this victory. First up: the morning news shows tomorrow; Obama will also be making the morning show rounds. As for Wolfson, he said “we’re going to take stock of this, and enjoy it for at least the next 10 or 15 minutes” — though it barely took 15 minutes after her speech for the first fundraising note to be sent to supporters touting her win. Check it out after the jump.
—– Original Message —–
From: Hillary Clinton <info@hillaryclinton.com>
To: Bruns, Aaron
Sent: Tue Jan 08 23:41:52 2008
Subject: From the bottom of my heart
Dear Aaron,
You and I surprised a lot of people tonight!
In the days after Iowa, I turned to you and asked you to stand with me. When I needed you most, you came through with flying colors.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
All the best,
Hillary
Tags: barack obama, hillary clinton, New Hampshire
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Hey, there are more primaries to come. Did you know there are more candidates on the ballot in Arizona than any other state? We’ve got real choices for change! Check out the candidates at Project White House 08″
You won’t find a stranger bunch anywhere!
Well … it’s strange to use as an explanation, but non -polled people making the difference have a name - they’re called the silent majority. Of course, as it is a Nixon term, it’s not something HC would want to use, but o Fox it must make all the difference. Don’t you claim to represent this “silent majority”? Are you going to endorse HC now? You should, but you’re lavish with principles, so I suppose you won’t.
Chickens.
Coming from the most politicised country in the world - Belgium (you know about the political troubles we are in and actually have been in for decades and decades?).
Well its pretty clear that most people make up their own mind based on research and alot of thought. They are not going to be told how to think by a bunch of media people. Obama’s big mistake was in thinking that people don’t know the difference between great speeches and the ability to get it done. Go Hillary!!!!!!
If she found her voice it’s because Bill gave it to her.
You know, I have read Sen Clinton’s book and despite that there is nothing that any woman can do to convince me that “strength” is shown by doing anything necessary to propel your career. Riding the coat tails of your husband whom embarrassed his position and embarrassed his family in the full view of the public in a position that should be the pinnacle of moral standing, is not the kind of message that the right woman for the presidency should be sending. I am embarrassed that women have grouped together and decided that any woman in the white house is better than a man and who have blinded themselves to the fact that we as women have suffered enough black eyes in our pursuit to level the playing field by “doing whatever it takes” to get the top job all in the name of ambition. Personally if that’s your view of the strength of a woman, hey great for you. But could we not as women do it right in whom we pick for the president of the United States? I would love to have a woman president in office but I would want that woman to either be a woman who has a husband and family whom she supports and whom supports her whole heartedly throughout their lives and not just for the sake of a candidacy or a single woman or mother who has defied the odds and with her own two hands climbed to the top of the mountain.
It is not ok for a woman to represent my gender in the position of president in this manner. It is not ok for any of us as women to tell ourselves that using her husband is a way of vindication of his shame in his position and to his family. It is not ok for us as women voters to tell ourselves that this type of perception is ok and that all rules are thrown out of the window as long as we can get one of ours in the White House.
That’s not the way I wish to be represented. That’s not the way I think women should be represented in the highest office.
Nancy, I’m just going to say right now that I don’t believe you read Hillary Clintons’ book. No one could have read it and then posted what you just posted.
In my opinion, Ken Starr is the one who embarassed this nation.
He took his evidence to a United States Federal Grand Jury, who refused every single one of his charges.
So Ken Starr took his charges instead to a Republican Congress, who attempted to reverse two Presidential elections. Ken Starr actually threatened ML’s MOTHER with JAIL if she didn’t testify against her own daughter!
And STILL no convictions against the Clintons.
Bill Clinton is not the first man to cheat on his wife, and Hillary Clinton is not the first Christian woman to forgive sin.
Everyone but Rightwing Republicans (who seem to have a very odd fascination with other people’s sex lives) think FORGIVENESS is what Jesus calls for. It’s time for you to follow Hillary Clinton’s lead, and forgive.
You can do it! Somehow, Republicans have found it in their hearts forgive McCain, Thompson, and Giuliani for cheating and even LEAVING their wives!
The Republican Congress wasted millions and millions and millions and millions of YOUR tax dollars, to find out that the Clintons were innocent of all of Ken Starr’s charges. Meanwhile, a Federal Grand Jury had told them exactly same thing… many, many, many months before!
Why don’t you hold Ken Starr and the Republican Congress accountable for going after Bill Clinton with, obviously, their own little personal vendetta… and wasting millions and millions and millions and millions of YOUR tax dollars on NOTHING??
THE ANATOMY OF A BILLARY CLINTON COMEBACK…
She didnt come back. She just has more support in New Hampshire than in Iowa. She isnt the “comeback kid”. She is just in a location that is more receptive to the phony BILLARY message.
Bush has never won in California. If he then goes to a place like Texas and wins, does that make him the “comeback kid”? NO …it means nothing.
Nancy, or should I call you Obama girl…first off as Jan points out you never read Hillary’s book. Secondly, strength is standing in the face of national embarassment and adversity and pressing on and prospering with your head held high. Hillary has shown a tremendous amount of forgiveness, commitment, and most importantly strength by sticking by her family (specifically Bill), when the easy/weak thing to do would have been to walk away.
And I don’t mean to imply that you’re weak Nancy since you obviously would have walked away, but maybe you’re simply not Christian and do not understand the importance of forgiveness or maybe you’ve never been married and said and meant the words “In good times and in bad.”
Regardless of how you judge Hillary for taking the higher ground, they moved on and are still together. Your claim that she is riding Bill’s coattails and using her husband is ludicrous. Maybe you’re not aware that every spouse is out there promoting their candidate on the trail, including the cancer-stricken Elizabeth Edwards who should be doing anything but campaigning, yet I’m not going to tell you that her husband is using her for sympathy votes.
And let’s get something straight, Hillary is not running for you Nancy nor is she running for your gender as you put it. But if you want to bring gender into it I will say this, Hillary Clinton has more balls than any other candidate on either side. She is running for America and she will fight for America once in office with a toughness and conviction that we’ve never seen in our time.
Wow, Arizona just moved up a notch in my book.
Everyone wants to say they called the whole race after a couple of tiny Primaries. Pundits can be so tiresome. Lighten up buttercup!
Re-direct your frustrations with politics by engaging Americas true grass-roots candidates. While the media tries to figure out why their speculation and guess-work doesn’t yield results, Arizona is quietly making a bold political statement.
Which candidate cut a hole in the America flag while illegal aliens cross our border in the background?
Which candidate wears an eye-patch like a pirate?
And, did you know there are two women in Arizona’s Primary ballot?
Project White House 08
Thanks for the post Ann!
Didn’t come back? Iowa folk are more perceptive and independent thinkers than NH residents? Where do you even come up with that?
Look, if you don’t have anything useful to say, jump onto the Obama blogs where you’ll fit right in.
Up until a month ago Hillary was a double digit favorite in the New Hampshire polls. Then Obama became the favorite, and a double digit favorite at that right through to yesterday. It wasn’t until 7pm last night that any of the pundits even considered that the race might be close, let alone a Clinton comeback and victory.
It’s nice to see that substance counted for something in NH. This is not to say that Obama’s charisma doesn’t count. But the world needs someone with Hillary’s years of experience dealing with difficult issues in the office of President. I think her perspective on foreign affairs will prove valuable in an increasingly cranky world. She’s battle tested. Glad that still matters to discerning voters.
I wonder what voting machines were used?
Same as in FL\2000 and Oh\2004?
http://www.nytimes.com/magazine/
tc, WHERE’S THE BEEF??!??!?
LOL!!!!!
—
Sean, I love this:
“And let’s get something straight, Hillary is not running for you Nancy nor is she running for your gender as you put it. But if you want to bring gender into it I will say this, Hillary Clinton has more balls than any other candidate on either side. She is running for America and she will fight for America once in office with a toughness and conviction that we’ve never seen in our time.”
A-MEN!!!
“But the world needs someone with Hillary’s years of experience dealing with difficult issues in the office of President.”
Your right on that one Mick. Keeping Bill to just one affair with a young woman for eight years…Hell she should get the highest medal the U.S. can award to a civilian.
Gosh, Tony, why are you so obsessed with other people’s sex lives?
I find that to be a very odd characteristic, especially when a man comments about another man.
Jan.
Bill’s not my type. He smokes cigars.
This is a little history from the “LOST STATE OF FRANKLIN!”
1. OK? Are we really “OK!” with the status quo?
Well my take from “The Lost State of Franklin!” is;
Let’s See……..hmmmmm, I’m still thinking about it!
The Green Mountain Boy’s went over the Ridge to put the Ka-Bosh! On the Red Coat’s, then
We ”OLD DAVEY, Travis AND a BUNCH OF THE GUY’S!” all singed up, Stood their Ground,
To do the Mexican “Hat” dance at “The Alamo!”
Now in the News’s: Maybe some of those, Good Ole-Boy’s are down on the Boarder, working
For, the Drug Cartel’s and the “Re-Con-quista-Door-OH!’S” with the same result’s!
Big shoot-hem, Up! Hey, Don’t Worry…”Be” Happy-day’s, are “A-hem, Hillary again?”
SO; from my perspective, to get back on track! OK. Then went down to Texas,
Again, to Run, “Poncho-Via!” To: Ground? Well we know how that worked out too!
So, anyway, Good Ole Ben Franklin, went to France, then got some news’s about a “little”
General named Nit-Poll-Elian, or something! Meanwhile back at the “Palace”,
”King Louie” and His “WIFE” says; “Let them Eat Cake?”
“HILLARY _ U.S.!”
Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, from “THE AGE OF REASON!” And the “New-World-Gore-Duh” Back
In, the cheap seats! What say, You?
We “ALL” Know how “That”; turned out!
So, back to business as Usual!
Moving ahead …. We get the War to End All War’s, same old story, then another Nit-Wit, has a brain storm,
Or maybe just Dyslexia, invents the Storm Troop-er, Gestalt! Mien-Got, IN HIMMLE-er Too!
And Across the “OTHER” POND! TOJO wants to Fry up some Kansas Beef, Tired of all that rice.
OK, now they are Nice, But Dec 1941? KAMAKAZI! BON-ZIE! And DIE!
Flash forward, some, and the Flying Tiger’s, Did their thing, and China too. BUT, on the Burma Road, stumble,
But we’ll come to that bridge, Later, and today there is “PEACE” in that nabob, r-HOOD?
Moving right along! Then, in THE FAR EAST! KOREA! 1950 We have a problem with, “OH”, THEY,
“Have a problem” with, “THE CHINESE!”, So WE SEND IN: IKE AND Macarthur!” and a host of Other’s.
Not far along Again, There is a little problem in, THE FRENCH-Foreign Legion!
“So, we send in some Advisor’s and You Know How that little GULF TONKA – dud! Out!
So, let’s review, something. How about our response to the anti-War Left?
(Hey We Didn’t Start It!)
Anyway, well get this Big Wall built up, History there too!
Remember the BIRLIN AIR LIFT! And our “NOW” ahem, Good friends, the Russian’s?
Hey, Let’s “GIVE CREDIT” WHERE, “IT”S DUE!”
Let’s “NOT”, “MARX” around and “STALL-IN!”: ( The) ,” BUSH’S!”
“Reagan and then Gore-Bach-off.” Well YALT-A!” AND then; “DIVY-UP?” THE, REST!
So am I making the point so far? “WELL I LIKE A GOOD MOVIE!”
Anyone See HARRY’S WAR YET? No Not Truman!
The one for “Afghanistan, and the Mu-Ja-HA-ding’-eh!” And, the “Congressman and the socialite?”
NO – “NOT” RAMBO! And The “LAST WARRIOR!” Nor ; the “LAST”- Emperor!” Either!
Love It, a Good Script too.
Unfortunately, We Know Where that Led! “OH!”—“SAY!”_, “CAN YOU SAY?” :
(BIN _LOUD_IN?) And just, a couple, “little”-ole’-“AIRPLANE”S?”
So we get the pot “ALL” stirred up!
IRAQ! Now IRAN; AND ALL that the;”PUD-Nit’s”, want to talk “About,” Is;
How aggressive the Gulf is getting? How it’s “ALL OUR FAULT?”
WELL LET”S CONCENTRATE! On, the “Me”-DIA’S FRENZY,
(over) “ SPEAR”S AND HILLARY’S, MELT-DOWN!”
Or, that is; “ALMOST MELT-DOWN? “ Anyway I Digress, I GUESS!
“SO, I’m “ROOTIN FOR THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOY”
FROM: THE “LOST STATE OF FRANKLIN!”
GIVE EM HELL FRED! …………RUN SOUTH CAROLINA LIKE YOU MEAN IT!
So, Tony, since we now can see that you are the type of individual who enjoys revealing details about your own sex life on a public forum, what kind of man IS your kind of man?
Inquiring Republicans want to know.
Give me a break. It has nothing to do with sex. Whether or not Clinton was stressed and tired, which would lead to question how it is she would deal with a Presidency which can be the epidome of stress or whether it was a play to get more votes, the point is that either way whether it gives her a more human view in the eyes of women or shows that she is ambitious and not beyond anything to win, it should reflect negatively on any person man or woman. There’s just no crying in baseball and the Presidency is no exception. She didn’t show those tears at the funeral of a close friend but yet she broke down when it came to her Iowa defeat and on the eve of New Hampshire. I have no issue whatsoever, no, I would gladly welcome a woman into the top spot of the White House and think it would be awesome to hear Mrs President, however, I do have an issue with anti-men movements and anyone who votes for a candidate on the basis of race or gender. I certainly have an issue with women who are looking at her as this pillar of the strength of women all the while using her husbands influence and despite her book question the motivations surrounding their relationship after the controversy surrounding Bill Clinton’s presidency which is not something I think should be swept under the rug so easily. So sure put a woman in the White House as President, but make sure she is who you want representing our country. If not or until then, let’s choose the best person for the position and for me that is someone who is going to instill change in a major way. Someone who will move us past this melancholy lull of the status quo and move the United States into a position of leadership not by bulling but by example, that will not force other countries to our way of doing things but instead that we can be diverse as well and maybe we could learn a thing or two along the way, someone that will tell big business that it’s no longer ok to ship American jobs overseas to save themselves money at the cost of American livelyhoods, someone that will prevent the greed of big business from preventing Americans from getting medical attention, from losing our homes after reeling us in with low introductory rates and small print and causing the housing market to bottom out and affect the overall economy not to mention what these foreclosures have done to all homeowners. Has your candidate addressed these issues? Mine has, perhaps yours is too busy worrying about the other candidate?
What we do here, we do for ourselves as individuals, we do for our neighbors, and we do for our country. Let’s make sure we get it right this time.
Vote for a Change
Obama 08.
(How many of you read that this was posted by a guy and ignored the substance of the message? How many of you read Obama 08 and ignored what was actually written?…that’s what I figured.)
The lastest thing that worries me about Obama is he thinks terrorism is not real. It is all about fear and nothing to back it up. He has lost his his mind. Obama cult members are sticking their heads in the sand. And God help of us if we are attacked again. I can’t believe Obama supporters are denying in the face of reality how important experience is when facing our countries overwhelming problems. WE ARE AT WAR AMERICA!!!! Our brave soldiers are putting their lives on the line everyday and Obama cult followers are backing a man with no experience. SHAME ON THEM!!!
Everyone on the face of this earth cries. I have personally on tv seen Reagan, Bush I, Bush II, Clinton, Ford and Johnson all cry. We all share this trait as humans. We are not robots.
Did Hillary Clinton actually cry? I thought crying involved tears. I didn’t actually see any tears. What we in New Hampshire saw was a woman who trudged door to door in the snow to ask NH voters for their vote.
Did anyone actually see the “crying” that the media keeps referring to?
Now, I once saw President George H. W. Bush break down publicly and sob uncontrollably because of his realization that most of us believe his son is The Worst President Ever.
No Bush Republicans seemed to mind uncontrollable SOBBING from a President way back then.
Hillary Clinton showed emotion.
Emotion is not crying. The media had been spreading the rumor that Senator Clinton (Mrs. Clinton to Steve Doucy) is a cold and calculating witch. Then that same media showed a clip, over and over and over and over again, in an attempt to humiliate Clinton.
Instead, what we saw, over and over and over and over again, was a clip of Hillary Clinton expressing her love for her country, in the face of what has happened to it under the watch of George W. Bush and his Bush Republicans.
What Bush has done is enough to make us all wept.
The Hillary Haters tried to humiliate Clinton.
The next day, they all had to eat crow because THEY all got humilated instead.
End of story.
On to the next race.
Hillary Clinton cried because of her love for her country. She loves this country, it has been good for her and bill. The Clinton years were good years for them. Bill would not defend the country, He was able to have affairs in the white house, then stand up and lie to all of us about it. The Clintons lied, cheated, and stold from all of us. They even had two of their good friends killed for trying to let us know how corrupt they are. Hillary should show her feelings, if she thinks she may lose power over the people. As a democrat I think hill and bill or the hillbillies do not belong in the white house again, but in the big house.
I like Obama, but I would like to know more about his Muslim past
before I would vote for him to be President of the USA. I also think
the news media has an obligation to scrutinize him as vigorously as
they done to Hillary. We need to have a true comparison of the candidates.
I too have questions about Obama. His father is muslim. I feel like he doesn’t have enough experience for the leader of the world as well as the U.S. I feel that Hillary Clinton is the best qualified and I encourage everyone to read her accomplishments in her biography that you can easily get off google.
You all need to pull your heads out of your socialists asses and wake the hell up, Vote for RON PAUL!!!! Damn, the american people are so sheepishly stupid it discusts me! A vote not for freedom is a WASTED VOTE!!! and none of the democrats and none of the republicans, with the exception of RON PAUL, want freedom for you! THey all want socialist controll over your already sheepish lives, and you do nothing but sit back and give your freedoms away by voting for pieces of shit like Hillary or Obama. WAKE THE HELL UP AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Damn! you people piss me off!!!
Jan is Hillary, yep I’m sure of it!