Clinton Takes Aim At Obama
Clinton Compares Obama to George W. Bush and Karl Rove
With just days before the March 4th primaries, Hillary Clinton has again attacked her opponent Barack Obama in the hope of establishing her superiority as a candidate for the U.S. presidency. The junior senator from New York slammed Obama for "using tactics that are right out of Karl Rove’s playbook," and compared his rhetoric to that of George W. Bush:
“Do you think people voting in 2000 knew what they were getting? People thought they were getting a compassionate conservative. It turned out he was neither. We’ve been living with the consequences of those mistakes. He promised change as a compassionate conservative and the American people got shafted.”
Having criticized Mr.Obama earlier in the campaign for praising Republican icon Ronald Regan for "changing the trajectory of America", Mrs.Clinton has once again resorted to imbuing Mr.Obama with an affility for Republic tactics. "
Challenging Obama
Clinton again took the opportunity to take a shot Obama for having less experience than she does. She argued that a patient undergoing major surgery doesn't ask for a surgeon who has never performed the surgery. She suggested that in the present contest for the democratic nomation, experience was considered a "disadvantage" and "doesn't count for much anymore."
Brandishing two mailings issued by Mr.Obama's campaign, that criticized Senator Clinton's health care plan as well as her husband's North American Free Trade Agreement, an an irate Hillary Clinton publically attacked her rival at a press conference and said, "Time and time again, you hear one thing in speeches and then you see a campaign that has the worst kind of tactics, reminiscent of the same sort of Republican attack on Democrats. Shame on you, Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public - that's what I expect from you."
Mrs. Clinton says the charges in the mailings are misleading and demonstrate her oppnents hypocrisy. A spokesman for Mr.Obama said the mailings were "completely accurate."
Clinton also issued this challenge to Mr.Obama: "Meet me in Ohio. Let’s have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign.”
Speaking to reporters in Columbus, Ohio, Senator Obama said,"I'm puzzled by the sudden change in tone, unless these were just brought to her attention. It makes me think that's something tactical about getting so exercised this morning. The notion that somehow we're engaging in nefarious tactics, I think, is pretty hard to swallow. We have been subject to constant attack from the Clinton campaign except when we were down by 20 points,"
A risky strategy
Once again, Clinton's gloves are off. But the history of her attacks on Senator Obama suggest that this course of action is unwise. Her attempts to tarnish his image have generally had the opposite effect and have invariably damaged her quest for the democratic nomination.
The latest example of this could be seen during Clinton and Obama's February 21st debate in Austin,Texas. Clinton drew first blood by suggesting Obama plagiarized his speeches and offered "change you can xerox". The audience responded by booing so loudly that Clinton seemed almost like the Marquise de Merteuil who was disgraced at the Paris opera in the final scene of Dangerous Liasions.
Casting Obama in a negative light is a big risk for Senator Clinton, because it's a strategy that has failed her in the past and resulted in a staggering string of 11 lost primaries and caucuses. With the pivotal Texas and Ohio primaries approaching, Mrs.Clinton faces the threat of being vanquished from the race for the White House by the overwhelming strength of Mr.Obama's campaign.
Clinton's Last Stand?
It remains to be seen whether or not Senator Clinton can withstand the sheer power of the Obama movement but her attack on Senator Obama shows clearly that she is not going to go down without a fight.
According to the Associated Press: "Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton must win 57 percent of the remaining primary and caucus delegates to erase Barack Obama’s lead, a daunting task requiring landslide-sized victories by a struggling presidential candidate."
The latest polls suggest a deadlock in Texas, with just 2 points between the candidates. In Ohio, a Clinton bastion, Obama is rapidly catching up to Clinton and is trailing by a narrow margin of 7 percentage points.
Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, said that the primaries in Ohio and Texas would make or break his wife's campaign. While Super Tuesday left the democratic nomination in limbo, March 4th could be the day that brings an end to the epic battle between Mrs.Clinton and Mr.Obama or the day when the world is reminded never to count a Clinton out.
References:
- Clinton: Obama Untested Just Like Bush by Rick Pearson
- Clinton Slams Obama Tactics by Julie Bosman
- Clinton: Obama Mailings Are Deceptive by Beth Fouhy
- Soldiering On, but Somber as the Horizon Darkens by Patrick Healy
- Superdelagates switch Allegience to Obama by Elana Schor and Dan Glaister
- AP Poll: Clinton Needs Landslide Win To Erase Obama Delagate Lead
- Vote Different You Tube
