July 30, 2007
(This column has not been published, but is being sent exclusively to our list of subscribers)
The polling is in and Hillary made a big mistake in her sharp disagreement with Obama over whether the president should meet with leaders of rogue nations. According to the Rasmussen Poll, Democrats agree with Obama over Hillary by 55%-22%. Without a poll to pretest her comments, Hillary instinctively took the “insider” position that the president should only meet with such leaders after extensive probing by subordinates to assure that the meetings would be productive. But she was wrong. Democrats want the president to meet with leaders of such nations without pre conditions.
At the South Carolina Democratic Presidential debate, Hillary and Obama clashed over Obama’s statement that he would meet with leaders of rogue nations like North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran if he were president. Hillary said that she would not do so and would not allow herself to be used for “propaganda purposes.”
All week, Hillary pounded out her message, enlisting former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and her possible future Secretary of State Dick Holbrooke to speak up on behalf of her position. She blasted Obama as “naïve,” one of her few direct attacks on her opponent. For his party, Obama ridiculed her position as “Bush Cheney lite,” a comment that got under Hillary’s skin.
The exchange had little real significance during the two hour debate, but Hillary’s obsession with the issue all week has given it real importance. She made a big mistake in the debate and amplified it all week.
Why? Perhaps Hillary is not using polling the way Bill always did – to pretest and post test all important issues. If she had, she would not have locked into the minority position among Democratic primary voters and would not have stayed with that view all week.
Maybe her campaign staff was caught flatfooted for once.
The fact is that this week’s debate was the first time the two Democrats have clashed seriously since the contest began early this year. This round definitely goes to Obama.
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***Copyright Eileen McGann and Dick Morris 2007. Reprints with permission only***
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Comments
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Perhaps Hillary was wrong to chide Obama for his comment rather than play to the base, but she was entirely right in what she said. I’m a conservative and Republican, so, as you can imagine, I’m in no way a Hillary fan. That said, I thought she sounded very presidential in her reply to Obama’s naive comment.
Regards,
David Flanagan
Annapolis, MD
You can’t one the one hand complain that the candidates’ mettle isn’t being tested because no one is going negative, and then on the other complain when one actually does - especially when she is dead right.
Whatever the temporary backlash may have been for Hillary, it has not hurt her poll numbers or her fundraising. What it did do was pants Obama in front of the world, and in his haste to hoist up his britches, he stumbled and threatened to attack an ally. This is why pressing a candidate is so crucial - it forces them to act under pressure, and reveals their real character to the public. In this case, Hillary gave Obama a small wound, but his inability to deal with it has made it an open sore. I imagine in a few weeks people will forget about Hillary’s remark, but you can be damn sure Obama’s responses will haunt him throughout this campaign.
I think Hillary shows a lot of common sense in the stance she took on this issue. Yes, there are hardline liberals whom she must face, but just saying any old thing to appease them is what the amatuers do.
I’m a conservative Republican and no fan of Senator Clinton, but she was exactly right and I was actually encouraged to hear her stand up to such lunacy. Clinton, at least, understands the dignity and the stature of the office to which she aspires.
Ultimately, national polls will strengthen for Senator Clinton if she can continue to behave like a real candidate while Obama talks about how we should run from one fight so that we can invade Pakistan.
Regards,
David