In the last 72 hours, the New York senator has appeared on both "Saturday Night Live" and "The Daily Show." On both appearances, she was calm, relaxed and natural, qualities that have been decidedly lacking in her campaign. The question heading into today's important Texas and Ohio primaries is whether this new -- or is it new, new? -- Hillary will resonate with voters.
The latest Zogby polls shows that Clinton is leading challenger Barack Obama 47% to 44% in Texas. Both candidates are deadlocked in Ohio at 44%. "The latest polling numbers are promising for Clinton, but with 8% of likely Democratic voters undecided in Ohio and 7% undecided in Texas both candidates have work to do today," writes Jessica Fargen of the Boston Herald. "Texas offers 228 delegates, Ohio 164."
Obama's honeymoon with the media -- which lasted an unusually long time -- also is coming to an end. The Illinois senator's campaign has stumbled somewhat in how it responded to criticisms that its opposition to NAFTA -- a critical issue in Ohio -- was less than genuine. Moreover, his one-time political benefactor Antonin Rezko is on trial for political corruption in Chicago.
But this rebound from Clinton may be too little too late. Unless she stuns political pundits and wins huge, pressure will mount on her to quit the race.
As Newsweek's Jonathan Alter notes, Clinton has a "math problem." Even if she wins the next 16 contests, she could wind up with 58 fewer pledged delegates than Obama.
"So no matter how you cut it, Obama will almost certainly end the primaries with a pledged-delegate lead, courtesy of all those landslides in February," he writes. "Hillary would then have to convince the uncommitted superdelegates to reverse the will of the people.... For politicians to upend what the voters have decided might be a tad, well, suicidal."
Indeed, the Clinton on these video clips is far different than the shrill woman America has gotten to know on the campaign trail. Her campaign expected a coronation after Iowa and New Hampshire and instead got an election. It's good to see this human side of Clinton whose every move seems as well-timed as a Swiss watch. Too bad, it's too late to make a difference.
--Freelance writer Jonathan Berr edits the blog Ketchup and Eggs.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-05-2008 @ 8:12AM
Enrique said...
You know, I'm not realy keen on Clinton politics. But one has to give credit where it's due. Both of them are great entertainers and are just downright fun to watch when they've loosened up. If Hillary and Bill don't will anymore elections (which I hope they don't) I'm definitely not going to fault them as people. They're human beings like us all with real "stuff" in their lives. Not one of us can't say that we don't ahve "stuff." I would love to see them be regulars on SNL.. and I'd love to see Bill play the sax again. forget the politics Bill and Hillary. Let's see what else ya got.
3-05-2008 @ 10:17AM
Sheldon L said...
a new game now - she's back...
3-05-2008 @ 12:08PM
Marcus said...
I have no confidence that this won't be taken away from Obama. The back room arguments are going to be ugly. "Sure, he can get the black and the youth vote (even the egghead vote), but what about the blue collar, the Hispanic, the woman, the Buffett, the angry white man (plenty of AWMs have lost children in Iraq)? What about his 'real' religious affiliations? Did he fire that guy who talked to that Canadian guy? Doesn't his experience level and liberal record play to being Hillary's veep? Couldn't Hillary then start moving towards the center for the general? Who's going to believe that Obama is even capable of moving towards the center? How's anyone going to recover enough for the general if this goes to convention? Could we have the convention early? What do we do about Florida and Michigan... cede them to McCain?"
Oh, to have a wiretap! And a toga!