The Hillary Memo: Further Ungrounded Speculation
Let's throw out one more thought: the national press corps will be appropriately skeptical that no one else in the Clinton campaign has ever thought about ditching Iowa. And they'll wonder why Mike Henry, entrusted with the keys to the kingdom, all the internal polling data, privy to all the strategic discussions -- why only Mike Henry came to the conclusion that winning Iowa would be tough?
Flipping the coin, isn't it also true that expectations that HRC will win -- and needs to win -- Iowa are forever diminished? Look at both sides of the coin together: does HRC now need to win Iowa to win the nomination? Will the press say that she does? Probably not, and probably not.
Some updates:
David Yepsen notes that the Clinton campaign has doubled its field staff in Iowa -- "hardly the actions of a campaign preparing to pull up stakes and bypass Iowa." Still, he notes:
The bottom line is she’s headed for a loss in Iowa next year unless she and her campaign can somehow turn things around.
The Iowa Democratic Party's communications director, Carrie Giddins, released a statement:
“Iowa is more important than ever in this election cycle. Iowa has seen the highest level of political activity at this early point in history. Biden, Obama and Edwards will be here this weekend, and so will Senator Clinton. And next weekend she will join Senator Biden, Senator Dodd, Senator Edwards and Governor Richardson for the first major caucus event of the year at the Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame Dinner in Cedar Rapids. Bypassing Iowa would be a fatal mistake for any campaign to make.”
Forget the aspect of winning it being tough. It's a good strategy to keep more candidates viable and dilute any anti-Hillary vote. Both Edwards and Obama stand to benefit with her in the race hoping she hurts the other's expectations.
Could it be possible that Henry leaked the memo in order to lower expectations for Iowa?
THE PUMAS ARE TOTALLY JUSTIFIED ...
1. Contrary to what Obamabots say ...
Obama and Hillary were in a dead heat,
when the DNC pressured Hillary into not
only conceding, but campaigning for Obama.
2. Obama is once again in a dead heat, but now
with McCain, even though Obamabots act like
Obama has already won (like they did in the
primaries against Hillary). So, this means that
half of the Democrats, and all the Republicans
(3/4 of America) dIdn't want Obama. Plus, he
didn't even win the popular vote, and refused a
revote in Michigan and Florida.
3. Obama has the thinnest resume in politics, and
he won state legislature and Senator by
disqualifications of his opponents, not by earned
experience, or votes.
4. Obama's one claim to fame is being a community
organizer, where he boasts of registering voters.
Then he took their votes away from them, by
disqualifying his opponents on technicalities, prior
to the election.
5. Obama's mentor of 20 years, was an anti-American
racist ... not to mention other unsavory associations.
6. Obama is simply buying the election, since he's
good at fund raising ... hardly a qualification to be
President of the United States.
7. The media never vetted Obama, and they are
giving him a free ride, plus more than twice the
print and air time as McCain, as they did against
Hillary.
8. 90% of blacks are voting for Obama, because he is
black, while the campaign gained ground by
accusing most opponents of racism.
9. Obamabots were, and are extremely nasty and sarcastic
towards Hillary supporters, as well as McCain supporters.
10. Pumas should be applauded for putting country before party ...
especially a party that did not represent them, and a party
which highjacked the nomination for Obama.