Perhaps she’s crying over the incompetence of her campaign
posted at 1:33 am on February 10, 2008 by Michelle
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Yeah, yeah, Hillary’s eye spigot is dripping again.
Reader Ryan wants us not to get distracted from one of the real reasons Hillary Clinton should be crying tonight–the loss of today’s three Democrat presidential contests in Louisiana, Washington, and Nebraska to Barack Obama. Ryan’s conclusion: It’s the incompetence, stupid.
I’m sure you’ve seen this excuse-making from the Clinton campaign:
Tonight there are contests in three states that the Obama campaign has long predicted they would win by large margins. According to a spreadsheet that was obtained by Bloomberg News, the Obama campaign predicted big victories in Washington State, Nebraska and Louisiana.
The Obama campaign has dramatically outspent our campaign in these three states, saturating the airwaves with 30 and 60 second ads. The Obama campaign has spent $300,000 more in Louisiana on television ads, $190,000 more in Nebraska and $175,000 more in Washington…
Let’s put this in perspective:
During Clinton’s 2006 Senate race, several high-ranking aides voiced concerns about loose financial controls over such things as office supplies and advertising. The current campaign appears to be run more frugally, with headquarters in Virginia rather than on K Street. But the campaign’s latest reports still show unusual expenditures, such as nearly $500,000 last year for parking costs. A review of both campaigns’ financial filings show they aggressively spent money last year. Both spent more than $80 million before heading into the January primary season, including similar amounts on travel and events. Obama spent more on television advertising and field staff. Clinton spent nearly $4 million on political and media consultants; Obama spent about $1.4 million.So, they’re saying that they would have performed better in those states if they hadn’t blown $500K on parking. (how on earth did they manage to spend that much on parking anyways?) Is Brownie running their budget?
Just imagine if they weren’t dumping millions into the black hole that is Mark Penn. They might be able to open offices and hire staff in states like Virginia and Washington. But I’m sure Mark Penn is worth every penny.
While the Hill camp whines, Obama’s already busy raising a new round of funds based on today’s showing.
Yes, he can.
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Opposition research ain’t cheap.
soundingboard on February 10, 2008 at 3:20 PM
Sounds like a lot. The campaign probably needed a better controller on the finance team. That said a lot of Hillary’s campaign business was in Manhattan where parking can run you $70 for the day or $700 for the month.
dedalus on February 10, 2008 at 3:35 PM
The Biggest Indictment of Consultants ever…
And still she cackles, speaks in shrill tones, says “you know” three times per sentence, is outmatched in insincerity only by Romney, thinks it’s a good idea to attack Obama’s race, wants to “freeze” mortgage rates and the stock market, and comes out 100% in favor of the biggest political failure of her life…Universal Health Care.
Lesson to Everyone: If you don’t know how to do something, hiring a consultant won’t help one bit.
Dorvillian on February 10, 2008 at 3:50 PM
That could be because they are behaving like a startup that got VC funding and are blowing it on parties, or more charitably, because they had a strategy of hitting on the New York “Money People.”
Even if it was an intelligent decision to locate near large donors, with a last name of Soros, they focused on a small niche of donors, and as a result she has a bunch of donors who have hit the maximum and now are useless to them. Obama has a much larger pool of donors, the vast majority of which are nowhere near their limit.
pedestrian on February 10, 2008 at 4:09 PM
Dorvillian,
Unless that consultant is the Ultimate Warrior.
Weebork on February 10, 2008 at 4:16 PM
I do consulting of a different nature, and, sadly, you’re right. I believe Sean Penn has harvested well over 4 million so far, at least some of it from well meaning donors who thought they were making a difference. Fortunately, I was able to overcome passion of the moment and avoided sending any money to Fred or Rudy who were my faves. I assume they also had consultants.
a capella on February 10, 2008 at 4:18 PM
Patti Solis Doyle has just left the Clinton campaign.
fourstringfuror on February 10, 2008 at 4:27 PM
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Clinton_campaign_manager_out.html
Change!
a capella on February 10, 2008 at 4:31 PM
Definitely a blow to the Clinton machine.
fourstringfuror on February 10, 2008 at 4:38 PM
And to us. She was a Hispanic gal. I assume this will create hurt feelings, more identity fingerpointing, and that portion of Hillary’s base starts to pout. Advantage=Obama. Disadvantage=us.
a capella on February 10, 2008 at 4:45 PM
“Perhaps she’s crying over the incompetence of her campaign”
Maybe. Maybe not. My guess is billary will end up richer after this campaign than when she started.
My concern is not so much how billary spent the money, but where the money came from and what these people want in return.
locomotivebreath1901 on February 10, 2008 at 4:47 PM
Be interesting to watch her contribution levels from now on. I doubt she can survive without some kind of bundling hanky panky. I suppose foreign sources might yield fruit but, I suspect the Iranians are on Obama’s side, North Korea has other priortities, and Gore is out of the temple fundraising business. What’s left,… a percentage from the Mustang Ranch or going back to Soros who may be getting a bit impatient? Meanwhile, the Messiah rolls on with nickels and quarters coming in by the truckload..
a capella on February 10, 2008 at 5:04 PM
The Clintons are not stupid. Greedy and unprincipled, yes, but stupid no. I think their plans called for the primaries to be over by now, and so they did not cultivate fields that would feed them this far out on their march. Obama knew that if he was going to win that it would be a long battle, so he would have planned his donor strategy so that he could live off the land as he conquered it.
pedestrian on February 10, 2008 at 6:04 PM
That was my thought and concern as well. The Clintons are owned by many unscrupulous people I feel.
4shoes on February 10, 2008 at 7:54 PM
I believe it was Laura Ingraham who said that Hillary had to lend her campaign $5 mil due to the incredibly high cost of tear-duct enlargement surgery.
eeyore on February 10, 2008 at 11:27 PM
I’ll bet the phrase that goes through her head, endlessly is:
HOW DARE HE!
She doesn’t understand that Obama is simply a manifestation of discontent with her corrupt husband and her own uninspiring political machinations.
Obama is just “We don’t want more of that!”
On his own, without a Hillary to revolt against, he is meaningless.
He isn’t “daring: anything, or even “doing” anything.
Obama is being swept on a tide.
He is a bit of flotsam with the word “change” scrawled on it.
Without her repulsion he would have no particular attraction.
profitsbeard on February 11, 2008 at 1:04 AM
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