Hillary bets short on Obama?
posted at 7:49 am on July 19, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Marc Ambinder reported last night that a firm close to Hillary Clinton has purchased a new domain name: hrc2012.com. The Markham Group participated in high-level planning for Hillary in 2008, especially her “visual messaging”. Its partners actively worked on the campaign:
Greg Hale of the Markham Group served as a key advance aide to Sen. Clinton, organizing political events for the campaign. The Markham website calls him the “lead consultant for advance and visual messaging.” Partners Paul Neaville and Robert McClarty (the son of former White House chief of staff Thomas “Mack” McClarty) also worked on Clinton’s advance team. According to whois.com, the site was registered by Todd Wilder, a longtime Democratic operative from Florida.
Markham purchased the domain on June 8, which Andrew Malcom sees as an indicator of Hillary’s future plans:
June 8th? Why does that ring a bell? Why, that’s the very next day after her “I-give-up-and-heartily-support Obama” speech where her family was dressed for a funeral.
Maybe she’s planning another political funeral for Barack Obama. After all, as Malcom and Ambinder point out, Hillary already owns domains for her political efforts, hillaryclinton.com and hillpac.com. (She also has one for her 2008 debt relief efforts.) Hillary’s Senate term runs out in 2012, but she hardly needs this new domain for a run at re-election.
So is Hillary preparing a 2012 presidential run? If she is, she would almost certainly need Barack Obama to lose in 2008. Once elected, he will be the party’s nominee for a second term unless he so utterly failed as to get the heave-ho — and even Jimmy Carter managed to avoid that despite the disaster of his presidency. Neither Hillary nor Bill have enthusiastically campaigned for Obama yet, either, although right now they’re understandably more concerned with retiring her debt.
On the other hand, a few caveats should be considered. First, Markham bought the domain, and she may not have requested or authorized the purchase; it sounds like a task that someone may not have bothered to mention to the Clintons. Second, Markham may have bought the domain to keep others from poaching it — like, say, a Republican challenger for her Senate seat (maybe Rudy Giuliani, if he doesn’t run for governor?). Both are plausible explanations.
If Hillary plans to send this big signal — wait for 2012! — it will kill any hope of party unity in the fall. Hillary’s supporters will either sit on their hands or vote for McCain in an effort to get Obama out of the way for a run in the next election. And if that happens, expect the Democrats to fracture on gender and ethnic lines like never before as Obama’s supporters might return the favor in 2012.
Update: Jazz Shaw, being the reasonable man that he is, asks why Hillary wouldn’t need hrc2012.com for a re-election bid to the Senate, since he believes that HillaryClinton.com was primarily a presidential campaign website. It’s a good question — but a look at the Whois record for her current domain shows that Hillary used it for her Senate campaign as well. The domain was first registered in October 2001 — too late for her initial Senate bid — and is paid through October 2016. The eponymous domain name gives it the most obvious link for first-time visitors, and since she used it for her 2006 Senate re-election campaigm, it would make more sense to stick with the familiar branding among New Yorkers.
And, by the way, she didn’t buy hrc2006.com for her re-election bid. It’s still available, if anyone wants it.
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Oh NO! Another 4 years of this woman! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! What next? How about Jeb Bush to run against her? She can win, govern for 8 years, then we elect Jeb he governs for 8 years. Then Chelsea is old enough to run against Jenna. Chelsea is elected and governs for 8 years and then we elect Jenna for 8 years. Of course by then, we have another Clinton, another Bush, another Clinton another Bush…it NEVER ENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sabbott on July 19, 2008 at 7:55 AM
Another scenario is that Hillary wants the domain name in the event she has to save the country by challenging the sitting POTUS Obama, who has peesed everyone by 2012. When, if ever, has a sitting POTUS ever been faced down and ousted during the nomination process ? LBJ saw the writing on the wall and passed on the renomination.
JonRoss on July 19, 2008 at 8:08 AM
It would be a tour in purgatory, but if left with the choice of that or 6 months of the radical, marxist, community-organizer and his furious, caucasian hating, America loathing partner in crime, I’d take Chelsea, Jeb et al.
Alden Pyle on July 19, 2008 at 8:10 AM
Can you expand on that one a bit? Why not? hillaryclinton.com is now branded across the nation as her presidential election web site. hillpac is obviously a cash cow site. If she plans on staying in the Senate she will have to win another election in four years. Under current conditions it certainly looks like it will not require much effort, but you never know. If a Rudy G. or Michael Bloomberg comes out of the woodwork to make a Senate run, she may actually need a senate reelection site.
Methinks you might be reading a bit much into this.
Jazz Shaw on July 19, 2008 at 8:10 AM
I don’t see the value in mentioning this. Even the most enthusiastic Obama supporter has to admit that the possibility that Obama could lose. It’s always good to have a Plan B. And a Plan C and a Plan D for that matter. Let’s talk about Hillary’s bad policy ideas instead of her reasonable prudence!
thuja on July 19, 2008 at 8:10 AM
This has no play unless she actually posts something on the new site now.
NotCoach on July 19, 2008 at 8:21 AM
It gives me heartburn agreeing with Jazz. :P
NotCoach on July 19, 2008 at 8:22 AM
Seems to me that the Democratic Party has purged itself of the Clinton’s. If Hillary runs in 2012, she had better run as an Independent. The press turned on her; the power brokers within party ranks turned on her; Hollywood turned on her; the left leaning voters turned on her. Hell, if it weren’t for Rush Limbaugh (operation chaos), Hillary would have been buried in the mud much earlier in the campaign. The truth did actually come back to bite the Clinton’s in the rear. Bill Clinton made a mockery of the White House, and Hillary abused her power beyond the limits allowed by even the most faithful. The Clinton’s burned-out even the most faithful nutters. The “hope & change” Obama brings to the table, is simply that most hope the Clinton’s will find a cave with OBL, and never show their faces in public again.
Unless I’ve missed something substantial, I must believe the Clinton’s have been purged from the Democrat Party.
Keemo on July 19, 2008 at 8:30 AM
I hate to be the party pooper, but isn’t it possible that they bought it up so that people couldn’t put a parody site up at that URL?
***
That said, the less charitable interpretation — that the Clintons think Obama is going to lose — is the one that fits best with what most people are thinking…
tigerinexile on July 19, 2008 at 9:00 AM
I think Hillary is done. She is not Margaret Thatcher by any stretch of the imagination. And speaking of imagination, by 2012 she will look as shrill as she sounds.
Zorro on July 19, 2008 at 9:02 AM
The purchase of domain names is most often just one of those “plan Z” type things. Very seldom does it actually mean anything important. Domain names only cost like $10/year, why not just buy them just in case?
I can think of many times where big corporations, like Apple, etc, have registered domain names, without it ending up meaning squat.
Seixon on July 19, 2008 at 9:02 AM
The Clintons are still there, running an underground operation, since a loss by Obama in November would leave the battle to be the “leader” of the party wide open. Hillary would face major opposition, but she still got roughly 50 percent of the primary votes, and has all those feminists who feel personally wronged by her primary loss in her corner. And Bill would spend the next two years after the election going on an “I told you so” speaking tour to Democrats across the nation for not giving the missus the nomination in the first place.
jon1979 on July 19, 2008 at 9:10 AM
The Clintons have copyrighted the endless campaign.
onlineanalyst on July 19, 2008 at 9:13 AM
The Hilldabeast still wandering Earth in 2012. Makes me want to put some double bolt steel locks on my doors. Can you imagine how much more vile she is going to be in the Senate, now that she doesn’t have to be nice to anyone ?
JonRoss on July 19, 2008 at 9:15 AM
Hillary is just covering all of her bases, and I agree with her as far as believing that 4 years of the Obamamessiah will lead to a major regime change. I myself think that it will put conservatives back in power.
Today, the only conservative voice that comes close to having the right message for America is Newt Gingrich. I’ll bet he is looking pretty good to the naysayers of Newt right now. :oP
DannoJyd on July 19, 2008 at 9:30 AM
You skeptics aren’t thinking hard enough.
Notice the domain is hrc2012.com.
It means she plans to stay married to Bill and keep his name.
She doesn’t need the marriage pretense for New Yorkers, they’re modern and savvy.
She needs it for middle America in 2012.
jeff_from_mpls on July 19, 2008 at 9:31 AM
By the way he has been looking lately she may be the Widow Clinton by 2012. The state funeral and surrounding publicity would have to give her a big bump in the polls.
JonRoss on July 19, 2008 at 9:38 AM
HillaryAlinsky2012@forever.com
el Vaquero on July 19, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Somebody snap up BHO2012.com just in case.
In their arrogance, they forgot to register it.
profitsbeard on July 19, 2008 at 10:03 AM
You’ve got it all wrong, folks. Medusa has heard about the Mayan Calendar doomsday timeline, and she wants to make sure she’s in it to the very end. :)
OldEnglish on July 19, 2008 at 10:07 AM
She’s playing 21 and getting a little insurance.
Mojave Mark on July 19, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Lord forgive me…. but I believe I would RATHER have Hillary than I would Obama.
And I DO believe that more Americans will die during an Obama presidency. I think Hillary would scare the pantsuit off of some jihadists. Not so Barack…
The Republicans better get OFF their asses and get to the voting booth.
originalpechanga on July 19, 2008 at 10:36 AM
Hey, op, 2 people in the chatroom yesterday said they would NEVER vote McCain. That’s a pretty high percentage of a pretty small sample. That’s a very dark cloud on the horizon.
jeff, you beat me to it. I was going to suggest her future domain should be hr2012.
eeyore on July 19, 2008 at 10:57 AM
If she didn’t snap it up, it would more likely be snapped up not by some “poaching” Republican, by one of those hardcore Hillaryites who has been immune to Obama’s (or, as they like to say, Barky’s) charms. No one can say what uses hrc2012 might be put to, but, whatever they might be, Hillary’s people would want to be the ones in control of them.
CK MacLeod on July 19, 2008 at 11:29 AM
Methinks this will have play with Hillary’s PUMA loyalists who have already refocused on 2012. They may well read this domain purchase as a sign of HRC’s 2012 presidential aspirations, regardless of what she or Bill might say on the Obama 2008 campaign trail, and boycott Obama accordingly.
Terrie on July 19, 2008 at 12:01 PM
They have only been purged to the same extent conservatives have been purged from the GOP by the Rockefeller Republicans.
In both cases, a revolution from the top, not the base. A big chunk of the bases were excluded by manipulating the primaries with the help of the MSM, aided by having friends in the movement retain positions with the losers until the last minute and then bolting to the opposition taking their credibility with them
This puts the opposition camps in both parties in a very good position for the next election.
Stalin understood you have to take out the little guy to retain power. That was not done by the usurpers of either party who are not willing to flatter the less attractive ladies at the dance
The Hillary base is loaded with boomers. Senior voters have an intimate understanding their time is short and their vote is their legacy
I would be surprised if Hillary gave it up now. She loses all credibility as a politician if she turns wimpy at this moment. She empowers Obama right when he is doing a great job of shrinking his image
All the JFK chanting by the MSM over Obama’s pseudo-Presidential journey overseas works like steroids on the Hillary base. Now the press is smirking at the unattractive women sitting it out at the dance. They may not have suitors but they are rich in votes
entagor on July 19, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Hillary for Pres. in 2012, I might even contribute!
She must have a suprise in store for the Obamassah!
Something worse than Jessy had in mind I’m sure or has McCain offered her the V.P. spot?
dhunter on July 19, 2008 at 1:18 PM
Long story short, we can’t read anything into this.
DaveS on July 19, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Just don’t miss the floor vote from Denver! That could be some of the most exciting and historical tv of our time. People will ask, “Did you watch Armstrong walk on the moon and did you see michelle obama’s head explode in Denver?”
peacenprosperity on July 19, 2008 at 3:25 PM
peacenprosperity, indeed. The summer is in full swing. It’s going to be long and hot, and the fall too, like never before.
Entelechy on July 19, 2008 at 6:17 PM
Sabbott:
Dude, step away from the keyboard, go to the frig and pull out several bottles of whatever cold beverage tickles your fancy and plop yourself down on the couch this instant. Next, pop in a DVD of some mindless movie, preferably a comedy, and just relax before you have a stroke or something……….
If needed get in your car, drive to yur favorite bar, order what you wish and spend the next few hours watching mindless, mutated sports or chatting with the folks next to you the bartender about anything under the sun except politics! You keep this up and your blood pressure will higher than Willie Nelson on stage at a Stones concert.
Deep cleansing breaths, take deep cleansing breaths………..
Bubba Redneck on July 20, 2008 at 1:57 AM
Today after posting here, I ran into a lady about the age of Hillary, but so different. No college, a grandmother too young for social security. Gets a disability check and works a few hours a week as allowed by her condition. I thought she was apolitical and unflappable until I mentioned Hillary. She said ‘You know, I’m for her. She’s my woman’.
That surprised me. I assumed she was a loyal, i.e. obedient Democrat
She was madder than a hornet. I had never seen her lose it. I couldnt resist mentioning Hillary had gotten half the voters yet Obama got the win and was handed delegates in our state even though he hadn’t run here. This lady said she would never ever vote for Obama. She didn’t trust him. Her face turned red as she talked.
This woman is invisible to the MSM. They do not want to see her. I suspect she sees Obama as an affirmative action token getting to take cuts ahead of Hillary because the big shots don’t care about little people like her
Obama will never get her to cross over
entagor on July 20, 2008 at 4:23 AM
entagor,
The grand Messiah would not be happy she is obviously racist.
The 95% blacks set to vote for half and half are not racist though.
dhunter on July 20, 2008 at 5:10 PM
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