Clinton's staff was 'Achilles' heel'
A much-awaited article on Hillary Clinton's ill-fated campaign says that her divided staff didn't serve her well, that she didn't make hard choices, and that she rejected her chief strategist's suggestion to go after Barack Obama on his "lack of American roots."
"Above all, this irony emerges: Clinton ran on the basis of managerial competence—on her capacity, as she liked to put it, to 'do the job from Day One.' In fact, she never behaved like a chief executive, and her own staff proved to be her Achilles’ heel," Joshua Green of The Atlantic magazine writes in the piece, which was posted online Monday evening and appears in the magazine's September issue.
"What is clear from the internal documents is that Clinton’s loss derived not from any specific decision she made but rather from the preponderance of the many she did not make. Her hesitancy and habit of avoiding hard choices exacted a price that eventually sank her chances at the presidency.
Green obtained a raft of internal memos, including one from strategist Mark Penn about going negative against Obama:
"All of these articles about his boyhood in Indonesia and his life in Hawaii are geared towards showing his background is diverse, multicultural and putting that in a new light," Penn wrote. "Save it for 2050. It also exposes a very strong weakness for him -- his roots to basic American values and culture are at best limited. I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values. He told the people of NH yesterday he has a Kansas accent because his mother was from there. His mother lived in many states as far as we can tell -- but this is an example of the nonsense he uses to cover this up."
Penn continued: "How we could give some life to this contrast without turning negative: Every speech should contain the line you were born in the middle of America to the middle class in the middle of the last century. And talk about the basic bargain as about the deeply American values you grew up with, learned as a child and that drive you today. Values of fairness, compassion, responsibility, giving back. Let’s explicitly own ‘American’ in our programs, the speeches and the values. He doesn’t. Make this a new American Century, the American Strategic Energy Fund. Let’s use our logo to make some flags we can give out. Let’s add flag symbols to the backgrounds."
Clinton refused to go along.
The article also says that the Clinton campaign ignored a series of memos by Harold Ickes about the party's complicated delegate allocation system -- on which Obama capitalized by winning a string of caucus states from Super Tuesday in February to the March 4 primaries in Ohio and Texas
.
"Assuming that after Iowa and New Hampshire the presidential nominating contest narrows to two competitive candidates who remain locked in a highly contested election through 5 February, the focus of the campaign and press will shift to the delegate count. The dedication of resources (including candidate time) should be influenced, in part, by factors that will afford HRC an advantage in acquiring more delegates compared to her opponent(s)," Ickes wrote last December.
Green writes that Clinton advisers also couldn't agree on whether Clinton should give a speech specifically on gender: "In the aftermath of Obama’s historic race speech on March 18, Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas congresswoman, urged Clinton to deliver a speech of her own on gender. Clinton appeared very much to want to do this, and solicited the advice of her staff, which characteristically split. The campaign went back and forth for weeks. Opponents argued that her oratory couldn’t possibly match Obama’s, and proponents countered that she would get credit simply for trying, inspire legions of women to her cause, and highlight an issue that everyone in the campaign fiercely believed was hurting them — sexism. But Clinton never made a decision, and seemed troubled by the concern of Ann Lewis, perhaps her most venerable feminist adviser, who opposed such a speech for fear that it would equate sexism with racism — another contrast with Obama that Clinton feared she would lose."
Clinton didn't give that speech until it was part of her address in June when she suspended her campaign, endorsed Obama, and paid tribute to her supporters: "Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it."
Doesn't Mark Penn know that Hawaii is part of the United States of America? Mr. Obama spent the bulk of his childhood there, and he was BORN there and had an American mother. I guess the fact that Hilary has never lived overseas makes her more of an American. Personally, I think Penn's strategy would have blown up in their face. I for one am grateful HRC lost, and I supposedly was part of her demographic group but never would have voted for her.
how about those leadership and management skills?
Looks like Penn was right after all. I can see why he leaked the emails.
Mark "Karl Rove/Lee Atwater" Penn is a real low-life. Why did the Clintons keep people like him and Dick Morris around? The Clintons are supposedly very smart; why would they hire and listen to the advice of two such dirt bags as Penn and Morris?
Hillary Lost period and her team did not serve her well. It is every leaders first job to choose the team well and then hold them accountable for the execution of the job. Hillary and her team is now acting like a girl at a bar that when the lights turn on and it is time to leave they are following you into the parking light asking if there are any after parties. No Hillary there is no after party for you excpet maybe you can try and be gracious and help your party get the White House. Please Hil don't make your speech at the convention all about me me me me me me me. You ran a historic campaign but your teams strategy was obviously flawed. Get over it and get behind Change we Can believe in. Maybe you can even become a Supreme Court justice if we can get Barack in. My free advice which of course is worth what you paid for it.
YES WE CAN! YES WE WILL! AMERICA IS READY FOR REAL LEADERSHIP!
Mark Penn is really not the ideal person to be defining American values.
Crystal clear: Mark Penn 2008 = Karl Rove 2004.
Yes, well if you've been around colleges lately, the sort of people Clinton had around her, to say you're American is considered racist. So they wouldn't do that and this is why they lost and why they deserved to lose. It's also why Obama will lose.
There was also the matter of Clinton's vacilation and claimms of executive abiklity. In historic fact, she never really administered anything except the ill-fated, quickly-defeated health programs of a very general naturde.
It sounds as if Mark Penn had it spot on, it was just Clinton's reluctance to 'go negative', essentially by stating the truth, that sunk her. Maybe McCain will use the strategy.
Better to lose than to win like that.
Big deal. Penn is a low life and Hillary showed higher standards in rejecting his advice.
It wasn't her team. She was so confident that she would not take advice from anyone. Who would dare give advice to the woman who was ready to go from day one? Obama knew he didn't know - therefore he listened. Clinton knew she knew - therefore she had no reson to sisten.
you gotta think the American public is totally stupid to fall for this pseudo-americanism paranoia advocated by hillaries staff and by mcCain.
O8abma for me
Its interesting that no mention is ever made of the corruption that Hillary's political apparatus had to deal with- the indictment and criminal trial f Hillary Clinton's finance director David Rosen, the fine of Hillary's campaign for hiding more than $700,000 donated by a convicted felon who was going into business with Bill Clinton, the civil fraud suit in California that detailed how the Clintons defrauded Stan lee's partner by falsely promising to work with him after they left the White House- the documentary that included home videos of Hillary Clinton captured committing various election law felonies- which was seen by more than 8.6 million people on the internet while Hillary's poll ratings plunged from Oct 07-March 08
see www.paulvclinton.com to understand what really happened to HillHillary'sccampaign
Penn. Pure evil. Clinton to spineless to deal with it.
Rejecting idiotic advice is not avoiding a "hard choice". It seems Clinton's mistake in this case was appointing Penn a strategist in the first place. Not listening to his advice was a positive accomplishment, not a failure.
Absolutely disgusting. Since when is Hawaii not part of America? People from Hawaii are some of the most wonderful people I know, and I would be extremely happy and reassured to have a President with values developed in Hawaii. This is worse than xenophobia, it's trying to make Americans fear Americans. Penn is slime, even for a political consultant.
Kudos to Clinton for not agreeing to this. She made the right call not to accept that one.
Rejecting idiotic advice is not avoiding a "hard choice". It seems Clinton's mistake in this case was appointing Penn a strategist in the first place. Not listening to his advice was a positive accomplishment, not a failure.
Its interesting that no mention is ever made of the corruption that Hillary's political apparatus had to deal with- the indictment and criminal trial f Hillary Clinton's finance director David Rosen, the fine of Hillary's campaign for hiding more than $700,000 donated by a convicted felon who was going into business with Bill Clinton, the civil fraud suit in California that detailed how the Clintons defrauded Stan lee's partner by falsely promising to work with him after they left the White House- the documentary that included home videos of Hillary Clinton captured committing various election law felonies- which was seen by more than 8.6 million people on the internet while Hillary's poll ratings plunged from Oct 07-March 08
see www.paulvclinton.com to understand what really happened to HillHillary'sccampaign
Hillary had the nomination and she gave it away. This article sums it up about as good as anyone. I voted for her, and now in retrospect I'm glad she didn't win. Obama outthought, outfought and outsmarted her. Too bad I don't think he has what it takes (yet). I'm voting for McCain, unless he does something really dumb between now and November. And despite the moron in the White House, I think he will win. Barack still needs to show true substance, and he has not.
Why should we elect someone to the presidency whose major qualifications are "born in the middle (Kansas) of America, to the middle class in the middle of the last century." when we are in a Global World, War and Economy?
Mark Penn must think that all the voters are stupid.
An Ex-Kansas Jay Hawk.
What's wrong with the baby wipe press still? Never a story about how the DC Democrat Boys Club came out and raped the best candidate they had to posit their done nothing puppet. Hillary would be twenty points ahead of John McCain today. They ambushed Hillary on Super Tuesday evening, EGOBAMA STOLE and REFUSED TO COUNT VOTES OF AMERICAN CITIZENS. He was given Hillary's delegates in MI and FL and they were cut in half - then made whole again after they were given to him. This nomination election was RIGGED, STOLEN AND SUPER THUGGED. UNAMERICAN IS MILD FOR WHAT THE DEMOCRATS DID TO VOTERS. They will pay in November. 50% of Democrats - SMALL TOWN BITTER WITH FOLK have higher standards than Mr. Obama. And they are clining to them. BELIEVE IT.
A day late and a dollar short, don't you think? The majority of your news article and others I have read did little or nothing to present the truth about Barrack Obama, and that his raising was primarily not in the United States. Even to this very date, we hear little substance of importances from Obama, and I like many others was shocked when to see his speaking Nuremberg, Germany, which is the exact place that Adolf Hitler declared his upon the world. Nothing good ever came out of Nuremberg that was and is a benefit to the United States and the remainder of the world, and nothing ever shall. Barrack Obama is a smooth talking snake-oil salesman, and far to many people presently falsely picture him as being some sort of person capable of leadership.
This article spews ignorance like a tornado. No one cares about your specious, divisive ramblings.
This whole election circus is disgusting. Purely negative adds should not even be allowed. It amounts to childish name calling and SHOULD certainly be beneath the dignity of one who wishes to be President. We get loser Presidents because we have a circus instead of a campaign. In my mind, a person who is willing to do "anything to win" is a frightening prospect for the highest office in the land, a person devoid of morality.
Re: Penn: Just shows how corrupt,devious and divisive our political system is. Schmucks like Penn & Rove have no ethics when it comes to our political system. Fair, honest & ethics mean nothing to these people. I'm ll bet McCain will secretly applaud the swift boaters who use Penn's ideas to denigrate Obama. Just what the hell makes one American more of an American than anybody else and who thinks they have the right to make this judgment?
She was right to ignore this guy. This is nasty stuff. Almost as weird as her shouting about how white people will vote for her, so she is the Democrats only chance.
Values of fairness, compassion, responsibility, giving back
What tripe. Perhaps we should evaluate Hawaia and how America exhibited all those traits by crushing and destroying a once proud and innocent kingdom.
What absolute 100% garbage. Those "values" are not soley the province of the Middle of America - America from sea to tainted sea (slavery to Guantonomo).
So Indonesians are not fair? Not compassion? Irresponsible? They don't give back? I loaned a calculator to an Indonesian girl once and she gave it back.
It's this kind of insular xenophobia that is not the clarion herald of a new dawn and new age but an echo of the Wilsonian Ostrich Mentality. Thank Goodness this garbage never saw the light of day. Hillary new full well that any argument that "I'm Americaner than he is!" is nonsense.
It is a credit to Hillary Clinton that she did not go negative toward Barack Obama. In sharp contrast, John McCain is willing to prostitute his values to achieve his ends. In the end, this in itself tells us about what the man is really like.
Hilary Clinton is still the best democratic candidate. People will scratch their heads and bit their fingers for a life time for having sunk Hilary.
Sounds like Penn took a page from the Karl Rove book of dirty campaign tricks. Obama is about as un-American as apple pie. He's the obvious true American success story. Thank goodness Senator Clinton ignored her advisors and lost with her integrity intact. That's more than we'll be able to say for Maverick McCain.
Yeah, us middle classers all have strategists...
Clinton tried to race bait? NOoooooo...that wasnt already obvious when she was in desperation mode in the least bit.
^ sarcasm.
Shame on you, Mark Penn. Dirty, dirty, dirty. Perhaps, like Dick Morris, you will find a happier home on the other side of the political fence, wrapped in flags with a big banner saying "Mission Accomplished" behind you.....
All this proves is that Hillary didn't get rid of Penn soon enough....
This is all rubbish, in a contest, there is always a loser and a winner. Why don't you tell us why Obama won?
Hillary was horribly indecisive which was evident even from the outside. Strong leadership is required in the chaos of a presidential campaign. She just didn't have the right stuff. McCain isn't doing much better. Obama's focus, leadership and intelligence bode well for his presidency.
I don't buy it. I believe the voting public simply saw her for what she really is and voted accordingly.
This is pure bogosity!
Many voters saw through the facade and remembered the failed healthcare policy, the imperial sense of entitlement, I know what is best for you arrogance and the win-at-all-costs behavior.
These were the candidate's qualities. Any staff can only do so much to hide that.
It is not about Obama - it is about Clinton!
Obama is far from perfect, but this is the best reason I've had till now to be glad he, and not Clinton, won the nomination. Mark Penn is the Democratic Karl Rove.
Penn's an idiot and a bigot. Good for Hillary!
OK.
How about an alternate Universe where Hillary was the Achilles heel, and Bill was "hoof and mouth" disease?
If she had "gone harder" against Obama her defeat would have been more profound.
No one in Washington seems to get this:
Enough!
We dearly need a different playbook.
He has a Kansas accent? Bull! I'm a native Kansan, and he does not have a Kansas accent. He gets away with saying nonsense like this all the time. What is remarkable about his speech is how he has elevated the number of audible pauses--the ahs, ummms, duhs, etc., in his teleprompter-less performances to new heights.
The Clintons have become tedious history. Someday David McCullough will write the book. Meanwhile, let's look toward our future.
no no no. her achilles heel was her smug front-runner cool which turned into suddenly shock and dismay at the obama phenomenon and then she went reactive ... she was just not paying attention ... she got used to being treated like the power broker she is and when she started to work at campaigning, lord have mercy, she was only reactive, trying to undermine and sabotage obama, she forgot to articulate her vision ... when she found it again it was all about pandering to the working class "i will take care of you," but those are the people she didn't pay for the services they provided to her campaign. I sure don't care if she ever pays herself or Mark Penn but the little vendors in every state ... that's the people she was solicting votes from ... she was just dumb not to pay them. and dumb to spend all her energies reacting. bill was worse.
Oh, how great it would have been to have yet one more election come down to another round of "I'm more American than you are!" Talk about trivializing our democratic process even more than it already is. Thank God Clinton ignored this Deep Thinker. Besides, he's wrong on the face of it: some of the worst errors during wartime are committed because leaders don't have the background to understand other cultures and nations.
Penn's strategy would work for McCain but not Hillary because she was running in the primaries. These were Democrats. The liberal Demoncrats want to be seen as "world citizens" and avoid touting themselves as Americans. The same liberal Democrats believe Hillary is old and conservative. Touting American values would only drive them further away. Middle America already voted for Hillary. Hillary made the right choice there. What she should have done is to expose Obama's ignorance. She should throw hard balls at him during the debates instead of being collegiate and said that they have similar values. Hillary was generous and Obama took advantage of that. Her attitude became an endorsement for Obama's young supporters, who then mistakenly believed that he did fine in the debates, and therefore qualified to be President. Hillary should have gone outright negative. That may anger some of the superdelegates, but since they only vote according to the popular vote, Hillary shouldn't have worried about them.
By the way, why is Joshua Green's article "much-awaited"? What's so special about him? As far as I tell, he is a Hillary-hater, just like Foon Rhee.
Problem was, Hillary's staff didn't call her at 3.00 am. That's the time she can make hard choices.
She was just a good person who didn't want to harm Obama. To her he was a fellow democrat and Hillary is a team player. The Obama campaign thought differently. They had no qualms about trying to destroy her or her husband fromthe start. She only attacked him when she really had to.
What is saddest about this entire matter is
IF HRC had dropped out, ala Romney, when it became clear to any chessmaster she could no longer emerge victorious,
BHO would have had to show far greater cause for not selecting her and the dream ticket COULD have merged.
What is saddest about this entire matter is
there was no real need to devise these kind of inane dramaturgies:
BOTH HRC and BHO have so many excellent telling points that Either on their own merit would have won.
Those who opt to Vote for McCain may be hoist on their own spitoons in just a few months(How a Demo can vote for someone who is against women's rights to that extent boggles the brain
It is funny that we get bogged down in finger pointing of he said, she said when we should get down to what are we going to do about our the real issues our country has to face. As a voter I want to know how we are going to get our house in order with our rampant spending on the wars we fight, why are we fighting battles of occupation in Irag, Afganistan, when the real enemy is al-Qaeda who originally attacked our shores on 9-11-01and they are a shadowy terrorist network with cells all over the world. It sound like CIA - Delta Force Military and Civillian Police operations from shared intellegence from world governments are in order to bring these criminals to justice. Where is our long term thinking to counter our dependence on fossil fuels. Use electric public transit for our crowded cities and
bullet trains that go 300 miles per hour on our interstates to speed up travel time between cities. Use our faltering Big Three to build these bullet trains and street cars with government backing. This will generate jobs and help us with our energy problems. The United States is becoming a third world country and it is losing it's Yankee ingeunity that we used to have with the development of the telegraph, the railroad, steamships that were iron clads over wooden ships. The idiot who did away with streetcars 50 years ago made a strategic blunder on many energy and social issues that we face today. I have many other ideas and wish I could talk to the people in power today.
I have read all of the above comments, and I cannot figure out why any of you would want a "man" in the White House and Running our Country like Obama.
He will not put his hand on his Heart for our National Anthem among other things.
His wife does not like the White People and She wants to make changes also.
He even took the Flag off of his Plane....Why would anyone vote for someone like him. As far as Mrs. Clinton, she cannot run her own house, let alone our Country.
If any of you could remember back when, it was said that our Country was going to be taken over by Muslim's and if this guy gets in, I really believe we Are Going to
Be in trouble.....This guy has never even been in the Military and after 143 days in the Senate they put him in to run for President...........DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You all must have your heads up your Butts.........................
I will end with this, I didn't like either one of them, but if I really had to choose, I would rather of had Hillary.......................Right now I think you all know my choice.
It sure isn't OBAMA.............................
I WANT SOMEONE WHO IS FOR OUR COUNTRY, NOT SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO CHANGE IT..... I DON'T LOOK GOOD IN A HEAD WRAP...............
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