On Clinton spin and electoral math
Jonathan Chait on the subject of Clinton spin:
All politicians, including Obama, spin. But the way the Clinton campaign says night is day is just especially audacious. ... I think Obama and his staff say things they at least believe to be essentially true. Working for Clinton has to be a soul-deadening experience.
Chait is echoing Josh Marshall, who wrote last month that "good spin is clever and forward-leaning pitches of actual realities, facts. ... But this Clinton campaign has been doing it in a weird parody mode. Not sharp 'spins' on favorable realities, but aggressive pitches of complete nonsense."
Meanwhile, Obama supporter Nick Beaudrot engages in the "good" kind of spin -- forward-leaning pitches of actual realities -- in his interpretation of those Survey USA polls. Beaudrot's bottom line:
At the moment, Barack Obama is the better general election nominee. Period. Full stop. He will have to spend less time defending blue states. He's competitive in a larger number of red states. And he's more competitive in states that have Senate elections. Barack Obama: because this is the year to bust the map wide open.
Sounds right to me. I hadn't even thought about the Senate angle. But yeah: coattails matter. Even if Obama doesn't win the Great Plains and Mountain West states, he could make it easier for Democratic Senate candidates to win there. Whereas Hillary would make it harder.
P.S. Casey offers a new slogan for Hillary: "I am that rat, America."
Message from Republicans to Jonathan Chait:
So now you know. Only took 18 years, smart guy.
Posted by: texasyank | Mar 8, 2008 9:42:56 AM
On second thought, Brendan, I went to the link and think you ellipsied out the sentence where Chait once again resumes the role of Clinton enabler:
"It's as if they have internalized the attacks they suffered in the 1990s to such a degree that they believe to their core that the only way to win is to imitate their worst tormentors."
Newt made 'em do it! Ken Starr made 'em do it!
And understand the Chait's implication here: that the current black-is-white (or, in the case of Obama, black-is-blacker) behavior of Mr. and Mrs. Snope from Hope is somehow new.
Chait's sub thesis: Oh, they were NEVER like this when I loved them.
Posted by: texasyank | Mar 8, 2008 9:54:40 AM
Working for Clinton has to be a soul-deadening experience.
Being a Democrat must be a soul-deadening experience.
Posted by: Andrew | Mar 8, 2008 11:12:38 PM
At the moment, Barack Obama is the better general election nominee.
Beaudrot needed a series of state polls to reach this conclusion? The fact that HRC has the highest negatives of any candidate who's ever run for president wasn't enough of a data point for him? Back when HRC was "inevitable", I was thanking my lucky stars that Democrats were being so idiotic about their electoral chances. Then Obama jumped out ahead after Super Tuesday and I thought, the Dems have come to their senses. But now they seem intent on dragging out the nomination in a bloody battle right up to the convention, and again, I couldn't be more pleased.
Posted by: Andrew | Mar 8, 2008 11:18:02 PM
Being a Democrat must be a soul-deadening experience.
Being a Republican requires you have no soul, whats your point?
Posted by: David K. | Mar 9, 2008 5:45:53 AM
That you have no sense of humor.
Posted by: Andrew | Mar 9, 2008 3:11:40 PM