If you were Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, what would you have done .......

[Bo]

differently?

(I'm talking about 2008, if anyone was wondering.)

[Dancing with Myself]

differently?

(I'm talking about 2008, if anyone was wondering.)

Attacked Obama more, and used Bill to some extent to help more, like a TV add talking about the times while he was President, and how Hillary can bring them back, but be even better.

[Psychic Octopus]

Be more serious from the get go. Don't bank on winning the nomination by Iowa and New Hampshire, or even Super Tuesday. Invest in later states as a back up strategy, like Obama did from the start.

[Bo]

Be more serious from the get go. Don't bank on winning the nomination by Iowa and New Hampshire, or even Super Tuesday. Invest in later states as a back up strategy, like Obama did from the start.

It worked for Obama, but the same strategy drastically bakfired for Giuliani.

[Хahar 🤔]

Get an infrastructure in caucus states.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

but the same strategy drastically bakfired for Giuliani.

Not it didn't.  Rudy ignored everything that wasn't Florida.

[President Mitt]

Convince Hillary to drop out and endorse Mike Gravel.

[perdedor]

Tell her that she was coming of as a disingenuous bitch. Clinton's biggest problem was that not enough people bought it. The crying thing, the anti-climatic rises in her voice, etc. She's really just a bad politician.

[Bo]

Personally, I would have told Hillary to embrace change and hope as her main slogans (and quickly, before Obama had a chance to do it), to give a speech telling people why she wanted to be President (like Obama did), to attack Obama more aggressively, to privately dig up embarrassing information about her opponents (like the fact that Obama attended a racist church for 20+ years) and then reveal it, to run a more feminist campaign, to use Bill more, to convince Edwards to drop out, to build a larger infastructure in caucus states, and to cry before Iowa.

[Beet]

What Hillary did before New Hampshire was not crying. Ed Muskie with tears streaming down his cheeks-- that was crying. The video shows her voice cracking for a second while eloquently answering a question. That being blown up into crying says more about society than it does about Hillary.

As for her campaign, besides the obvious (like finding out about Jeremiah Wright earlier), basically two prongs-- 1) compete on change, which means distancing herself from her husband's Presidency, apologizing for AUMF just so it isn't an issue, and not having Mark Penn or his philosophy on the team, and 2) make the difference between her and Obama, that she actually works hard for change and will deliver on change, whereas he will just make promises but won't say specifically how he'll accomplish them. Even then, it would be tricky to pull off. At the end of the day, some of it relies on the intelligence of the electorate.

[Bo]

What Hillary did before New Hampshire was not crying. Ed Muskie with tears streaming down his cheeks-- that was crying. The video shows her voice cracking for a second while eloquently answering a question. That being blown up into crying says more about society than it does about Hillary.

As for her campaign, besides the obvious (like finding out about Jeremiah Wright earlier), basically two prongs-- 1) compete on change, which means distancing herself from her husband's Presidency, apologizing for AUMF just so it isn't an issue, and not having Mark Penn or his philosophy on the team, and 2) make the difference between her and Obama, that she actually works hard for change and will deliver on change, whereas he will just make promises but won't say specifically how he'll accomplish them. Even then, it would be tricky to pull off. At the end of the day, some of it relies on the intelligence of the electorate.

Do you think that Hillary "displayed emotion" before the NH primary on purpose?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Apologize for voting for the Iraq war. Not support that stupid Iran resolution. Attack Obama for flip-flopping on FISA. Have her contest caucus states more.

[Beet]

Apologize for voting for the Iraq war. Not support that stupid Iran resolution. Attack Obama for flip-flopping on FISA. Have her contest caucus states more.

I thought Obama didn't flip-flop on FISA until June?

Rochambeau: Probably not, but who knows? It was good for a short term save, but she should have fired Mark Penn afterwards.

[Bo]

Apologize for voting for the Iraq war. Not support that stupid Iran resolution. Attack Obama for flip-flopping on FISA. Have her contest caucus states more.

I thought Obama didn't flip-flop on FISA until June?

Rochambeau: Probably not, but who knows? It was good for a short term save, but she should have fired Mark Penn afterwards.

I think that in retrospect, she should have "showed emotion" right before the Iowa caucuses. That might have caused many women to vote for her in Iowa and for her to win that state. If she would have won Iowa, Obama would have been screwed and she would have easily won the nomination. Even though I agree with you that she should have fired Mark Penn. I'm surprised she didn't ask her husband how the delegate rules work. Surely he would have known (I mean, he ran before).

[Beet]

You may be right, but I don't think it would have changed the outcome in Iowa. Maybe make it closer [which is still worth it]. It's not as effective when you "show emotion" if you're not the clear underdog. Both of them were good at being underdogs, not so good at being frontrunners, which is why the whole thing went on for so long.

[true liberty]

shot obama.

[Bo]

Beet, do you think Hillary would have won Iowa and the nomination if Reverend Wirght's controversial sermons were revealed at anytime in 2007?

[Beet]

I think she would have won the nomination, because it ended up being so close. The main thing with the Wright sermon is that it was the first major black mark on Obama. Prior to Wright the man was flawless. He possessed this aura that only began to gradually peel away starting with Ayers-- then Wright. However, people tend to forgive one big black mark, and given how well Obama survived the actual Wright revelations without losing much of his support after giving his Philadelphia speech, it's hard to tell if it would have tipped the scales in Iowa. Iowa wasn't really all that close-- 38 percent to 30 percent and 29 percent, respectively. A 8 or 9 point gap is in a 3 way race is pretty big.

[King]

I would have worked out a deal to get John Edwards out of the race.  He was nothing more than a parasite in IA, NH, and SC.  Although he endorsed Obama in the end, his strong union backing was clear Hillary vote that he stole.

[Stranger in a strange land]

but the same strategy drastically bakfired for Giuliani.

Not it didn't.  Rudy ignored everything that wasn't Florida.

no, he didn't. He spent the 3rd most in New Hampshire after Romney and IIRC McCain. He was just a weak candidate running an absolutely terrible campaign.

[ag]

Reading the delegate-selection rules? Isn't that obvious?

Read the freaking rules: there is no way you can project a big advantage early on by just winning the big primary states: they are too even-handed in assigning delegates. The small caucus states stack the outcome much more in favor of the winner. Swamp them - this requires a lot of smaller-scale personal effort. Turn out the activists there.