Sunday, December 31, 2006
Hillary Plotting to Derail Obama Plans
Hillary Clinton regards fellow Senator Barack Obama as her biggest obstacle to the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, and is already mapping out strategy to derail an Obama campaign.
Clinton believes enthusiasm for an Obama run would diminish as voters get the message about his lack of experience in government and foreign affairs.
In meetings with fellow Democrats, Clinton and her aides – without mentioning Obama by name – stress that experience will be a major factor in determining a successful candidate during difficult times, "an argument that her team will no doubt make in a stronger way against Mr. Obama if they both jump into the race,” the New York Times reports.
Clinton also considers John Edwards a potentially strong candidate, but discounts the threat from Al Gore and John Kerry, according to political insiders she has spoken with.
Before Congress reconvened, Clinton was engaged in nearly nonstop political consultations, seeking feedback for her campaign strategy. She has spoken in person or by telephone with influential Democrats in early-decision states including Iowa and Nevada – which have early caucuses – and New Hampshire, the first primary state.
But she told one New Hampshire Democrat that she would like to delay the formal start of her campaign until later this year and concentrate on her work in the Senate.
"I recommended that she didn’t need to jump in early, that I would like to see some progress in the Senate, and she said she felt the same way,” William Shaheen, a senior New Hampshire aide to Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004, told the Times.
"But sometimes events come into it, other people start beating the drum quicker, and you can lose key people if you wait.”
Hillary Clinton regards fellow Senator Barack Obama as her biggest obstacle to the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, and is already mapping out strategy to derail an Obama campaign.
Clinton believes enthusiasm for an Obama run would diminish as voters get the message about his lack of experience in government and foreign affairs.
In meetings with fellow Democrats, Clinton and her aides – without mentioning Obama by name – stress that experience will be a major factor in determining a successful candidate during difficult times, "an argument that her team will no doubt make in a stronger way against Mr. Obama if they both jump into the race,” the New York Times reports.
Clinton also considers John Edwards a potentially strong candidate, but discounts the threat from Al Gore and John Kerry, according to political insiders she has spoken with.
Before Congress reconvened, Clinton was engaged in nearly nonstop political consultations, seeking feedback for her campaign strategy. She has spoken in person or by telephone with influential Democrats in early-decision states including Iowa and Nevada – which have early caucuses – and New Hampshire, the first primary state.
But she told one New Hampshire Democrat that she would like to delay the formal start of her campaign until later this year and concentrate on her work in the Senate.
"I recommended that she didn’t need to jump in early, that I would like to see some progress in the Senate, and she said she felt the same way,” William Shaheen, a senior New Hampshire aide to Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004, told the Times.
"But sometimes events come into it, other people start beating the drum quicker, and you can lose key people if you wait.”
