TIME is out quickly with a 'what went wrong' piece, laying out five faux pas. I dissent.
1. She got the mood wrong. They all did and I'm sure Obama was just as pleasantly surprised as they were disappointed. Anyway, everyone quickly became "Obama" after Iowa.
2&3. She didn't master the rules and She underestimated the caucus states. Could be true. Could also be that they just over-estimated their strength in those places they would contest.
4&5. She relied on old money and didn't count on the long-haul. True, but she adapted.
My 2-cents?
She's got a lot "right", maybe more than wrong - and her energy level seems to be higher than both of her opponents combined! If one were just cataloging trouble spots, however:
1. Managerial failure: She ought to have shaken up the team substantially immediately after the New Hampshire win. (Hardest thing in the world to do, I know).
2. Message failure: She played the 'experience' versus 'change' thing for too long, abstractly, gaining no traction. They fell flat invoking Lyndon Johnson and Tuzla and "change you can Xerox", but came closer with "3 a.m.". On the whole, they appeared slow to develop a conceptual framework to combat the Obama message. [McCain's team appear to have no such problems, sadly ... but they also have a very wrinkly candidate who may not be able to carry off the message they give him.]
3. Timing: Everyone 'matures' on the campaign trail (hopefully). From an effective communications viewpoint, it seems that she hit full-stride just a tad too late and it got mucked-up and tied-in with a "kitchen sink" strategy.
On the Obama side:
1. Coasting: His campaign isn't taking risks, field-testing new messages (cf. 'the party of ideas' he wants to be), capturing the news-cycle, building depth and dimension to the character-perception of the main candidate. He went back to the same things, more or less, to win North Carolina, so they are comfortable ... too comfortable?
2. Message failure: Despite everything, at least one influential poll (Pew?) showed perceptions of Obama no different than McCain w/r/t special interests and their money.
3. Accessibility: He's got press-avail problems that she does not - Hillary's more confident on the issues and almost effortlessly "on message", so she is not afraid of even antagonistic interviewers...
OUR TIMES
Anyway, best one-liner (most effective) from this primary season? Probably Joe Biden, on Rudy Giuliani: "A noun, a verb, and 9-11" Runner-up, Giuliani: "Ronald Reagan gave amnesty", alongside (paraphrase), "If Ronald Reagan were running today, he'd be in one of Mitt's attack ads."
Most thoroughly GOP ad? Tancredo's vote my-way against immigration or die, because "someone had to say it".
Most vicious smear? Hard to say. Could be what McCain did to Romney in Florida, causing the guy with arguably the best presentation skills of the whole lot to lose his cool and flap his wings.
Most skilled panderer? Maybe Huckabee. Able to use humor to both pander to his audience and leave the impression that he respects them at the same time.
Least skilled baby-hugger, etc.? Obama, who bowled a 37 or something.
Most skilled baby-hugger, etc.? Ed Rendell?
Most passionately off-the-wall?: I would have said some of Mike Gravel's zinging stabs at "politicians", until one heard Ron Paul talk on and on and on about debasing the currency in terms that only he and a few others could unpack without killing the patient.
Rather than that, here's Ron Paul versus John McCain ("100 years", "allied with Osama bin Laden" ... all this before Rev Wright showed up with chickens roosting ... hummm):
Biggest debate scores and losses: Hillary for her astounding closing in the Texas debate. Hillary for saying that she voted for the bankruptcy bill but was glad it didn't pass ...
Media "muscle" moment: FOX bans Ron Paul from January 6th debate [clip, a sharp comeuppance to FOX, is not to be missed]
Most dynamic duo: The Edwardses. Nothing like being able to count on your spouse to warm up the crowd for you on a cold New Hampshire day, with important talking points.
Most inauspicious campaign beginning: Joe Biden, who started out with unfortunately phrased remarks that were interpreted to have racial overtones ...
Most fun election night coverage: Candy Crowley, rushing to clarify her remark, "Terry McAuliffe is high as a kite, tonight" (I think following Ohio, Texas primaries).
Nervous moderator utterances: Andersen Cooper, visibly and verbally in awe of a veritable Ronald Reagan relic on the desktop beside him ...
Zany moderator utterances: "Do you think Dr. Wright loves America as much as you do?"
Most profoundly American: Tossup. Mike eating "Huckabergers" in New Hampshire and Ted Kennedy serenading the good people of Laredo with "¡AY JALISCO NO TE RAJES! Arriba Teddy!
Most inscrutable speech: Fred Thompson's longest ever non-withdrawal withdrawal speech, following South Carolina boost to McCain (as best I recall).
Most impolitic: McCain, who choose to tell a voter / questioner, "Shut up you little jerk".
Most memorable (by far): "And then they want us to sing, 'God Bless America'?! No, no, no! Not God bless America, God damn America!"
TIME's factcheckers let slide the false claim that the Clinton's amassed a $100 million dollar fortune. They have not. They paid taxes and they also gave away and spent money, too.
