Swiftboaters for Hillary Clinton?

Posted by Steven Reynolds, The All Spin Zone at 7:12 AM on February 21, 2008.

Hillary Clinton's campaign failed when it went negative in Wisconsin, and here's a bet that each attempt at negative campaigning is going to fail in the future, even if those negative attacks come from the new 527 group formed to support Hillary Clinton.

As George Curry mentions today, andI mentioned one week ago today, negative campaigning by the Hillary Clinton camp is simply not going to work. Man, I'm thinking these folks should just get rid of the whole campaign staff and hire bloggers. They're clueless, and it appears they're now going to ratchet up the negatives rather than seek a strategy that has a prayer of working against Barack Obama. Some of Hillary Clinton's most well-heeled reporters are forming a 527 group to support her in Ohio and Texas. Here it is from the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Looking to boost Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's sagging fortunes, a group of Democratic political strategists has assembled an organization that will raise money from wealthy donors and run ads promoting her views in Texas and Ohio.

Called the American Leadership Project, the organization has been formed as a so-called 527 committee, which can raise unlimited amounts of money from some of Clinton's most deep-pocketed benefactors.

The group is targeting Texas and Ohio, the battleground states that hold primaries on March 4 and are considered Clinton's last best chance to keep her campaign alive against a surging Barack Obama. By law, the group cannot coordinate its activities with Clinton.

"We want to shine a light on issues that matter most to the nation's middle class , health care, freezing foreclosures, those sorts of things," Roger Salazar, the president of the new group, said in an interview. "Obviously Senator Clinton is a recognized champion on these issues."

The group, whose principals are mostly in California, has already prepared at least one ad to begin airing in Ohio. It does not mention Obama, but it echoes what has become Clinton's refrain that while Obama gives speeches, she offers solutions.

"If speeches could create jobs, we wouldn't be facing a recession," the ad's narrator says. "But it takes more. As senator, Hillary Clinton passed legislation to bring investment and jobs to struggling communities and worked to end tax breaks for corporations sending jobs overseas. Her economic blueprint is endorsed by (Ohio) Governor (Ted) Strickland. Tell Hillary to keep working on these solutions for the middle class."

Salazar said the group intends to keep its message positive.

I'm betting they go far beyond the positive advertising they claim will be their method. Indeed, this ad has some thinly veiled negatives within it. I'm betting the group goes far more negative as the Clinton campaign gets more and more desperate. The thing is, every single time the Clinton campaign goes negative, it is going to hurt them. Hey, that's probably why the 527 group was formed, so there can be a surrogate to take the heat for going negative. I'm here to say that won't work either, especially among Democrats and independents who plan on participating in the primaries. They'll see a 527 attack as one of the old school Republican-type attack.

The Hillary Clinton campaign is now bankrupt as concerns ideas that might turn around her fortunes. Officially bankrupt, though? I suppose that would only happen with the really disgusting kind of rumormongering Republicans are known for. So, are there any odds out there about whether some ugly rumor is going to pop up about Barack Obama? Are we really all that far away from such a situation?

Tagged as: negative campaigning, obama, clinton, swiftboaters, 527 groups, ohio, texas

Steven Reynolds is a regular blogger for the All Spin Zone