DailyKos: Hillary Clinton Fails the Joe Biden Test

[Yael]

This is an excellent read.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/11/10835/8086/130/454463

"My dad used to say, don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget. I will tell you what you value," Biden said.

Applying this test to Hillary Clinton's campaign reveals that her winning the nomination would be the death of the 50-state strategy.

Field offices per February 5 state:

Alabama: Obama at least 5, Clinton 2.
North Dakota: Obama 4, Clinton 0.
Idaho: Obama 5, Clinton 0.
Colorado: Obama 12, Clinton 1.
Minnesota: Obama 7, Clinton 1.
Alaska: Obama 1, Clinton 0.
Kansas: Obama 20 staffers, Clinton 3 staffers. (same link).

February 9-10:

Louisiana: Obama campaign had "really been working the state harder ."
Washington state: Obama 3, Clinton 0.
Nebraska: Obama 1, Clinton 0.
Maine: Obama 1, Clinton 0.

February 12 states:

Maryland: Obama 9, Clinton 0.
Virginia: Obama 9, Clinton maybe 1.

During Clinton's 2006 Senate race, several high-ranking aides voiced concerns about loose financial controls over such things as office supplies and advertising. The current campaign appears to be run more frugally, with headquarters in Virginia rather than on K Street. But the campaign's latest reports still show unusual expenditures, such as nearly $500,000 last year for parking costs.

A review of both campaigns' financial filings show they aggressively spent money last year. Both spent more than $80 million before heading into the January primary season, including similar amounts on travel and events. Obama spent more on television advertising and field staff. Clinton spent nearly $4 million on political and media consultants; Obama spent about $1.4 million.

So, Senator Clinton, don't tell us about how much you value the 50-state strategy. We've seen your budget, and your budget indicates that you value DC-insiders, media consultants, and extravagant perks moreso than in contesting elections in places like Colorado, Idaho, and other states that aren't as glamourous as New York or California.

[AX10]

1. OH My Goodness. Kos...

has his knives out for Clinton yet again!

[knowledgeispwr]

Kos didn't write that

Oops.

[Bucky]

13. Pfff, facts... what-ev-errr

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Do you disagree with the numbers?

Because a Clinton supporter this last weekend was complaing about how the delegate count from Washington broke down, and seemed to be claiming that math had a well known gender bias.

[eridani]

I'm on the WA 11th LD credentials committee, and we are still fixing mistakes

Most of them seem to be in favor of Clinton so far. Embarassingly enough, one of them is mine. One of my 10 precincts had 4 delegates alloted, 3 for Obama and 1 for Clinton. That's what I wrote on the envelope, but our transcriber read my somewhat sloppy 1 as a 7. Since 4+3=7, the doublechecker overlooked the mistake. Still trying to track down others, but we think there was some line skipping by the state when they entered our spreadsheet data.

[eridani]

22. I'm on the WA 11th LD credentials committee, and we are still fixing mistakes

Most of them seem to be in favor of Clinton so far. Embarassingly enough, one of them is mine. One of my 10 precincts had 4 delegates alloted, 3 for Obama and 1 for Clinton. That's what I wrote on the envelope, but our transcriber read my somewhat sloppy 1 as a 7. Since 4+3=7, the doublechecker overlooked the mistake. Still trying to track down others, but we think there was some line skipping by the state when they entered our spreadsheet data.

[eridani]

23. I'm on the WA 11th LD credentials committee, and we are still fixing mistakes

Most of them seem to be in favor of Clinton so far. Embarassingly enough, one of them is mine. One of my 10 precincts had 4 delegates alloted, 3 for Obama and 1 for Clinton. That's what I wrote on the envelope, but our transcriber read my somewhat sloppy 1 as a 7. Since 4+3=7, the doublechecker overlooked the mistake. Still trying to track down others, but we think there was some line skipping by the state when they entered our spreadsheet data.

[DarthDem]

2. So Tired of Kos

Shouldn't he be working on efforts to win the general election instead of wasting time favoring one candidate over the other? And yes, I'm a Hillary supporter, but if Obama wins (and I think he probably will), I will be 100%, insanely, enthusiastically behind him.

Behind Kos, not so much.

[Yael]

4. Did you bother to click the link or are you just in assumption mode?

Kos didn't write this.

[DarthDem]

12. I Clicked the Link

I'm tired of Kos for (among other reasons, like constant self-shilling) the 4,000 other anti-Clinton articles he's been writing. I realize he didn't write this one and apologize if I gave a contrary impression. Everything I said in my original post still stands.

[earthlover]

19. So you can support hillary and Kos can not oppose her?

So only supporters of hillary get a voice during the primaries? We all should save our energy to vote for Hillary in the general?

Pathetic! The hillary herd gets more pathetic every day.

[DarthDem]

20. Pummel that Straw Man!

I think you've got him on the ropes! Get him!

P.S.: I don't have a blog that millions of people read that pretends at objectivity, yet posts slanted perspectives in favor of Obama - - in other words, the same thing the site owner rails against the MSM for doing. Have a nice day. :)

[earthlover]

27. NO...I was responding to your quote....

"Shouldn't he be working on efforts to win the general election instead of wasting time favoring one candidate over the other?"

Apply that to yourself! Shouldn't YOU be working on efforts to win the general election instead of wasting time favorint one candidate over the other?

Of course this is a false choice. You can do both. And so can Kos.

[featherman]

3. Mark Penn's "Big State" strategy - knock out opposition on 2/5/08

How's that working out?

[Tatiana]

5. $1 million of that 1.4 is probably Axelrod's fee.

Hillary had $185 million amassed in '07. Again, I must ask... where did the money go?

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. I think that's because Obama raised 17 million more dollars than Clinton in January

It's not like he's Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge, Obama didn't keep that money around to take baths in - he spent it, and that is part of how he did.

Let's do the math. Over the course of a year, Clinton spent 2.6 million more on consultants than Obama did. Over the course of January, Obama raised 17 million more dollars than Clinton. I think the latter number is the relevent one here, not the former.

[gateley]

7. Interesting. Thanks. By the way, I've remembered what Biden (and his dad)

said every time someone promises to make a change and gives the budget. If, for example, they say "I'll send every American to college, and I've asked for $100 million in funding" I know they're full of it. It's a good rule of thumb to remember.

[Diane R]

8. Actually, Obama had at least 5, but probably 6, offices in Washington State.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Hi Yael. Am I to guess that you've jumped to Obama

after our mutual great disappointments? I guess I'm on the edge of doing the same thing. But, with specific reference to this Kos thing, I'm hard-pressed to get very excited about differing approaches to campaigning. These debates about means, at least insofar as one tries to derive great, sweeping philosophical conclusions from them. In principle I buy the 50-state theory, but can well conceive of a candidate coming to a different conclusion within the context of their own campaign.

[Yael]

18. Heya Jackpine,

Yes. I weighed them, liked Obama's poverty policy, didn't like what I appeared to be games for the sake of games in the Clinton corner, and then I thought about down ticket.

We have a career (R) in the house that we are trying to unseat with a relatively unknown young Dem.

Looking over the landscape, I think Obama has the coattails to help that race by energizing people who normally wouldn't care. I don't see Hillary as generating the same excitement nor the same level of people to the polls.

A fan of the 50 state theory (as the president is over the whole country, not just bi-costal residents) I like that approach, but I understand the objectives in sticking with the delegate rich states. The Nebraska turnouts just blew my mind. They may not count for many delegates, but the PEOPLE were fired up and felt like they were a real part of the process for a change.

My biggest thing in posting this wasn't the author's note about the 50 state thing -- but in where Hillary has chosen to spend her campaign donations.

Coming from an Edwards perspective, I am experiencing cognitive dissonance thinking about poverty in one token and $500,000 in parking fees in another.

[nvmojo.risin]

21. totally agree! I went from Edwards to Obama too

:applause:

[formernaderite]

30. excellent response

As disappointed as I still am that Edwards didn't light peoples fires....I'm about to leave the house and touch screen(still not sure if it's actually voting) for Obama.

[Tatiana]

10. I will never understand the hostility directed towards the 50-state strategy.

I don't know if it's personal animosity towards Dean for saying and doing what needed to be said and done. The 50-state strategy is winning us elections. Why would we throw it away and go back to giving up on half the country?

As I and many others have asserted, the Clinton campaign is all about a 50% +1 strategy for the national election. Notice that Hillary has no field offices in 7 states and only 1 field office in another 7 states

This is one reason among many that I fear a Clinton campaign: they just don't believe in the 50 state strategy.

This is evident even in the primaries. As indicated by Poblano's research, Clinton has only 27 field offices to Obama's 87. Furthermore Obama has field offices in all of the Super Tuesday states, even Alaska. Not surprisingly, she has no field offices in most of the red states (AK, ID, KS, ND, OK, and UT) that she does not feel will be competitive in the general election. Georgia and Tennessee are the only exceptions and she only has one field office in each.

She also has no field offices in the blue states of Delaware and Illinois. It appears that she has conceded IL to Obama. Though that may be true it feels like she just doesn't care enough to bother nor does she care about DE. Even in the Blue states, CA, NY, NJ, MA, MN and CT she only has a major presence in CA and NY, the highest delegate states.

As for the purple states (AR, AZ, CO, and NM) she also has only one field office in each.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/1/113613/5610/907/447600

And here is another discussion on whether or not the 50-state strategy is viable in a presidential election:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4531364&mesg_id=4532185

[sniffa]

11. Error: You've already recommended that awesome thread.

The campaign Obama is running is incredible to watch unfold. This is what I expected Dean to do in 2004.

[Bucky]

14. Well, at least she didn't fail that OTHER Joe Biden test.

I mean, she is still clean, right?

[Froward69]

29. you forgot

articulate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOXzyTGsC1c&e

[msongs]

16. it's dailyobama.com HRC supporters are not really welcome there anymore nt

[TwilightGardener]

17. They're running her campaign like a bloated, inefficient business--

not a good sign of the managerial competence she touted a few debates ago, when everyone knocked Obama for losing papers and messy desks. Looks like Obama has a grip on the day-to-day, more than she does, AND more than McCain did. Both Hillary's AND McCain's campaigns keep going into the red.

[cooolandrew]

24. Follow the money as they always say.

[Freetospeak]

25. SHe never had the money to compete...An inferior candidate IMHO.

[MagsDem]

26. Oh bullshit. DKOS is Obama central

Obama spent 23 million buying caucus votes. A record in all elections where statisics have been recorded. DKos supporters are full of shit and have bought the 15 yr media campaign to hate all things Clinton. Sheeple.

[Froward69]

28. Rec # 20

Here in CO this state went 2/3 Obama. Hillarys campaign office became a laughingstock. arrogant, dismissive, unhelpful, difficult and closed to outsiders... were key words describing Hillarys office.
along with being no where near a bus stop, Her office was located in just about the least visible location in Denver. Bill came to town to speak for her. (2000 attended)

Whereas Obamas Offices were helpful, explanatory, easy to reach, and gave a sense that His campaign was a step towards an open government. Obama may not have been there personally. but it became clear if he were it would be run the same. all volunteers were smiling, understanding, and eager to help. Not only was His main office on a main street and visible but easily accessible to the general public.
Obama came himself. (14,000 attended)