Mark Penn: "being human is overrated"

[Herman Munster]

Mark Penn, Patti Solis Doyle and their whole inept team were rumored to be fired if Hillary lost New Hampshire. In retrospect, winning New Hampshire may have been the worst thing that ever happened to her. It stopped her from making the changes that were necessary to make her campaign successful.

There is absolutely no excuse for her to be in the position she is in right now. She probably would have still lost all the states Obama won but with a modest allocation of resources to the caucus states, she would have lost by 10 points instead of 30 points and would have been in an infinitely stronger position now delegate wise.

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2008/02/27/mark-penn-on-being-human.aspx

A source in the campaign, speaking on background, said that Mr. Penn’s philosophy was perfectly represented by a comment he made during one of Mrs. Clinton’s debate preps at campaign headquarters in early winter. About 15 staffers were in a room with Mrs. Clinton discussing how she could best respond to a particular line of attack. One of the aides, the source recalled, had an idea.

“I think you need to show a little bit of humanity,” said the aide.

Mr. Penn interjected. “Oh, come on, being human is overrated.”

[Bicoastal]

1. Well, at least it's consistent with everything ELSE we've seen from Hillary's campaign.

Hey, what happened, Herman? I thought you were a stalwart HRC supporter.

This is a pretty harsh, off-putting criticism of her team--as a Democrat, *I* wouldn't want these clowns anywhere near the White House.

[NJSecularist]

3. Mark Penn is a very smart and fiercely loyal man

That's why Hillary and the Clintons love him so much.

[Herman Munster]

4. Ultimately she was in charge of a 700 person corporation

And the people she hired ran it into the ground.

It's fair criticism to question her management abilities over this. She put loyalty over competence and that while understandable is also dangerous.

I think the fundamental problem is both Hillary and Bill are used to fighting republicans, not other democrats. Their tactics that would have worked in a general election don't work in a democratic primary and they were slow to realize that fact.

[milkyway]

13. Herman, is that you? This is the first post by you that I've seen that has cast some doubt

about the Clinton campaign. It's good to see.

And I agree that Hillary's campaign, and her message, was built to fight republicans in the general. But despite all the mismanagement problems, she would have won the nomination if she weren't up against such an unusual and strong candidate as Obama. The problems would have gone largely unnoticed.

[Herman Munster]

14. it may just not be her time, the candidate has to fit the time

Ultimately, I'm pragmatic about these things as I'm sure she is.

She has to win Ohio and Texas to go on and I think she pulls out Ohio by 5 or so points but Texas looks very grim right now with all the crossover republican voting.

[dansolo]

19. Still making excuses?

Hillary is sinking fast in TX, and not only will she probably lose the popular vote, but because of the primary rules, she'll get creamed in the delegate count. I'll be willing to bet that Obama will win by a much wider margin than the crossover Republican vote.

[MannyGoldstein]

6. OK - I Give Up

Just what is it he's very smart at? I sure can't tell.

:shrug:

[Alexander]

7. Penn's good at polling and saying the word "cocaine" on TV. That's about it.

The lesson to be learned from this race is that a candidate should pay attention to polls, but not base their entire candidacy around them.

[NJSecularist]

8. As Alexander said, he's a polling guru

He's also an expert at analyzing trends.

Penn is the big scapegoat on this forum, but I think most of the blame should go to Patti Solis Doyle, who was her primary advisor.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Who Was It That Hired Doyle?

:shrug:

[Alexander]

10. Hillary Clinton. Doyle is a longtime friend of hers.

Again, that whole "loyalty over competence" thing.

It never works.

[Herman Munster]

16. hillary and bill signed off on all the strategy

I think we also have to understand the framework she was working under. Her negatives were so high her strategy may have been the only possible way she could have won the general election.

She needed to win early, avoid a long nasty divisive primary that would make her negatives even higher, and unite the whole party behind her so she has a strong base of support against the republicans.

That was the whole reason for "inevitability." She needed to win it all early to have the strongest chance to beat the republicans.

It makes me sad to say this but she's a damaged candidate right now and if she somehow wins the nomination unelectable unless Obama joins her on the ticket.

[Shakespeare]

18. The only thing he's good at marketing is himself.

Tell me the last election he helped someone win. He's been coasting on success more than 10 years old, and has not won a damn thing since. Yes, he IS overrated.

[tavalon]

15. And a jackass!

All that in one man! Swoon................

[villager]

2. I know several grizzly bears -- and lately, Yellowstone Wolves -- who would agree!

n/t

[Major Hogwash]

5. As far as I know, New Hampshire's primary total hasn't been made official yet.

With the vote being contested and everything.

In California, nearly a million "double bubble" votes that weren't counted by the machine are now being asked to be counted by hand.

In New York, entire precincts didn't have a single vote for Obama cast at the ballot box.

If Hillary loses more delegates from those states, she may have to consider dropping out sooner than later.

I don't think we can nominate someone who barely won Nevada, and who was strong only in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The delegates just aren't there.

[elixir]

21. The numbers don't lie, the delegates are there. Mismanaged or not.

[C_U_L8R]

11. i think what he meant was

being Mark Penn is over-rated

[backscatter712]

12. Not a surprising quote from Blackwater Penn. n/t

[Kokonoe]

17. We just can't make a judgement on a remark

Hillary was lead down the wrong path. And she paid for it.

[AZBlue]

20. Well, he would know.

He stopped being human in June of 1973 - decided it just wasn't worth it!