by Glenn Thrush
MERRILLVILLE, Ind. -- Hillary Rodham Clinton began the campaign in pearls, assembling a team of fundraisers that included luminaries from New York's financial services industry.
She's ending it in pickup trucks, Dairy Queens and fire stations, taking a 2-by-4 to "Wall Street money brokers" and vowing to break up oil-rich OPEC.
No development in the 2008 campaign is quite so striking as Clinton's transformation from a front-runner policy wonk with deep pockets to a cash-starved populist staking her hopes in Tuesday's North Carolina and Indiana primaries on a promise to lower gas prices.
"If I were president, I would be jumping up and down in the White House" to cut gas prices, she shouted to a crowd of several hundred supporters at firehouse here in the northwest Indiana suburbs.
Necessity is the mother of Clinton's populism, longtime observers say.
"It's a highly effective argument in a primary during an economic downturn," says Doug Schoen, a former pollster for Bill Clinton.
"She's not a true populist -- not at all," Schoen says. "She wasn't getting white males in Wisconsin, Virginia and Maryland, and she needed those votes and this is the message. ... Politics is not only about finding a message, it's finding circumstances that fit the message -- and the weak economy provided her with that opportunity."
See the rest of the report from Newsday:
Don't expect Clinton to be "giving the 'Cross of Gold' speech at the Democratic National Convention," quipped Schoen, referring to populist William Jennings Bryan's 1896 convention speech railing against Eastern money interests.
Nonetheless, Clinton has been delivering a kind of CliffsNotes version of that speech to mostly white crowds throughout Indiana all week. On Sunday night, she asked members of the state's Democratic party, "Why don't we hold these Wall Street money-brokers responsible for their role in this recession?"
While it's unclear if the change in Clinton's tone will pay off, a realclearpolitics.com survey of pre-primary polls showed Obama with a shrunken 7-point lead in North Carolina, and Clinton with a 5-point edge in Indiana.
"I think we've got him where we want him," said a Clinton field organizer, on condition of anonymity. "We forced him into a debate on the economy and we'll win that any time."
Despite her rhetoric, Clinton's connections to Wall Street are deep. Of the seven companies whose employees have contributed the most to Clinton, five are Wall Street firms - Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase and Lehman Brothers. Donors from those firms have given a total of $1.8 million to her campaign.
Many of Clinton's top campaign bundlers, known as "Hill Raisers," have made their fortunes in the financial services industry, including financier Alan Patricof, venture capitalist Steve Rattner and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, a former Goldman Sachs executive.
Still, Clinton's resurgence has been fueled by her focus on pocketbook issues vital to white, blue-collar voters in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
Her stump speech earlier in the campaign included a grab bag of detailed proposals and line-by-line descriptions of her universal health care plan, but she has distilled it down to a discussion of voters' economic problems -- and a promise to punish the villains she believes are responsible for their woes.
"We're going to go right at OPEC. They would no longer be the cartel, a monopoly," Clinton said of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. "We're going to give power to people in our country through our anti-trust laws and we are sure going to go right after them in the World Trade Organization."
A year ago, Clinton's speech included a pledge to make policy decisions based on evidence, not political expediency. Now she unapologetically touts a bill creating a summer gas-tax holiday, even though economists say it would increase oil company profits by spurring consumption.
Obama has ridiculed the plan as a "gimmick," but Clinton launched a new TV ad yesterday defending the plan and asking, "What has happened to Barack Obama?"
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Comments
Read why Farrakhan IS INDEED very relevant for voters to consider re: the Obamas--Christopher Hitchens on Slate.
http://www.slate.com/id/2190589/
It is just very hard to see how this 'uniter' candidate is going to really help us at all.
Posted by: Vote 4 Hillary NOW --It's imnportant | May 6, 2008 7:18 AM
The Obamas are just too nasty to her.
Posted by: I'lll take astrologers over 'economists' any day | May 6, 2008 7:02 AM
I would think you are the same poster to post the above statement under economic thread. Maybe they are to nasty because people like you do nothing but play political BS like trying to tie Obama to Farrakhan. Why don't YOU stick to the issues?
Posted by: bill r. | May 6, 2008 7:46 AM
From Day-One the Obama camp has been the elitists, the monied Chardonnay sippers from the coasts who look down on "little people"... with either condescension ("don't ask questions, we know what's best") or contempt ("The Bubbas must be stupid racists if they don't worship Obama")
Populism is the natural counter attack for HC. It's no surprise that it's working.
The people the Obamabots despise demand practical solutions to real problems.
Posted by: MJ | May 6, 2008 8:15 AM
Re: Pearls
From "Head of State"
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/05/gas-tax-holiday-multiple-choice.html
"Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Gas Tax Holiday: Multiple Choice
Hillary Clinton's claim that a Gas Tax Holiday will help middle class Americans, at the same time that her advisers have privately stated the opposite to the Washington Post, namely that they are aware that this will result in an increase in gas prices, and that it is "just politics", is most similar in political mindset and ideology to:
a) Former Bush Administration Chief of Staff Andy Card stating that the Administration waited until September to make its case for Iraq because `From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August';
b) Paul Wolfowitz predicting that the costs of reconstruction in Iraq would be paid for by oil profits from that nation, when contemporaneous predictions of the costs of the war and a subsequent insurgency would be, and have been, far greater;
c) Dick Cheney's prediction we would be greeted in Iraq as "liberators, despite numerous pre-war intelligence analyses which warned “that the U.S. would face armed resistance from Iraqis following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.”
d) All of the above
Cite:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/05/gas-tax-holiday-multiple-choice.html
Posted by: Robert Hewson | May 6, 2008 8:55 AM
Clinton has enough history in public such that peopl know she's just trying to win the nomination.....some like the toughness and focus on the job at hand, some hate the disingenuousness of her rhetoric.
But, what voters do know is that she is a life-long over achiever by utilizing her intelligence and aggression.
Supporters say he's generous and consensus builder; detractors say he gives away too much. An example is his dealings with Rezko on his home. There is no way Rezko didn't play a role in Obama purchasing his home. With no judgement on the appropriateness of the deal, my concern is why would Obama used his home as a political tool to get closer to a political influence peddler....it's a very poor decision for an intelligent person like Obama who knew he was gearing up for presidential candidacy. There's enough history in the game of politics on how these kind of deals come back to haunt the candidate. The only conclusion I could draw from Obama buying his home was that Rezko sold/pressured him into it.
Obama tried to distance himself from Rev. Wright over a year ago, when he announced his candidacy. He snubbed his mentor and father figure for 20 years by not inviting him on stage during the announcement. What the public doesn't see is what happens after that; which by Rev. Wright's outlash last week, indicates Obama did nothing to shore up the relationship. As a politician, Obama grossly underestimated how big of a liability (and lose cannon) Rev. Wright could be. If he couldn't manage his relationship with Rev. Wright properly over time, how can he be expected to change national political game, where there are hundreds of alpha egos the size of Wright's and just as many self interests.
This Democratic primary comes down to do voters want to vote for Clinton, who will be solution oriented and focused on incremental improvements; or vote for Obama, who's is the lottery ticket (transformational or 4 years of nothing because a lack of aggressiveness and political will).
Posted by: Andrew | May 6, 2008 9:03 AM
Hillary Clinton is not fit to be the president of the United States.
Think about the campaign she has waged and how many times her message has changed throughout her campaign. Think about the lies she has been caught in and just think about how many have not seen the light of day. Think about the stunts and tricks she has used to gain votes.
Just think. Is this the person we want representing our country?
Vote Obama.
Posted by: Susan | May 6, 2008 9:20 AM
"the monied Chardonnay sippers from the coasts who look down on "little people"... "
A perfect description of Hillary Clinton.
Posted by: Lois | May 6, 2008 11:04 AM
The insipid bloggers here don't want you to know that Hillary had a plan to STRUCTURALLY reform the oil-ey companies' relationships to you and me citizens.
Notice how the Obama supporters do nothing but attack people.
Christopher Hitchens' article IS worth examining.
Farrakhn endorsed Obama.
Not trying to 'connect' the two--they're connected from the endorsement,.
Christopher H has a right to examine this.
I have a right to post his url:
http://www.slate.com/id/2190589/
Posted by: At least Hillary's pearls weren't above tight pink top spewing cleavage | May 6, 2008 11:07 AM
Oh, brother! Hillary's been drinking her shot and a beer again!
Just a two-faced liar pandering to the voters who sadly will fall for it hook, line and sinker.
Posted by: Hill Fan | May 6, 2008 11:35 AM
I think it is hilarious that someone said that Obama was a Chardonnay sipper. Until two years ago he and his family lived in a modest town house/condo in Chicago. Their house still is not as austentatious as the Clinton's. Jeez check out the per capita income of her neighbors. Talk about chardonnay sippers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chappaqua,_New_York. I like Hilary Clinton but this truck stuff is not who she really is today and is not who she has been since she was raised in Park Ridge check that income toohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Ridge,_Illinois . Being fair this the elistist argument is not a good one - if you do the research. I know those working class folks aren't making NEARLY enough to meet either of these incomes - especially the one in Chappaqua. The choice is yours. Happy Voting.
Posted by: Fair | May 6, 2008 11:47 AM
Susan, think about the lies Obama told about his minister, think about the lies Obama told about Rezko, think about the lies Obama told about Ayers, think about the lies Obama told about Farrakhan, think about the time Obama said "what I meant to say was. . .," think about the way Michelle is proud of the US for the first time, think about what Obama has done for IL, think about the deal with the purchase of his house with the help of Rezko, think about his comment to the bubbas in this country that cling to their churches and guns, he forgot to include their raised up pickups with oversized tires, do I need to go on? Why would we want this bozo or his clown of a wife in the Whitehouse.
Posted by: RFB-IL | May 6, 2008 12:13 PM
Welcome to the Sisterhood of the Pandering Pantsuit!
Posted by: Bubba and Hill | May 6, 2008 1:00 PM
Hillary makes a killing in cattle futures and then turns around and bashes Wall Street?
Hillary certainly has cornered the Bull Market.
Posted by: Bull Market | May 6, 2008 2:43 PM
We all know that Hillary Clinton has been through a lot in her husband's 35 years' experience in politics. And, looking over the past year... she's taken it out on just about everybody. This is her time to "rant." And, now she can't stop. Mrs. Clinton is nobody's role-model, nor is she someone to believe. She will stoop to anything to get a vote and the American people should be wary. She's dangling a carrot folks! Don't be the rabbit... dismiss her at the polls for talking down to you and I mean literally the rural, poor and the workers who have been without work over the past several years.
She's offering poliltics as usual! The American people are smarter than that. Please get the facts... know your history. All of a sudden she's changing messages every other day. Don't you see what she is doing. She's making fun of all the little people... don't let her do this to you. Don't be gullible. She's not worth your vote. The Clintons have had their time in politics... it is not time for CHANGE. Sen. Obama embodies what the American people were taught in the history books. A brilliant, temperamental person. Clinton is the elitist in this campaign ... come on $100 MILLION for over 10 years. Obama doesn't even come close! How can she know how you suffer when she's never walked in your shoes???? Don't let the media, journalists take you for an idiot. Look at the polls... she's divisive and desperate.
Posted by: change | May 6, 2008 3:19 PM