Blitzer responds, and draws a response
We still don’t care too much about the ins and outs of the presidential campaigns of each party, but the skirmishes between the Clinton campaign and the media have been entertaining. In today’s installment, Wolf Blitzer responds to some threats that appeared on Drudge:
“If she can’t handle the heat during a Democratic contest, wait until the Republicans really start going after her,” he told TV Newser. “If she’s the nominee.” Blitzer also defended Russert against criticism by Bill Clinton. “I think Russert was doing his job,” he said. “He was trying to follow up and be Tim Russert. He asks tough questions. That’s what people want. I admire him.”
We’ll just have to see who hits whom hard this evening, and who produces the best, focus group tested lines. Spontaneity and humor need not apply.
UPDATE
Now comes another fusillade. This afternoon’s attempt — just before the next debate — at changing the subject, or manufacturing a debate question, or intimidating media questioners or primary opponents, just looks weak and foolish to us. From The Hill:
Mark Penn, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) chief strategist, said Thursday that the Democratic front-runner would get 360 electoral votes if the election were held tomorrow and she faced former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R). Penn, in a campaign memo, said the results would be similar regardless of which of the top Republican candidates Clinton would face…Ahead of Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate, the memo is a rallying cry for Clinton supporters. The former first lady has undergone her first major crisis in the race following a shaky performance at the last debate. However, Penn paints the race as Clinton holding steady atop the polls while her Democratic rivals have to resort to “aggressive personal attacks.”
Maybe the Clinton campaign has calculated correctly that calling obvious questions “aggressive personal attacks” is enough to get the media and opponents to back off. Can they all be that weak-minded and cowardly? Stay tuned.
UPDATE II
Apparently the tactics worked. Drudge:
CNN debate moderator Wolf Blitzer did an ‘outstanding’ job in Vegas, a senior adviser to the Hillary campaign said early Friday. ‘He was outstanding, and did not gang up like Russert did in Philadelphia. He avoided the personal attacks, remained professional and ran the best debate so far. Voters were the big winners last night.’
A rival campaign insider charges: ‘Wolf turned into a lamb. No follow-up question on Clinton’s huge flip on drivers licenses?‘
Perhaps Wolf sould be called Nipper from now on.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:28 am
She’s been my Senator for over six years. Accomplishments? None that I know of. I never hired a person without some record of accomplishment and my decisions have turned out to be good ones. I see no reason to make an exception for her.
I don’t care what she says she’s going to do. She is not remotely qualified to be mayor, much less president.