We have a potential turning point in the Democratic race for President. Mark it down. Saturday February 23rd, 2008. Hillary Clinton got VERY angry at Barack Obama today in Ohio after what she believes are false mailers circulating in that state about her views on NAFTA and healthcare. Read below from The Politico: Hillary Rodham Clinton ripped Barack Obama Saturday for mailings his campaign is sending to Ohio voters that Clinton said distorted her record on NAFTA and universal health care. The video is here.
"Shame on you, Barack Obama," Clinton said angrily when talking to reporters after a rally in a technical college gym here. "It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public. That's what I expect from you," she said, calling on Obama to repudiate and stop the mailings, which she waved demonstratively.
"Meet me in Ohio. Let's have a debate about your tactics," she said, calling the mailings "tactics that are right out of Karl Rove's playbook."
Her comments about the mailings, coupled with her comparison of Obama and President Bush during the preceding rally, were far sharper than any she has made lately about her opponent for the Democratic presidential nomination.
It's unclear whether Saturday's attacks portended a shift to a more negative strategy as the campaign hurtles toward March 4 contests in Ohio and Texas, where Clinton needs big wins to reverse her slide. Obama has won 11 straight contests after the Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, contests. (Rhode Island and Vermont also hold contests Tuesday.)
The comments seemed to signal that Clinton is not resigned to defeat, as some had inferred from her comments at the end of Thursday's televised debate in Austin, Texas, in which she said "whatever happens" in the election, she and Obama are "going to be fine."
Clinton said Saturday that she received the mailings, both of which were paid for by the Obama campaign, from a supporter she met in the rope line after the rally at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
One flier alleges Clinton's plan for universal health care "forces everyone to buy health insurance, even if you can't afford it," while the other says she "believed NAFTA was 'a boon' to our economy." Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton defended both mailings, calling them "completely accurate" in a statement. He added "We look forward to having a debate this Tuesday on the facts," which he said back the mailers' claims.
The whole article is here.
We have a couple things going on here. First of all, remember the "Let Hillary be Hillary" line? Well, it worked in New Hampshire and it may work here. Voters want to see passion and emotion. Hillary delivered it in spades today. It's one thing to have a civil debate but when you feel unjustly accused, most people get upset. She did exactly that and it very well could benefit her. It makes her more "real" and less robotic.
Secondly, when Hillary Clinton goes after Obama's "new kind of politics" with a couple of examples in her corner, it can hurt Obama's brand. The plagiarism accusations go pretty decent play and you can be sure the "Karl Rove's playbook" line will get big time play too.
The question is: did these mailers give Hillary the opening and ammunition for a comeback?