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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) presidential campaign shifted its strategy in the last few days before the New Hampshire primary, but the campaign was worried that the message was not going to get through to voters because of the media-aided frenzy surrounding Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). After Saturday night’s debate, Clinton went after Obama’s message and experience, asking, “Where’s the beef?” She also refused to let Obama claim sole ownership of the “change” message, arguing that Obama does not have the experience to implement real change in Washington. The campaign, a Clinton loyalist said Monday night, became less scripted in the last couple of days, adding that Clinton’s emotional moment in a New Hampshire café was “unplanned and 100 percent authentic.” Yet, the loyalist said ahead of the Tuesday vote, there were great concerns that the new message of challenging Obama’s call for change with specifics — and the more spontaneous campaign approach — would not be noticed as the country was inundated by the national media with an Obama “tsunami.” The Clinton source said the former first lady was upbeat on Sunday, but less so on Monday as polls suggested Obama’s Iowa bounce would be huge. On Sunday, campaign strategists believed it could be a close contest but Monday brought a different mood. “I can’t find one person who thinks we’ll win,” the source said Monday. “It’ll be double digits [for Obama].” Political campaigns usually seek to lower expectations before a primary contest. But this was no spin. The Clinton campaign believed it. Terry McAuliffe, Clinton’s campaign chairman, conducted numerous interviews on Tuesday, stressing the importance of other upcoming states — even though polls in the Granite State had not closed. |
