CONTRAST….Time’s Karen Tumulty reports that the Clinton campaign plans to respond to their loss in Iowa with much sharper attacks on Barack Obama:
“We’ve got to start holding him to the standard people hold her to,” Clinton’s chief strategist Mark Penn told reporters aboard the campaign’s chartered jet to New Hampshire. “I think there’s a basic choice between experienced leadership for change and inexperienced leadership that talks about change.”
Added another adviser: “You’re going to see some very sharp media now.” That suggests the next round of Clinton ads will go beyond the previous gentle references to Obama’s lack of experience and begin to look at, for instance, inconsistency in his voting record. They are looking at issues like gun control, where he previously took a harder stand that may not play well with gun-loving voters in New Hampshire, and health care, where he previously expressed support for a government-run health care system. Clinton plans to exploit every whiff of inconsistency.
No surprise here. Republicans are obsessed with “contrast” campaigning — i.e., lots and lots of attack ads — and obviously the Clinton folks now feel like this is their best chance to engineer a rebound in New Hampshire. But is five days enough time to make a dent?
