Hillary Clinton’s juggernaut inevitability is showing serious signs of age and destabilization as we move headlong into the primary season. Her greatest strength thus far is that no other Democrat appears willing to challenge her.
But the Democrat primary debates have yet to be scheduled. As many learned all too quickly in 2008, debates threaten to turn Hillary’s fortunes on a dime, in favor of a candidate more inclined to appeal to voters’ sensibilities.
In his piece for Politico, columnist Jack Shafer points incisively to what he calls Hillary’s explicitly scripted strategy of ‘un-running’ for president. He continues to explain the slow pace of the so-called ‘listening tour’ is designed precisely not to attract more media attention.
The strategy’s problem is that it exploits the ever-present void of content in both her campaign and persona. To date, that void has been filled with the intrigue of scandal and misfortune.
Interestingly, the forthcoming book “Clinton Cash” and this week’s news of a major defection are offering up fodder for a media establishment clamoring for more headlines ahead of what will likely be a very dry summer campaign season.
News from Miami on Monday revealed that the city’s former mayor and Clintonista Manny Diaz has jumped into the Martin O’Malley camp at a campaign event. There, he praised O’Malley saying, “He’s not running yet, but I’ll tell you, if he does run, I will endorse him. He’s an old friend, and I’m very loyal to old friends.”
