The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting that Hillary Clinton‘s campaign may, as a last-minute effort, try to stop the precinct conventions on Tuesday night. Now, this may sound like it’s coming out of left-field, but on his stop at the UT Austin campus on Wednesday, Pres. Bill Clinton seems (with hindsight) to have been laying the groundwork.
During the section of his speech about the complicated popular vote/convention combo system in Texas, Clinton said that Hillary could win during the day, and have that victory taken away from her in the evening. Why raise this point at all, unless the campaign is concerned that it can motivate a majority to only turn out once in a two-stage process.
On the back of the Clinton campaign trying to get the Florida and Michigan delegates re-instated, plus Clinton yelling over Tim Russert and Brian Williams at the Ohio debate, she seems to be running more against the rule book than against Barack Obama. Plus, the less said about the “and now the ‘3am phone call'” TV spot (which looks like it came from the same people behind the Bush/Cheney 2004 wolves at the door campaign ad), possibly the better.
This article appears in February 29 • 2008.
