Hillary, we hardly knew ye

If you haven't checked it out, you should read Josh Green's piece on the implosion of the Clinton campaign, and the internal memos he dug up while writing the story.   The story, and the memos, emphasize just how many times the Clinton campaign shot itself in the foot--burning through money, struggling to find a clear message, and most of all, failing to manage the myriad superegos who were vying for control.

What may be underrated is the extent to which Clinton's indecisiveness was a result of the same thing that made it possible:  her marriage to Bill Clinton.  The campaign had multiple power centers, with the Clinton old guard fighting it out against Hillary's people.  And Bill, heavily involved from the get-go, was naturally drawn to the kind of strategies and tactics that had made him a successful campaigner.  But Clinton's strengths were not her husband's, and the campaign never really succeeded in crafting an image for its candidate separate from the shadows of the first Clinton administration.  With the Obama campaign confidently offering a coherent, fresh political image, it was nearly impossible for the Clintons to compete.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2008/08/hillary-we-hardly-knew-ye/3959/