Hillary the Irrelevant 'Not Quite a Dem Huckabee'

February 29th, 2008 6:54 AM

It's enough to make Hillary yearn for a tough hit piece about herself . . .

If there's anything worse for a candidate than being attacked by the press, it's being ignored. Yet that is precisely the fate that's befallen Clinton, as per Charles Mahtesian's item in this morning's Politico: Clinton Seeks to Regain Spotlight.

Opening lines [emphasis added]:

There was a time not long ago when Hillary Clinton dominated the discourse in both parties’ presidential contests.

Now, she’s struggling to get her message out and remain part of the campaign conversation . . .

Mahtesian recalls the good old days for Clinton, when as recently as the January 25th GOP debate she, as the presumptive Dem nominee, was the center of attention, drawing repeated fire from the Republican contenders while Barack Obama's name went unmentioned.

But things have changed dramatically. Losing 11 consecutive contests by an average margin of 33% will do that to a candidate. As the old line goes, Hillary can't get herself arrested. Here's how Mathesian words his unkindest cut [emphasis added]:

It sometimes seems as if Clinton is no longer there, not quite a Democratic version of Mike Huckabee, but a candidate who barely resembles the one who expected to lock up the nomination on Super Tuesday.

Ouch.