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Hillary Preparing to Leave Wisconsin Early

February 17, 2008 10:45 AM

"On Wisconsin, On Wisconsin, Fight on for her fame!/Fight, Badgers, fight, fight, fight, we'll win this game!"

Is Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, giving up the fight?

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes that Clinton is leaving Wisconsin Monday morning, a day before Badger State Democrats go to the polls.

The move certainly does not suggest confidence that she will win Tuesday. Presumably she will not be heading to the site of Tuesday's other primary -- Hawaii -- but rather one of the three states she must win in which she leads in polls -- Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

A Research 2000/WISC-TV poll released Valentine's Day had Obama only slightly ahead of Clinton.

This is all tea-leaf reading, but presumably, if her campaign tracking polls showed her gaining on Obama, Clinton would pull out all the stops and stay in Wisconsin until election day. (Or at least through Monday night!)

This decision to bail suggests the contrary.

- jpt

February 17, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary | Permalink | Share | User Comments (57)

User Comments

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truth: I think that you should move on. Hillary has about 40 - 50 million dollars against Obama's 1.5 million that why she can write out a big check and he can't because he is a pauper's millionaire. Hillary and Romney had the most money of the candidates. And as far as her taxes I would not show my personal income to anyone because that's private. I am sure Obama still has the one hundred thousand dollars he got from the crook Rezko. So when your talking about Hillary why don't you clean out Obama's backyard.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 17, 2008 2:20:58 PM

Speak the truth: Listen, why should the government pay insurance for anyone in this country. If you are paying for it yourself keep doing it. America doesn't need to pay Healthcare for anyone. And candidates should not talk about it. I don't have a supplement and who cares. I am not asking the government to pay anything for me and you should not look for it.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 17, 2008 2:15:54 PM

CORRECTION of my last post: (I know you are all hanging on my every word.) I meant to say, "it could be significant."

Posted by: jac13 | Feb 17, 2008 2:15:18 PM

What a bias coverage. Obama is canceling bunch of appearances in Wisconsin due to the weather. There is horrible snow ice weather in Wisconsin. They have to cancel several meetings due to the weather. End of story. But if cause Obama cancellation of meeting didn’t make to headline. What kind of journalism is that?

Posted by: Viki | Feb 17, 2008 2:13:24 PM

Gov. Doyle of Wisconsin is a liar. Several weeks ago he endorsed Obama before Obama went to campaign there. Who is he kidding. He's mad because Clinton didn't go there first before Texas, Ohio and PA. If he endorsed Obama what is he worried about. Hillary is right it takes more than speeches that Obama is making it takes action that no one is ever going to see. I can imagine if Obama loses Wisconsin the Gov. will do handspins.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 17, 2008 2:10:10 PM

LOOK WHAT HILLARY STAND FOR. HILLARY WANT TO FORCE PEOPLE TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE!!

let me ask you something:
I pay $101.12 per month to medicare and I don't get any health insurance from government. I pay $66.90 a month to insurance company and I get health insurance with multi-million dollar upper limit.
About a dozen years ago, when I was working for Target, making $8/hr, I was paying $5 per month to get health insurance with no deductible. Without that, even though I was paying into social security much more than $5/month, government did not give me health insurance.

If insurance companies can give me coverage at far less than what I pay to the government, why can't the goverment give me health coverage at the higher premium that I am paying them?

Now Hillary wants to force people to pay more to get insurance from the government. Hey, Hillary, when you and your husband were in office 8 years in a row, why didn't you get the health care a reality????? Now you want more years??? In your dreams.

GO AWAY HILLARY. AMERICA DON'T WANT YOU.

Posted by: speakthetruth | Feb 17, 2008 2:06:46 PM

BillY: Who said you are appointed to speak to other countries. If you don't like the heat of Hillary stay out of the kitchen and sit in the living room. Who needs you. You are another one like the rest of this young generation and Obama. Talks nothing, means nothing should stay quiet. He will not get the nomination and if he does McCain will become president Hillary's supporters will turn their cheek to his side.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Feb 17, 2008 2:04:12 PM

I disagree that this is insignificant; it could be. Remember that Sen. Clinton started her WI ad campaign by complaining that Sen. Obama wouldn't debate her -- even though he had been in the state for 4 days and she hadn't arrived yet. She got there on Saturday and was supposed to stay through Tuesday a.m. She has to know how leaving a day early will look. Based on all of that, my guess is that her internal polling tells her she's not going to win there, and maybe that she's as close as she's going to get. It's possible she was just there to stave off a Potomac-style blowout, anyway. So off to one of the do-or-die states where she's in better shape, TX or OH. Makes sense, actually. She wasn't expected to win WI, so all she risks is Obama continuing his momentum (small risk, IMHO -- the voters in TX or OH aren't going to make up their minds based on what happens in another state primary, though it may sway the superdelegates). Bottom line: what choice does she have?

Posted by: jac13 | Feb 17, 2008 2:03:53 PM

Ugh, Obama, Clinton, McCain.
Ugh, I'm tired of this already and it's only February. Maybe we need a whole new system, this one appears broken from the inside.

Posted by: JJ | Feb 17, 2008 2:03:44 PM

The whole fuss about Obama campaigning in Wisconsin and Clinton not is just ridiculous. Wisconsin is practically a commute from Obama's home in Chicago, so of course he can spend a lot of time there, and easily. He even took Valentine's Day off to hang out with the family at home. He's taking the day off in Chicago today. But he and his surrogates have the media all beating the "Hillary's not here" drum. His strategy entirely was to get her out of Texas and Ohio and off to Wisconsin so she couldn't concentrate on those bigger states, and then when she did come to Wisconsin, suggest she wasn't paying enough attention to them. Both campaigns are having to shuffle their schedules this weekend due to blizzard conditions. Gov. Jim Doyle is trying to convince Wisconsin voters that Clinton doesn't care for them, and spun the tale last night in Milwaukee that Obama has gone to every state in the country campaigning, which is a patent untruth. Is Obama in Hawaii this weekend? No, he has family members there. Did he go to Utah before their primary? No, he sent his wife. It's just strategy; Obama knows if he can pull Clinton into Wisconsin he can dash off elsewhere and throw her off her game. Wisconsin Democrats are smarter than that. A good executive knows how to reallocate resources based on changing circumstances, and how not to let their opponent dictate the game.

Posted by: Wisconsin Dem | Feb 17, 2008 2:02:08 PM

We Texans can only hope she isn't on her way down here. We already have BillyBoy runing around all over the state crying that no one gives him any respect for his disgraceful legacy. Bill Clinton's ego is non stop isn't it?

C-Span televised the Wisconsin Democratic Party dinner last night. What a difference in the crowd when she spoke vs. when Obama spoke. No comparison. Hillary = polite applause Obama = standing ovations. Wow!

If that was any indication, all I can say is 9 and counting!

Posted by: Texas Could Only Be So Lucky | Feb 17, 2008 1:29:26 PM

"YES, WE CAN", "NO - YOU CAN'T" - Election is not a kid game. In fact, If there is a change, I would like to see Senator Hillary Clinton to form a new working and middle class party if she loses the nomination from which she belongs. I feel so sick about this liberal, flip flop and dumb party. There is no surprise why they had lost the White House to GOP in the 2004 Election. I will not vote or possible will vote for John McCain because I know who he is if DEM pick the in-experience candidate.

Posted by: stock_craft | Feb 17, 2008 1:18:40 PM

Hillary Rodham Clinton is the only democrat who can protect this nation in the very real event of another terrorist scare. Obama has no experience. A vote for Obama is a vote for McCain. Obama has never accomplished anything--nothing-nada-zip. So he can talk. Find a pulpit, Barack, and convert more mindless souls.

Posted by: trish | Feb 17, 2008 1:18:11 PM

I personally think she should've stayed
there and fought it. Polls are showing it to be very close..

Posted by: Missmadeleine2002 | Feb 17, 2008 1:12:08 PM

What are they talking about leaving early? She just got there. She wasn't planning on staying all this time anyway. In fact, the only reason she went there is because of talk of why vote for someone, whom can't be bothered with us or whom sends their surrogates to address us. Besides, another reason she went there is to head off any blow out defeat.

I'm no Hillary fan AT ALL. But, let's not try and make a story out of nothing. She's using the bulk of her time here, in Texas, and in larger states.

Will it be Obama, McCain, Clinton? Don't know but surely looking forward to discovering which one....I know which will get my vote next month but that's neither here nor there at this point

Posted by: Frank Story; Addison, Tx | Feb 17, 2008 1:10:11 PM

it is no wonder our party's mascot is the donkey, becasue the party is full of jackasses. Either of these candidates should be able to beat the republican, and we should pick up many seats in congress. But we won't because of all the fighting amongst ourselves. I think the general election is already lost, four more years of Bush policies because of this crap. You people are stupid, you put a personality over the party and country. If the election looks fair, I will vote for the nominee.

Posted by: andy | Feb 17, 2008 12:51:52 PM

Obama left Nevada before the election in that state. How do you explain that, lack of confidence? He lost the contest, of course!

Latest: Rep. and ex-Democrats, Independents all are worried about the possibility should Obama becomes president. They know that this country is mesmerized by the empty speeches, "empty suit", lack of substance, you know the rest we all yet to find out about him during the general election!

Posted by: JP | Feb 17, 2008 12:43:14 PM

Obama’s mantra, “Yes, We Can” is inspiring and heartwarming, but in the end is an empty phrase that will founder once the Republican political attack machine spins up. I realize that most Obamatons are so wedded to his vision of hope that any effort to point out the cracks in the foundation of the new Democratic Savior are met with fury and disdain.

Posted by: Pat | Feb 17, 2008 12:42:53 PM

I don't even understand why women like her, she is the biggest set back to feminism we've ever had.

1. crys to win votes.
2. uses her husband career to claim experience.
3. allows her husband to cheat repeatedly.
4. she has won nothing on her own merits (if not for the Clinton name she wouldn't have been in the senate).
5. uses her husbands friends to get ahead.
6. Has her husband defend her instead of standing up for herself.

Her attitudes don't make her a feminist, they just make her power hungry and egotistical.

Posted by: Mike | Feb 17, 2008 12:41:49 PM

Off to hunker down with advisors I suspect. Time for the "October Surprise" What will it be?

Posted by: flyover | Feb 17, 2008 12:36:34 PM

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