Over the last week (really, over the last three), we have seen Hillary unleash a political shock and awe campaign. Some folks have been have been watching the Obama campaign and saying he's "weak." Others have been saying that it was Obama's "worst week of the campaign."
But I honestly don't see it. Hillary has been racking up some pretty cheap shots and the media has been more than willing to follow the narrative. Hillary's win in Ohio and the Texas Primary, while obviously a boost to her supporters, was anything but a knockout punch. Heck, with such a paltry delegate increase, it wasn't even a good body blow.
Every day, it's something new from the Clinton camp. McCain is more prepared. Obama's campaign is lying. Obama himself may be corrupt. Blame a slow news week, but the main stream media has been more than happy to throw it all into their echo chamber (heaven knows they've been doing to Hillary for a while).
But there's a crucial distinction that the Clinton campaign seems blissfully unaware of. The focus has changed from Obama to Clinton, not the upper hand. Barack still has a sizable advantage of pledged delegates. He is still far ahead in the popular vote. He is favored in the majority of the remaining races. Superdelegates are siding with him. And he's raising money hand over fist. None of this has changed even a little in the last week.
So I'm watching Hillary land blow after blow and literally doing nothing more than wearing herself out. She even looks tired. She's damaging her political reputation. She seems to be hurting the party. And she is certainly not making the case that she's the level-headed candidate. She seems to believe that making Obama look bad will somehow make her look good. Or maybe she wants to be the lesser of two evils, but needs to make Obama look evil in the first place. I honestly don't know what Mark Penn is thinking. Here's what I do know:
Hillary is getting rope-a-doped.
Like Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle, she's entering the eighth round tired, beaten down, and emotionally drained. And like Ali, Obama continues to confidently say, "they told me you could punch!" Just look at a random email from the Obama camp:
From the beginning, this campaign has always been funded by a movement of grassroots supporters giving whatever they can afford. And unlike Senator Clinton and Senator McCain, we have never taken money from lobbyists or PACs.
Senator Clinton has decided to use her resources to wage a negative, throw-everything-including-the-kitchen-sink campaign. John McCain has clinched the Republican nomination and is attacking us daily. But I will continue to vigorously defend my record and make the case for change that will improve the lives of all Americans.
Oh yeah! We're supposed to be fighting John McCain! Duh!
Well, Obama hasn't forgotten. And he won't. When he walks away from the eighth round with Hillary, he'll be standing tall, completely confident, and ready fro the next fight.
It's called rope-a-dope, Hillary, and you are being taken for a ride.