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Forum Post: Bernie Sanders' Popularity Making Hillary Clinton Campaign 'Nervous'

Posted 8 years ago on Jan. 10, 2016, 7:48 a.m. EST by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

By LIZ KREUTZ BOSTON — Jan 9, 2016, 4:32 PM ET

The Clinton campaign appears to be getting nervous.

While from the start Hillary Clinton's campaign has said they were not taking anything for granted, the Democratic frontrunner didn't always act that way -– for months carrying on as though her challenger, Bernie Sanders, didn’t exist.

Over time, however, the 74-year-old Vermont senator has risen in the polls and gained growing support that eventually became too big for Clinton to ignore.

Now, just a few weeks until the first voting begins in Iowa and New Hampshire, her campaign is showing signs they're more anxious than ever about the outcome of these races.

The most blatant sign came earlier this week when Clinton's campaign manager Robby Mook sent a fundraising email to supporters with the subject line "nervous."

"There's a situation developing in Iowa and New Hampshire that could change the course of this election," Mook wrote in the e-mail, noting that Sanders' campaign is outspending Clinton in TV ads in the two early states.

Two days later, the campaign sent another fundraising email mentioning the "(seriously!) tight" polls in New Hampshire.

The e-mail came after Fox News released a poll showing Sanders, who is from neighboring Vermont, ahead of Clinton in New Hampshire by 13 points.

In light of tightening polls, the Clinton campaign has also ramped up its aggressive opposition against Sanders.

On Monday, the campaign pro-actively went after Sanders ahead of his Wall Street reform speech. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Clinton questioned his electability. On Thursday, the campaign engaged in a back-and-forth with him on their paid leave plans. And on Friday, the campaign went after him on guns after Sanders' campaign said there is "zero daylight" between him and Obama on gun control.

"You know, maybe it's time for Sen. Sanders to stand up and say I got this one wrong," Clinton said during a rare, last-minute phone interview on "Hardball" with Chris Matthews on Friday night.

In addition, the Clinton campaign has launched Bill Clinton out on the trail this week. On Wednesday, he's expected to go back to New Hampshire where he'll be holding campaign events exclusively near the Vermont border -– a part of the state where Sanders signs are very prevalent.

On Saturday, the campaign released a new television ad that will air in Iowa and New Hampshire, with the message that Clinton will be more effective than Sanders going after the GOP.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bernie-sanders-popularity-making-hillary-clinton-campaign-nervous/story?id=36187078

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2016/01/08/fox-news-poll-national-presidential-race-obama-ratings/

Hillary Clinton turns up the heat on Bernie Sanders

By Jeff Zeleny, Dan Merica and Eric Bradner, CNN Updated 8:30 PM ET, Sat January 9, 2016 | Video Source: CNN

Washington (CNN)A sense of anxiety is cascading through Hillary Clinton's campaign, with an increasing sense of urgency the primary fight with Bernie Sanders is far more of a threat than once imagined, unlikely to be extinguished after the first contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Clinton has gone from all but ignoring Sanders to fiercely engaging him in recent days, a reflection of public and private polling that points to a race that is uncomfortably competitive for the Democratic front-runner. She openly questions his electability and argues that he is out of step with the party on guns and other issues.

It is all part of a coordinated effort to persuade voters who may be intrigued by Sanders' populist rage to take a longer view and embrace Clinton's candidacy, whether or not they were initially enthused about her.

Kathleen Jurgens, an Iowa Democrat, walked into a Clinton rally this week in Council Bluffs torn between the two. But an hour later, she said she was sold on Clinton's pitch that she was the only candidate who could stop a Republican from w winning the White House.

"I really like Bernie. He's outspoken and he doesn't seem as political," Jurgens told CNN. "But at this point, you really have to look at electability and Hillary really impressed me."

The unknown question causing heartburn for Team Clinton, from its campaign headquarters in Brooklyn to offices across Iowa and New Hampshire, is how many Democrats will join Jurgens and how many will stay loyal to Sanders in a year when an anti-establishment sentiment is coursing through the electorate.

The persistent challenge from Sanders presents a critical challenge for Clinton. She's in a far stronger position in many states that hold primaries later in the nominating contest. But a loss in the Iowa caucuses on February 1 will will revive memories of Clinton's third-place finish there in 2008, which ultimately doomed her first presidential bid. She's facing an even tougher race in New Hampshire, where she won the crucial primary eight years ago.

Clinton herself penned a fundraising email on Saturday that indicated the "primary race in New Hampshire is neck and neck."

While the message was designed to lower the campaign's expectations, it also underscored the sense of worry as the voting in the opening two contests are less than a month away.

"A loss there could be a sharp blow to all the work we've done. We've got the momentum to carry this win, but our folks on the ground still need the resources to put us over the finish line," Clinton wrote. "There's a lot riding on the New Hampshire primary in just one month. It's going to be close, but I'm ready to do this."

Clinton has struggled to match the enthusiasm generated by Sanders, from building a grassroots fundraising network to drawing large crowds. She has also had trouble creating a sense of urgency among her committed supporters, which is one reason she is escalating her exchanges with Sanders.

This week, Clinton and her aides suggested Sanders was out-of-step with the Democratic Party on a host of issues. The Clinton campaign has either responded -- or attacked Sanders first -- on Wall Street reform, his ability to win in November, his support for paid family leave and gun control measures.

For months, Clinton's campaign declined to get into regular exchanges with Sanders and his aides. Clinton herself waited months to even say his name on the campaign trail. The offensive stance was on full display on Friday night, when Clinton and her aides let loose on Sanders on guns.

"When it really mattered, Senator Sanders voted with the gun lobby and I voted against the gun lobby," Clinton said, taking the unusual step of calling into MSNBC's "Hardball."

She accused Sanders of saying one thing and doing another and called on him to "introduce legislation to repeal the immunity that was given to gun makers and sellers."

Aides acknowledge Clinton has not closed the sale in Iowa or New Hampshire. The energy that propelled Sanders through the summer has not diminished, which is a potential sign of worry for Clinton. Bill Clinton is returning to New Hampshire and Chelsea Clinton is making her campaign debut there next week.

There has been a dearth of public polling in Iowa since early December, when the respected Des Moines Register Iowa Poll found Clinton with a 48-39 lead over Sanders. And in New Hampshire, a recent Fox News poll found Sanders with a 13-point lead over Clinton.

"No wonder they're in attack mode," Michael Briggs, Sanders' spokesman, said after the heated week. "Secretary Clinton and her team are getting nervous and nasty because the so-called inevitable nominee anointed by the establishment eight months ago doesn't look so inevitable anymore."

While Sanders aides expected the race to intensify, the sudden escalation surprised some advisers after months of a largely timid back-and-forth, particularly compared to the raucous Republican contest.

In Iowa and New Hampshire this week, she subtly slammed Sanders on his ability to keep the White House out of Republican hands.

"Think hard about the people who are presenting themselves to you, their experience, their qualifications, their positions. And particularly for those of us who are Democrats, their electability," Clinton told Iowa voters. "And how we make sure we have a Democrat going back into that White House on January 20, 2017."

It's an open question whether Clinton's promise of electability -- reminiscent of the argument she made eight years ago against Barack Obama -- will be embraced or backfire.

The first test is February 1 at the Iowa caucuses, followed a week later in the New Hampshire primary. The length of the Democratic primary fight from there depends on the opening two acts.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/09/politics/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-2016-election/

24 Comments

24 Comments


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[-] 1 points by WSmith (2698) from Cornelius, OR 8 years ago

Register to BERN ~ BERN the Primary!

Primary Schedule: http://www.uspresidentialelectionnews.com/2016-presidential-primary-schedule-calendar/

Voting by State: http://voteforbernie.org/

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

Media corp(se)oRAT as well as public (?) forced to acknowledge Bernie today.

Well kinda - Pbs presents a puff piece which still ends up (subtly) favoring HRC - giving Bernie a somewhat of an awe shucks ain't he cute notice and needing to drag Rump into the segment (just because - NOTE: they couldn't even be bothered to call out his blatant lie in the vid clip they used of the Rump = Rump stating that Bernie wants a 90% tax on everyone). http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/as-sanders-closes-in-on-clinton-in-iowa-tougher-attacks/

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

tweet: #DNC = Thimk about that!

The last comment was a bit unclear.

So

Support 4 Bernie's democracy growing - support 4 DNC establishment shrinking

https://twitter.com/DKAtoday/status/686669677691559942

[-] 1 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 8 years ago

How do like them trying to get a debate in between Iowa and NH, now that HRC is losing.

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

The DNC has not sanctioned it - think they will kick HRC out of the remaining sanctioned debates if she attends?

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

I laugh - BTW - Bernie won't accept until the DNC sanctions it - as He knows DWS is just looking for an excuse to boot him out of the remaining sanctioned debates.

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

tweet:

Hey! - @ABCPolitics @NBCNews @NewsHour @CBSNews http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-neck-neck-hampshire-iowa/story?id=36196183 Bernie's larger individual support is because he is 4 the Public!

https://twitter.com/DKAtoday/status/686655722185162752

[-] 0 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 8 years ago

Bernie now leads in Iowa and NH and is within single digits nationwide!

[-] -1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

Well now - even CNN has given Bernie some acknowledgement:

Poll: Bernie Sanders widens lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire

Washington (CNN)Sen. Bernie Sanders has widened his lead over Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire Democratic primary to 14 points, according to a new poll out Tuesday.

A Monmouth University survey finds the Vermont senator leading Clinton 53% to 39% in the early voting state.

That's a reversal from Monmouth's last poll, taken in November, that had Clinton up 48% to 45%, though Sanders led in September by 7 points.

Sanders also has an advantage in the firmness of voters' decisions. Of those who support Sanders, 55% say they have made up their mind, while 49% of Clinton supporters say the same.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, the only other Democratic candidate, was at 5%.

The independent senator also leads among independent voters, who support Sanders 58% to 30% for Clinton.

He has a strong favorability rating among Democratic voters, who see him 90% favorably and 6% unfavorably. Clinton's favorability is 73% to 19%.

Monmouth University polled 413 New Hampshire likely Democratic primary voters from January 7 to January 10 for the survey, which carries an error margin of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.

Monmouth's survey comes two days after an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll found Sanders narrowing the gap with Clinton in Iowa.

[-] -1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

The only article I can find on-line just now:

Bernie Sanders Gets HUGE Surge In Poll Numbers Before Election

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

Bernie Sanders' Popularity Making Hillary Clinton Campaign 'Nervous'

And it damn well SHOULD - even with the squawking heads of corp(se)oRAT media ignoring Bernie and supporting establishment HRC - "people" (individuals who are living and breathing) are supporting Bernie in greater numbers - NOTE: small individual donations almost matching HRC's Monied (maximum amount) donations! Small donors for Bernie who CAN donate again where much of HRC's donors maxed out already!

[-] 1 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 8 years ago

Things are breaking Bernie's way..

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

Social media getting past corpseoRAT propaganda.

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 8 years ago

another zucker promoted every minute

[-] -1 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 8 years ago

Is Bernie making you nervous too Matt?

FeelTheBern

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 8 years ago

politics as usual trying to extend party rule and money games

[-] 1 points by grapes (5232) 8 years ago

The game to seize the good old American toilet paper has begun: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-100-bills-500-notes-113131296.html

"$100 Benjamin" may soon be joining "€500 Bin Laden" in being terminated, due to association with criminality.

Not surprisingly, Europe may be leading the way, as with negative interest rates.

[-] 1 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 8 years ago

you are a fool for not seizing this moment

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 8 years ago

like a "prepackaged" revolution

[-] -1 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 8 years ago

you would know "prepackaged"

the most prepackage thing I've seen it decades is your stupid write in "NO WAR" that's some prepackaged shit right there....

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 8 years ago

it is not possible to live without war - bernie myth

[-] -2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 8 years ago

HRC buys a 1.5 billion dollar powerball ticket.

My tweet:

Your powerball odds better than your presidential odds? @HillaryClinton

  • @NewsHour @ABC @NBCNews @CBSNews @cnnbrk = taking notes?

https://twitter.com/DKAtoday/status/687432404290646016