Imagination Is Funny

20.02.2008

Ben Smith quotes Mark Penn:

"It would be hard to imagine a nominee from this party who didn’t win" any of a series of big states — New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. (I'm not sure whether he mentioned California, but obviously that's on the list.)

Even leaving aside the fact that two of the states on this list had votes that don't count and three others haven't voted yet, this is another example of sheer nonsense emanating from the Clinton camp. Illinois, where Obama basically doubled Clinton's vote, is larger than Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, or Pennsylvania. Indeed, including Massachusetts on this list at all is just daffy, as Obama has already won four states (Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Washington) that are larger. What this really comes down to is Penn saying it would "be hard to imagine" a nominee who didn't win any of the scattered handful of states that his opponent won (or hopes to win). Which strikes me as a pretty clear failure of imagination.

--Christopher Orr

Posted: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 12:23 PM with 13 comment(s)

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BHLnyc said:

It would be hard to imagine keeping one's job if they ran such an appalling campaing.

February 20, 2008 1:01 PM

ralphnelle said:

Imagine 4-8 years of Mark Penn spin. I hate to say it, but it could make Karl Rove seem like a breath of fresh air by comparison.

February 20, 2008 1:07 PM

stgla said:

The first draft of that statement was, "It's hard to imagine a nominee for this party who could not win respectable vote totals in Arkansas or Oklahoma."

In fact, Obama had respectable vote totals in all of the states that Penn mentions. Meanwhile, Penn's candidate was blown out of the water (by double digits) in state after state.

February 20, 2008 1:12 PM

The Plank said:

It's time for a new game. Here it is: identify the person who floated this bit of ludicrous pro-Clinton

February 20, 2008 1:33 PM

blackton said:

Mark Penn is the highest place opposition mole in the history of American politics. I am starting to think they should run a DNA test to see if he is somehow Baracks long secret white half-brother who underwent a plastic surgeons knife to hide all trace of humanity and decency so he can infiltrate HIllary's campaign.

It has to be. And as to why Hillary is keeping him on? Maybe he has his fair share of Baracks charm which he plies on her behind closed doors.

Does anyone have a better theory?

February 20, 2008 1:36 PM

marcellusw101 said:

"It would be hard to imagine a Democratic nominee that did not have the full-throated support of the last Democratic President."

February 20, 2008 1:47 PM

thetraytiger said:

" . . . two of the states on this list had votes that don't count and two others haven't voted yet,"

Ahem, make that THREE big states that haven't voted yet , leaving only NY, MA and (presumably) CA as states Clinton as actually won (3 out of 8, woohoo!).

Can anyone remind me why Penn wasn't put out on the street with the rest of them? I mean, just for Hillary's sake. The guy's an embarrassment.

February 20, 2008 2:06 PM

ifearpopmusic said:

blackton:

Hillary + Penn + Closed Doors = Thank god for the absence of imagination

February 20, 2008 2:08 PM

shislandguy said:

If HRH wants to get serious, she should send out the video listed here -(www.statesman.com/.../watson_did_i_stumble_or_was_it.html), This poor guy got his clock cleaned (remember the West Wing where "Sam got beat up by a girl?"

This was on late, and it was hysterical.

Also, Samuelson's post at RCP- www.realclearpolitics.com/.../the_obama_delusion.html

I don't think the campaign is over, but I cannot believe HRH has been unable to make that case in any rational method.

February 20, 2008 2:12 PM

roidubouloi said:

Did you mean HRH or HRC? Bit of a Freudian slip there that goes right to the heart of HRH Hillary's problem.

February 20, 2008 2:20 PM

prnoonan said:

Mass. is bigger than Washington state (10 CDs vs. 8). This is not to defend the merits of Penn's claim at all; just for the sake of accuracy.

February 20, 2008 2:44 PM

Chris Orr said:

traytiger - Duh. I'd been accustomed to them citing Texas and Ohio as pre-emptive wins, and when they threw in Pennsylvania, I forgot that two plus one is three. thanks for the correction; i'll fix it in the post.

prnoonan - true, though Washington still has a (marginally) higher population.

February 20, 2008 3:25 PM

In a group I sang with in college, we had a catchphrase: "Walk off the stage." It could be

February 26, 2008 10:37 AM