The Trouble With Hillary

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The crowded field of potential commanders in chief itself generated a front-page article in the New York Times, which points out that because there are just so darn many of them, campaigning so darn early, that they are far more likely to screw up publicly (i.e., through some "gaffe or position change.")

Also, the whole shebang is going to cost a pretty penny since "more candidates are declaring their intentions earlier, which in turn means the entire field needs more money to sustain campaigns for a longer time."

The good news? "The Daily Show" is likely going to have a ton of fantastic video material (a la "macaca") to work with. According to Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf, "[e]very move they make in Iowa and New Hampshire will be on YouTube."

He added, of course, the bad news. "The only certainty by January '08 is that people will be pretty tired."

The Internet: Very Popular These Days

Indeed, the Web is going to play a significant role in this campaign, writes the Washington Post, for those Americans who have been living under a rock for the past several years and were otherwise unaware. So pivotal is this Web revolution, that Sen. Clinton – who announced her candidacy via Web video – "is to participate in three live online chats starting tonight," says the Post. (Insofar as her campaign soliciting questions in advance and Clinton responding on her Web site later is a "live online chat.")

The Trouble With Hillary

And no, there is no shortage of analysis and speculation about Clinton's campaign this morning. The Post takes a look at the danger of some of Clinton's recent "Mommy-like" themes, such as a recent appearance in which children were present and Clinton discussed child health care.

"In the past, such gestures have raised fears among some Democrats of being perceived as the 'Mommy Party' -- a party of seemingly soft domestic issues such as child care and government entitlement programs, in contrast to a Republican Party that stood for national security." Reasonable enough. After all, how would the American public be able to imagine that a single person could be concerned about children and national security at the same time? Hard to imagine.

But that isn't Clinton's only problem, USA Today explains in another front pager. Unfortunately, some believe, she is "a complicated package." Why? She supported the Iraq war, ("I'm not sure at this point that anyone who supported the war is electable," one University of New Hampshire history professor told the paper.) And then of course there's the matter of her being a woman, which could cut both ways -- same for the Bill Clinton/troubled marriage factor.

Finally, of course, there's her personality, "perceived in some quarters as chilly." And everyone knows this is a contest to determine whom the American public would like to have a beer with.

$83 Million Too Little

Of course, to convince the American public that they'd like to have a beer with you, you've got to cough up the cash to travel to Iowa so you can tell them in their living rooms.

What does that mean? "For the first time since the nation launched its grand experiment with publicly financed presidential campaigns three decades ago, major-party nominees in 2008 are expected to turn down all public funds," says the LA Times.

While the public funding is expected to clock in at $83.8 million, "that might not be enough to run a winning campaign." According to FEC Commissioner Michael Toner: "There is going to be a $100-million entry fee in this White House race."

USA Today scored a "27-minute Oval Office interview" with President Bush for this morning's front page, where he previewed tomorrow night's State of the Union speech. Bush told the paper that he would use the speech to argue, "what happens in Iraq matters to your security here at home."

He made some other comments that we've heard before -- there will be no timetables for withdrawal, the war on terror will be long. Other topics to be included in the speech are conveniently outlined with bullet points.

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