dcpolitico's Blog

    On the eve of one of the most important battles of her political career, Hillary Clinton may find the glass half-full in the latest Associated Press poll on the top issues affecting voters.
    While the New York Senator faces an uphill battle in her quest for the Democratic nomination regardless of the outcome of the Pennsylvania primary, the poll provides ammunition in her battle to woo disaffected voters in the remaining contests. As I have said many times in this forum, the economy will dominate the general election. Rising gasoline prices, a slumping housing market and subsequent credit crunch have combined to give Americans concern about their financial future.   Sixty-seven percent of those polled now say the economy is the most important issue.
    The economy has been at the centerpoint of Hillary Clinton’s campaign. While she has failed to gain significant traction with this message, it could resonate with voters in Pennsylvania and the remaining primaries.  The unfortunate dilemma is that the Democratic race has gone exceedingly negative, with a focus on the issues relegated to sideshow status. As the frontrunner, Barack Obama doesn’t need to offer specifics this late in the game. It will only invite scrutiny and skepticism. And specifics are not what has carried him this far in the campaign.
    The Clinton campaign team that rolled to victory in 1992 on the “It’s the economy, stupid” slogan will have to dust off the bandwagon for one last run to even have a slim chance at the nomination.

Tom DiBacco