WP: For Clinton, a Misfire on Gas Tax?

Brian Howey, the publisher of the Howey Political Report, a Hoosier State tip sheet, suggested several key differences between the two races that can explain the drastically different outcomes.

The first, said Howey, is that the local Indiana media "relentlessly hammered" Clinton's gas tax proposal -- using local economists to dismiss the merits of the plan. O'Bannon faced nowhere near the level of scrutiny and negative coverage back in 2000.

"It had been 21 years (1979) since the last fuel shock," explained Howey of the O'Bannon race. "This time, it's been coming at us in increments over the last eight years, and I believe most Hoosiers realize there's a bigger problem."

The second major reason that Howey believes Clinton didn't gain the upper hand on the issue in Indiana that she had expected is Sen. Dick Lugar's (R-Ind.) activism on energy issues over the last few years. "While this probably wouldn't poll substantially, there is a growing awareness ," said Howey. "So Hoosiers were a bit wiser when this issue came up this time."

One other explanation is possible. Rather than debate the specifics of Clinton's proposal or come out with a counter-plan of his own, Obama instead used the moment to return to his core message: Clinton was a great game player, but the time for playing games has past.

Obama put considerable faith in the idea that voters would see Clinton's plan as a campaign gimmick rather than a solution to their economic woes. It was a strategy rooted in more than guesswork, as polling leading up to the primary suggested that many Democrats no longer trusted Clinton. Exit polling in Indiana on Tuesday affirmed that sentiment, with just 53 percent of voters calling Clinton "honest and trustworthy".

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/05/_brian_howey_in_2000.html?hpid=topnews

it would be a sign of progess if dumb shit like that doesn't work anymore.

that it backfired. The people in Indiana were smart enough to see through her antics. The poeple of Ohio and PA believed all the shit she threw at them. YEAH, I'm a hard working girl that goes out to bars and downs shots every weekend. Whatever.......

Their analysis was that Bill Clinton told her to get out in front talking about gas prices because that's the first thing that people feel when the economy is in trouble. I happen to agree with Slick Willie on this one. However, Hillary took it a little too far by proposing legislation without solidifying any support for it. No economists? Not very wise. Even Bush would have paid off a couple of fake economists to back a plan that most economists disagreed with.

and to tell us honestly what it takes to get soaring prices under control...

But she tried to pull a fast one on the people, and she let Obama take the high road. What a boo boo.

because it gave Obama his mojo back. He looked right at home attacking Hillary and McCain's gas tax pandering. Plus it effectively muted some of the pastorbating in the media.