Momentum and Ginsu Politics

Sen. Clinton and Amy Poehler of SNL

"in the last several ... I seem to get the first question all the time. And I don't mind. I -- you know, I'll be happy to field them, but I do find it curious, and if anybody saw Saturday Night Live, you know, maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow.

I just find it kind of curious that I keep getting the first question on all of these issues. But I'm happy to answer it."—Sen. Hillary Clinton, MSNBC Ohio Debate 2008

The truth was she wasn’t happy about the way her campaign was going nor was she happy with the media coverage so with this one masterfully laid criticism Sen. Clinton was able to flip the script on the media and Sen. Obama. Sen. Clinton changed the national dialogue from exulting Sen. Obama to poor Hillary can’t catch a break.

Based on the subtle but insidious critique that the media had been soft on Sen. Obama but hard on her, Sen. Clinton was able to sic the media attack dogs on Sen. Obama, making the last couple of days his worst, while she laughed it up on SNL and on the Jon Stewart show. Thusly turning the momentum in her favor.

Sen. Clinton pointed out a perceived injustice against her, “the boys piling up on her again” but this time it was the media piling up on her and her point was that it was so blatant that even SNL had seen it and spoofed it.

Sen. Obama could have been cut with a Ginsu knife and not known he was cut (until he saw the bleeding) because that is exactly the effect that Sen. Clinton’s complaint had with voting Liberals and Democrats.

Obama didn’t even realize that he was bleeding until he lost Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island last night.

Momentum’s a funny thing. Though you don’t really see it when it begins to change, you can see it’s after effects but only when its much too late to do anything about it.

Seizing the momentum Sen. Clinton went on to appear on SNL before the March 4 primaries to further emphasize her allegations of the media unfairness towards her and alleged favoritism of Sen. Obama. SNL was only too happy to oblige. (See below)



And then as a coup de grâce Sen. Clinton made an appearance on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart just before the voting. (see below)



Again Sen. Clinton made the point that she was somehow being treated unfairly. The result?

Sen. Obama is just now realizing that he has been cut and that he’s losing momentum fast!