Obama Aides Doubt Clinton Strategy:
The willingness of Benenson and others to speak openly about
their concerns reflects a growing consensus among Democrats that Clinton
may be taking a wrong turn, something that has been much the
conversation among the people — notably, advisers to Obama and to former
Sen. John Edwards — who jointly beat her seven years ago in Iowa,
beginning the end of her campaign. Officials were also willing to speak
on the record about what they see as those mistakes, in part to send a
message to the former secretary of state. “People are really getting
worried about it,” said another former top Obama aide, who said she
would like to see a woman elected but worried that Clinton “doesn’t have
a compelling rationale for her candidacy.”
Some Clinton aides
agree, quietly telling colleagues that they fear that jockeying for
position, rather than Clinton’s own interest, has spurred the early
build-out. And others with front-row seats in 2008 see a similar
pattern.