Hit Her Again!

摘要

There are empty seats at some ofrnBarack Obama's meetings now. His media coverage isn't as breathless as it used to be. His poll numbers have been static, with the important exception of Iowa, where he is creeping upward. His performances have been static too, nourishing but unexciting. He has been more herbivore than carnivore in debates. All of which occasioned that most banal of modern journalistic ceremonies in the days leading up to the Oct. 30 Democratic debate: a fevered, unsolicited-advice orgy. None of the advice was substantive, of course. It was all about tactics. He had to attack Hillary Clinton. He had to make his move or lose—which, given the tendency of Iowa and New Hampshire voters to make last-minute decisions, wasn't remotely true. Even his consultants got into the act, requesting an interview with the New York Times, in which Obama announced—pathetically— that he was going to be more specific in his criticisms of the front runner.