Charlie Cook: “It’s interesting to watch Hillary Clinton’s highly schizophrenic campaign. On one level, in terms of strategy and tactics, organizational abilities, use of technology, and the like, it is a very impressive effort, a blending of the best from her 2008 campaign with the cream of the 2008 and 2012 Obama presidential efforts.”
“But as the concentric circles get closer to the candidate, the people occupying the inner circles are heavier on longtime Clinton loyalists rather than political pros, the campaign becomes more opaque, and the tactics get more baffling. Whether it is pre-campaign decisions on handling emails, going eight months without a press conference, or the bumbling handling of her health situation in recent days, the question keeps recurring: Is Clinton not getting good advice or just not taking it? One wonders whether there are enough people willing to stand up to her and tell her what she needs to know but may not want to hear.”
“Clinton and her campaign’s penchant for secrecy and evasiveness are contributing to a race that is far more competitive than it should be. Being the lesser of two evils with Donald Trump the alternative is a low bar. Hillary Clinton is not clearing it with ease.”
