At the start of October, Hillary Clinton is down in the polls in key early states, fundraising at roughly the same level as Bernie Sanders last quarter, and lacking a clear vision and rationale for her campaign.
It was only a matter of time before the Clinton veterans went to the press to express their displeasure.
This time, the target is voters in early states who in poll after poll have rejected Clinton:
“I look at New Hampshire and I say, ‘um, yeah, whatever.’ I like the people in Iowa. I like the people in New Hampshire. But you know what? They are distinctly different than most places in the country are. They are very white, they are very parochial. And they are not emblematic of the country,” explained one Washington-based Clinton friend who remains in touch with the candidate, adding that she would be comfortable relying on the campaign’s organization in the 48 other states.
“It’s about preserving the antique nomination process. I don’t know if I care so much. I’d like to win. But I don’t think it’s crucial, nor do I think it’s necessary, to win either of those two states.”
Down and out, Team Clinton’s plan is to just give up in New Hampshire and Iowa and focus on other states. What’s unclear is if Clinton’s supporters will start blaming voters in South Carolina, Nevada, and subsequent primary states as her numbers begin to slip there, too.