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Edwards Cost Clinton Dearly: Penn

Ex-senator's fall from grace touches off second-guessing

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted May 1, 2009 4:24 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Hillary Clinton strategist Mark Penn is kicking himself in the wake of reports that Elizabeth Edwards thinks her husband shouldn't have run for president, ABC News reports. If news of John Edwards' infidelity had forced him to drop out of the race, Penn said, “No question in my mind, it would have been a very different race.”

"Most likely it would have been a two-way race"—Clinton-Obama—said Penn. He noted that Edwards’ strong showing in the first Iowa caucus siphoned off votes from Clinton and shattered the image of her as the “inevitable” candidate. “If Edwards would have dropped out there would have been a real contest for those votes," said Penn. "I think a lot of voters would have taken a good fresh look at Hillary Clinton.”

Mark Penn, chief strategist and pollster for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaks to reporters in the 'spin room' after the Democratic debate at Saint Anselm College January 5, 2008 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Mark Penn, chief strategist and pollster for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaks to reporters in the 'spin room' after the Democratic debate at Saint Anselm College January...   (Getty Images)
Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., cups her ear as reporters ask her about Mark Penn, the pollster and senior strategist for Clinton's presidential bid who left the campaign Sunday, at the airport in Albuquerque, N.M., Sunday, April 6, 2008.
Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., cups her ear as reporters ask her about Mark Penn, the pollster and senior strategist for Clinton's presidential bid who left the...   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Mark Penn, then a pollster for former President Bill Clinton, is seen in this Feb. 3, 1998 file photo, in New York.
Mark Penn, then a pollster for former President Bill Clinton, is seen in this Feb. 3, 1998 file photo, in New York.   (AP Photo/The New York Times, Librado Romero, File)
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Most likely it would have been a two-way race and would have released a lot of voters who focused on demographics. Voters who would later vote for Hillary Clinton.
- Mark Penn, chief strategist for Clinton 2008

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
Robert_Dada
May 2, 2009 12:18 PM CDT
The right person won the presidency. Let's move ahead.
nick
May 2, 2009 12:02 PM CDT
John McCain did more damage to his own presidential hopes by choosing Sarah Palin, than any damage Edwards' might have done to Hillary Clinton's by dropping out. A more important factor to her losing to Obama was her less-than-effective staff, as indicated by Hillary firing her campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, in early February, 2008, following four straight losses to Obama in December 2007, while Edwards was still in the race. At least that's my story!
oldgoat
May 2, 2009 8:54 AM CDT
Maybe it would have changed things and maybe not. If it was known why Edwards didn't run or dropped out, and it would have come out sooner than later, it could have also meant that people would be reminded of the Bill and Monica scandal and not wanted to go there. Hindsight can be a help but it also can't be a absolute.

Elizabeth Edwards 'threw up' when John told her about affair
Associated Press

 
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • John Edwards • Elizabeth Edwards • Clinton 2008 • Mark Penn • political strategists • Iowa caucuses • Rielle Hunter • extramarital affair

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