Clinton Campaign in Disarray, Off Message

I'm really not sure what kind of messages the Clinton campaign is trying to send.

But I'm not sure I like any of them.

For one thing, I've been thinking for some time that this campaign, the first major national campaign by a woman for President, this historic moment for women in this country, is being completely overshadowed by .... a man. It's almost as if Hillary Clinton has been pushed into the background of her own campaign.

Part of that is to be expected, and natural, given the fact that her husband is the former president. It's natural that Bill Clinton would occupy a large role in the campaign. But the Clinton campaign has gone much further than simply using Bill Clinton's popularity to raise money and draw crowds. They've made the entire Clinton presidency a part of Hillary's narrative. At times Clinton's campaign almost seems like a re-election campaign for Bill. They seem to want people to believe that they are getting another four years of the Clinton White House.

I think that's a mistake. I think the campaign really needs to get back on message around Hillary's unique qualifications and her own skill sets. Interestingly, that message has been pushed most effectively by... Bill. But again, that mirrors the problem. Bill's testiness on the campaign trail hasn't helped, but the symbolic message of Bill fighting his wife's battles ultimately weakens her, takes away from her message, and pushes her off the stage. Bill should be used where he's valuable: getting crowds and raising money. Anything else is a distraction.

(Notice, by the way, how cleverly Obama has reminded voters who the candidate is: not Bill, but Hillary. You're not voting for Bill again, people, is the message when he says he feels he's running against both Clintons.)

The other messages they are sending are destructive too.

I was blown away when I read this this morning:

Each side accused the other of playing the race card, sparking a controversy that frequently involved Bill Clinton.

"They are getting votes, to be sure, because of their race or gender. That's why people tell me Hillary doesn't have a chance of winning here," the former president said at one stop as he campaigned for his wife, strongly suggesting that blacks would not support a white alternative to Obama.

Clinton campaign strategists denied any intentional effort to stir the racial debate. But they said they believe the fallout has had the effect of branding Obama as "the black candidate," a tag that could hurt him outside the South.

Let's be clear: this is classic Karl Rove strategizing. We're not playing the race card, they seem to say, we're just bringing it up in a way that reminds people of all of Obama's icky blackness, and by the way did you notice he's black? Whatever Clinton staffer said that Obama was being cast as the "black candidate" was either following orders, or should be fired. Because to suggest that Clinton benefits from racist attitudes implies a couple of nasty things: 1, they think Democratic primary voters are secret racists, and 2, as Josh Marshall wrote, they seem to be ok with that. The attitude is a problem, and does a great deal of harm that will be hard to undo if Hillary is the nominee and suddenly needs the support of black voters she's alienated during the primary season.

Clinton better her campaign together pretty quickly, and get it organized around a coherent communications strategy. The defensiveness and pit bull politics being played by the campaign right now isn't working, and is only reinforcing Obama's carefully crafted image of reconciliation and unity. The one who looks divisive right now is Hillary. She better get back in front of her husband, and her message. It may already be too late.