Chuck Todd: Clinton didn’t know why she wanted to be president.

Chuck Todd appeared Saturday at Politics and Prose Book Store to discuss his book, “How Barack Obama Won.” Here's the article.

As he pieced his book together, he was tracking the candidates’ major speeches. Todd said he found a common theme stemming from all of Obama's speeches dating back to 2004. But when he started looking at Clinton and McCain’s speeches, something became clear to him right away. He determined Clinton and McCain showed something very basic was lacking from their campaigns. “They didn’t know why they wanted to be president.” He claims while Obama focused on how to present a change from then President George W. Bush, McCain and Clinton were busy trying to show how they were different from Obama.

"Clinton’s campaign had other problems from the start," he added. Unlike Obama’s team, Todd says Clinton had very few people on her staff that had run successful statewide campaigns, lacked the experienced campaign hands that Obama hired, including her chief strategist, Mark Penn.

Now, I have a LOT of issues here. First of all, I used to LOVE Chuck Todd. He was one of the few people at MSNBC that wasn't completely over the top for Obama. (or I should say at least he didn't let it show as much) And it was always refreshing to hear him reporting the numbers. But I TOTALLY disagree that Hillary didn't know why she was running for President. I think she made it very clear. It has been clear to me since 2004 when Bush was re-elected! Even back then she stated openly and clearly her disapproval for Bush.

In almost every stump speech during her campaign she announced and proclaimed how terrible and awful the Bush Presidency has been. In fact, I would argue that she rarely, while out campaigning, mentioned anything negative about Obama. She only really hammered on him in the debates face to face. If anything I would say that Obama didn't hit the Republicans hard enough on the campaign trail.

One thing Chuck mentioned that I can agree on is this:

While Obama supporters bemoaned Clinton’s refusal to leave the primary race even after she mathematically couldn’t win it, Todd said “the best thing to happen to Obama was Hillary Clinton staying in the race.” One concrete example of that, he said, was Indiana. If the primary race hadn’t extended to Indiana, Obama wouldn’t have had to set up a campaign operation there, Todd said, and he wouldn’t have carried Indiana in the general election.

I firmly opposed those that disapproved of Clinton staying in the race. I never thought it was tearing apart the party or she hindered Obama in the general election. I think she really strengthened Obama as a Presidential Candidate and really put him to the test. I think people forget how CLOSE the race actually was. If Democrats didn't have the crazy weird Super Delegate thing she may have very well been our President.

I do think that Mark Penn was a bad choice and that it really did hurt Hillary. That really destroyed me when all of that went down. Obama had a really strong team of people with him. People that I really like, such as David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs. I think that hurt Hillary's campaign. But she always knew what she wanted to do. She was always focused and smart with decisions.

Well, all in all it makes me sick that people like Chuck Todd are writing these kind of books. I really think they should keep their opinions to themselves. I know that might sound harsh but really... I'm so over it. Just report the news. Buuut I can't say that I won't buy the damn book...

Ah... and since I'm on the subject here's another article about how Chuck Todd hates his new job. :P heh juuust kidding...