Analysis: Clinton has lost her fear factor

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has lost her fear factor, arguably the former first lady’s most potent political weapon since she launched her presidential bid nearly 16 months ago.

Lawmakers in recent weeks have been flocking to her rival, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), despite the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy and Obama’s contentious “bitter” comments. In addition, they have been outspoken in their criticism of Clinton as she has vowed to stay in the race.

{mosads}That is in sharp contrast to much of 2007, when she was viewed as the inevitable Democratic nominee and the odds-on favorite to be the next commander in chief. Lawmakers at the state and local level endorsed the New York senator throughout last year, as did many Democratic political strategists and members of Congress.

One of the few Democratic lobbyists supporting Obama last summer told The Hill, “The Democrats who are supporting Obama are backing him because they want to. Democrats are backing Clinton because they feel they have to.”

When she was the front-runner, Obama backers were cautious about what they said in public, with some stating privately that they feared the Clintons would remember every negative word uttered about them.

Clinton supporters strongly dispute those characterizations and claim she is by far the most qualified candidate to become president.

But there are clear indications that, as she slipped in the polls, her support in Congress eroded, and more lawmakers have been willing to take on Clinton in the media.

The critical comments made this week were far more biting than right before the New York senator was expected to lose in New Hampshire. And they were also more critical than before other Clinton must-wins in Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania.

While some in the media wrote off Clinton at various junctures of the race, many Democrats bit their tongues. They were not sold that the battle was over then. But they are now.

Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), an Obama backer, did not hold back when he said, “It’s obvious that the nomination process is over.”

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), the powerful Judiciary Committee chairman who endorsed Obama early in the race and fought impeachment charges against then-President Bill Clinton, was also blunt: “Bill and Hillary Clinton can become genuine American leaders by ending this in a way that reflects positively on them.” He added that, if the former first lady remains in the race, criticism will mount.

Clinton backers have also expressed doubt about the race continuing.

Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.), a Clinton supporter, said this week that she should halt her campaign: “I urge her to take the day off and think very seriously about doing what’s best for the country and best for the party.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), another Clinton backer, called on her New York colleague to detail her strategy after losing North Carolina and barely winning Indiana.

Intimidating power has long been a staple of influential politicians, and the Clintons have been no exception. They have been the most dominant family in the Democratic Party since 1992, but their hold on the party took hits when Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) backed Obama and black voters overwhelmingly sided with the Illinois senator.{mospagebreak}

Some of Sen. Clinton’s donors, upset with Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) stance on the role of superdelegates deciding the presidential primary, threatened to withhold financial support for House Democrats unless the Californian reconsidered.

A letter to Pelosi, which the Clinton campaign was aware of and did not move to stop, failed to move Pelosi and was characterized by many close to the Speaker as extremely counterproductive.

{mosads}The former first lady’s campaign has been understandably frustrated at the media’s handling of the Clinton-Obama contest and when crossed, Clinton aides have leaked — or threatened to leak — e-mail exchanges with reporters to other media outlets.

The Clintons have not taken kindly to presidential contenders who have backed out of the race and subsequently endorsed Obama.

After New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) backed Obama, Clinton family friend and strategist James Carville likened the former Clinton administration Cabinet official to Judas.

Mark Penn, then a senior strategist with the Clinton campaign, later said the Richardson endorsement was not significant.

When Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) publicly backed Obama, Dodd described his conversation with Clinton about the endorsement as “not comfortable.”

For much of 2007, Clinton led Obama in congressional endorsements by dozens. On Friday, Obama took the lead for the first time.

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) endorsed Obama on Thursday.

He told The Hill, “The Clinton folks are saying, ‘Wait until June 3 so the rest of the states can play out, then we’ll do what we can to seat the delegates from Florida and Michigan.’ I think that’s a very complicated case to make.”

Obama’s appearance on the House floor Thursday was seen by some as a victory lap. Like a sports star after a game, Obama was mobbed by Democrats of all stripes: Clinton backers, Obama supporters and neutral members.

The good news for Clinton is that neither Pelosi nor Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has publicly called on Clinton to quit.

Pelosi, who has said the superdelegates should not overturn the will of Democratic voters, said this week that the race should go on. Publicly neutral but viewed by some as favoring Obama, Pelosi defended Clinton’s narrow victory in Indianapolis.

“A win’s a win,” she said.

Yet Pelosi stressed that after the last primary on June 3, the race will be over. The House Speaker, who will serve as the chairwoman of the Democratic convention this summer, has gone out of her way to make it plain that Democrats will be united going into the convention and there will not be a messy floor fight.

But Clinton advisers do not see it that way. On Friday, Clinton’s senior advisers said they are willing to push the nomination fight beyond the last contests in early June if neither candidate reaches the delegate requirement that includes Michigan and Florida.