How To Tout National Polls?
For obvious reasons, Hillary campaign officials frequently tout her growing lead in national polls to argue that she’s romping to victory in the primary and is even poised for a great win in the general election. Hillary pollster Mark Penn, for instance, has made that case in a steady stream of campaign memos that are routinely tossed to reporters and pundits like fish to barking seals. But inside the Hillary camp, advisers say, there’s a clear awareness that this strategy of projecting brash confidence via references to national numbers carries real risks. Calling too much attention to national pols could backfire in the all-important early states, by giving rivals an opening to inflate expectations to the point where a modest win or loss will be seen as a letdown. Also worrisome: Suggestions of her inevitability could potentially turn off Iowa voters who traditionally don’t like to be told who is running away with the nomination. “It comes up constantly in conference calls,” one Hill
