The 2008 presidential election was not the best of times for America’s pundit class. Among the media mis-reads: Hillary Clinton was a “shoo-in” for the Democratic nomination, and the GOP nominee would surely be either Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney. So reflected Susan MacManus in a recent talk to the Tiger Bay Club of Tampa.
Clinton was hurt by her caucus losses — which are demographically skewed against the old, the infirm, shift workers, single parents and the military — and, especially, the change in the primary calendar, noted MacManus. The media, underscored the USF professor, didn’t foresee how critical the move-up by Florida would turn out to be.
“Florida going early probably cost Hillary the presidency,” said MacManus. Clinton would have won Florida “big” and “won Super Tuesday.”