Quote:
Originally Posted by flere-imsaho
Are we sure Clinton was the "machine" candidate in 1992?
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Clinton was an unknown yokel from just west of nowhere in 1991-2. The Democratic "machine" had no candidate. It wanted Cuomo, but Bush the Elder looked unbeatable after the successful prosecution of the Gulf War, so he stayed out. Most institutional Democrats kept their powder dry until it was pretty clear that 1) Clinton was going to win or 2) their state was up and they couldn't really hold out any longer.
Anyway, I would argue that the "machines" are far less powerful today than they ever have been. They have some value for fundraising, but are not necessary to succeed in raising money and certainly no longer directly translate into votes.