... Obama is a seemingly nice guy, inspiring to some with his rhetoric of change and hope. And of course he is black. She can't really out-victim him. To switch metaphors, his victim card is a King, while hers is only a Queen. And being a sympathetic character to many, attacks on him, such as the accusation of little Barry being a kindergartener consumed with ambition to be president, have a way of backfiring on her. It doesn't help at all that she is not at her best when straying from well-crafted talking points, as demonstrated by her inability to give a straight answer on drivers' licenses for illegal immigrants under repeated debate questioning. She is simply not very experienced at responding to cross examination from the media or opponents. Hers has been a regal approach, and it worked until very recently.
Obama, in contrast, can be quick and even funny on occasion, as with his Des Moines debate wisecrack about hoping she will be his advisor. Her established repertoire of soundbites and poses has been falling flat, but she does not seem to come up with any new winners so far. The cackle gambit, introduced on Meet the Press, and then revived when baiting the intended trap for Obama in Des Moines with the question about ex-Clinton advisors on his team, has been a disaster...