With End Near, Clinton Plays It Smart, Safe

In what looks increasingly like the twilight of her campaign, Hillary Clinton is stumping as though Barack Obama doesn’t even exist, writes Walter Shapiro of Slate. She’s campaigning as a smart policy nut, moving one supporter to say, "I will always feel safe with this woman as president." One problem: This year, voters aren’t interested in “safe.”

“What other message can you draw from the ascension of Barack Obama, a candidate who personifies promise?” Shapiro asks. He channels the voters saying, “We thought we made the 'safe' choice in 2004 by reelecting George W. Bush in the middle of a war—and look where it got us.” Clinton’s done playing political chameleon. She’s going out as she came in: the safe choice. (More Hillary Clinton stories.)