Does Hillary have a Plan B?

By Libby

Who could have predicted that the allocation rules would become a problem? The second Clinton storyline that's lasted all day is about a lamentable lack of planning in Texas.

"Supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton are worried that convoluted delegate rules in Texas could water down the impact of strong support for her among Hispanic voters there, creating a new obstacle for her in the must-win presidential primary contest.

They just figured this out now. Could it be any clearer that they had no plan beyond SuperTuesday? The whole campaign seems to be based on assumed entitlement and they're not handling the setbacks well. Personally I'm not finding the "rules are stacked against us" theme all that compelling. Not at this late date.

Hilzoy had my favorite post on this one. This graf has been sticking with me all day.

When I read this, I dissolved in giggles after the first sentence. It was that part about the Texas delegate selection rules "creating a new obstacle for her" that got me. In what sense are the Texas rules a "new obstacle?" Were they only recently passed? Not as far as I can tell -- here, for instance, is a pdf about them from August 2007, which should have given the Clinton campaign ample time to get up to speed. While I was having fun thinking of possible analogies -- would I describe the existence of the Pacific Ocean as "creating a new obstacle" for my plan to walk from Baltimore to Beijing? or the fact that five is a prime number as "creating a new obstacle" to my proving that it is a multiple of two? --my co-blogger publius was actually writing the post I might have written, only funnier:

Read the whole post for the great analysis, but I've been amusing myself by thinking of possible analogies since I read it. Might I describe my failure to gas up my car as "creating a new obstacle" to driving to the store? Does studying the map before I take a road trip "create a new obstacle" to becoming lost? Is gravity "creating a new obstacle" to my ability to jump off my deck, flap my arms and fly?

I can't come up with anything clever but what about the rest of you? Anyone discovered some newly created obstacles in your lives?