The scene: an older, establishment Democratic Senator running for president has lost momentum to a younger, handsome, charismatic Senator who has tapped into the American people’s desire for change. The older Senator, once thought to be the inevitable Democratic nominee, is now frustrated, struggling over how to effectively articulate the belief that the younger candidate’s success reflects a triumph of style and charisma over substance.
Sound familiar? In 1984, Walter Mondale seemed in great danger of losing the Democratic nomination to Gary Hart, until one of his speechwriters borrowed from a popular Wendy’s advertising campaign and fed him the line “Where’s the Beef?”. Hart’s campaign never recovered. Sen. Clinton is desperately in need of a similar zinger. What’s Wendy’s slogan these days?