Sen. Hillary Clinton, viewed by many last year as virtually unstoppable in her bid to become the Democratic presidential nominee, is now seeking to portray herself as the underdog against her rival Sen. Barack Obama.
Political analysts saw some irony in the idea that Clinton, who has been a household name since her husband, Bill Clinton, first ran for president in 1992, is pinning the label of "establishment" on her opponent.
Clinton aides made their case last week, citing Obama's fund-raising prowess and a slew of endorsements he had racked up as evidence he was running an "establishment" campaign. With the two dueling in a very close race, the implication seemed to be that Clinton had an uphill battle to overcome advantages the Illinois senator had, such as support from prominent Democratic Party figures like Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.
"Senator Obama, really in the last couple of weeks ran an establishment campaign based on endorsements while he's saying that he was in fact a change candidate," said Clinton campaign strategist Mark Penn, the day after the "Super Tuesday" nominating contests in 24 states which she basically split with Obama.
The New York senator and former first lady made her own point on the campaign trail in Maine. "He has increasingly relied on big endorsement and celebrities to sort of attach himself to, to get the kind of validation that comes from that sort of endorsement," Clinton said when asked if she was now the "underdog" in the race against Obama.
Later Obama cruised to decisive wins in Louisiana, Nebraska and the state of Washington to gain momentum in the deadlocked, state-by-state fight with Clinton where every delegate to the party's summer convention has become crucial.
While Obama has outpaced Clinton in fundraising in the first few weeks of this year, she edged out Obama in 2007. She has also had access to the Clinton political contacts of a decade or more. Neither candidate has lacked for support from celebrities.
The hugely popular talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Caroline Kennedy, daughter of slain president John F. Kennedy, have campaigned for the Illinois senator. Luminaries like singer Barbra Streisand and movie producer Rob Reiner have been strong supporters of Clinton, especially in California, where she won last week's primary.
Many analysts were not surprised that Clinton, who would become the first woman U.S. president, might try to take on the mantle of a challenger to the establishment in a year when "change" has become the buzzword of both Democratic campaigns.
Calvin Jillson, political analyst at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said Clinton is "very clearly the establishment candidate ... and will not be able to shed the label of the establishment candidate."
Obama, who would be the first black president, uses soaring rhetoric to call for a new kind of politics that seeks to bridge racial and partisan divisions.
Clinton insists her experience would make her better able to bring about change.
"What she's trying to do is find a way to reduce Obama's compelling argument that he is the change candidate," said Terry Madonna, political analyst at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
But Madonna said that labeling Obama as the candidate of the status quo may not make a dent in his support.
"I don't think that's going to dissuade the crowds of 10,000-15,000 from showing up at Obama's rallies," Madonna said.
At Clinton's campaign events, the idea of her as an underdog or "anti-establishment" candidate drew puzzled looks from voters, many of whom admire what they see as her years of seasoning and exposure in Washington.
"It seems to me that she is the one who is more established," said Penny Nutting, a 53-year-old teacher who attended a rally for Clinton in Lewiston, Maine.
Lois Pollis, 50, dismissed as just "more politics" the discussion of who in the race represented the establishment.
"I don't know that either one of them is an underdog," Pollis said. But Clinton has a reputation as a fighter who has taken hits and knows how to come back swinging, and that resonates with some voters, in particular women, she said.
Clinton's surprise victory in the New Hampshire primary was a case in point. "The media had her down and out and women got angry and came out to support her," Pollis said.