As most of us know, Hillary Clinton is one of the sharpest tacks in the box. I'm sure more than a few of us have marveled at her command of the issues and her ability to speak  extemporaneously and concisely on a wide range of topics (not unlike her husband). The two of them have weathered just about every kind of political storm and no doubt devoured demographical analysis from every corner of every state in the union. So when you step back and look at her decision to break out with the "elitist" strategy, it's difficult not to think she knew exactly what she was doing. And for those who have held great respect for her and her husband and who are truly looking for real progress in this crucial election year, that thought is an unbelievably sad one. And in more ways than one.
Her political objective at the time was obviously to stop the bleeding of support away from her and towards Obama. In just about every demographic, Obama was slowly eating way at her PA stronghold. She was basically unable to win many new supporters, so the only strategy available was to shore up what support she had and stop any further losses. The young, the highly educated, blacks, urban white, even women were all moving toward Obama in varying degrees. Rural white was the only group Obama was having difficulty reaching. And in his explanation why, with a good ole Rovian twist, she found just the wedge she needed to help hold on to her diminishing lead. 
To say again that the Clintons are politically astute is not only redundant but a gross understatement. They not only knew what effect this strategy was going to have, but certainly knew all the possible ramifications. She knew she would be criticized for underhanded tactics against a fellow Democrat in a primary campaign. She knew she would be assailed for aiding and abetting the Republican party. She knew she would forever be losing the support of many of the young, the highly-educated, the black, the urban white, and the women that had already made the move to Obama. And most of all, she knew very well that Obama's words were accurate and that her characterization of them would be a gross distortion of our political process. 

Hillary is a sharp tack. She knew all of this. Yet she chose to do it. She chose to cut off an arm to stop the bleeding in the hand. And in the near term, it appears to have worked. The erosion to Obama has either slowed or stopped. But the bigger problem with this is, is that the arm she cut off belongs to us.