I still think it’s unlikely it was deliberate. Why I’m giving Obama the benefit of the doubt here is something I’ll have to ponder. Anyway a tech-savvy friend writes:
Jonah,
I’m sitting in the airport waiting for my Denver flight and saw your post about the time of the text message. I’d bet this had nothing to do with Hillary, but was rather the only time cell phone companies would allow it. Getting a Common Short Code (those nifty 5-digit numbers) requires agreements with wireless providers and I’m sure they didn’t want to crush the country’s wireless network, which is what happens on New Year’s when everyone sends everyone else a celebratory text message (usually to discover the message won’t go through). Taking into considerations the time zones, 3AM was probably the best (only) time they could pull it off.
You know what? Even if it was a mistake, some grownup over there should have said “3:00 AM? You know what they’ll say, right? Don’t do it at 3:00 AM, it’ll seem like a juvenile jab at Hillary.” Instead, it seems that it didn’t occur to anyone or someone said, “3:00 AM, hah! Take that Hillary!”
I’m sure the Republicans are going to be talking this up as a Hillary snub to reporters for the next day or so.