Clinton Campaign Braces For Losses Tonight

By: Fernando Suarez
Topics: Hillary Clinton

(CBS)

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

On primary day in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., Hillary Clinton will make last-minute visits to polling places, hoping news coverage of her stops will trigger undecided voters to turn out.

As is custom on election days, while Clinton makes visits to strategic locations in the area, her senior staff sits in what they call the "boiler room" to await results and to get information from staff on the ground at polling locations. This information will dictate part of Clinton's schedule this morning. She will oftentimes make phone calls into local radio shows or stand on street corners with supporters if her advisors think she's in a close contest in a particular area.

However, despite her efforts today, a source close to the campaign is downplaying expectations, telling CBS News that "we will lose all three (contests) today, probably by wide margins."

"We are still actively working them because we feel like there are opportunities to pick up delegates," the source said, pointing out that since delegates are allocated proportionally, she can still pick up delegates even if she loses statewide.

"There are several districts in Virginia, for example, that we have targeted because they have odd number delegates and we think we have some opportunities to pick up the one. So, while we expect to lose we're focused on the delegate math."

Another reason why today's contests will prove difficult for Clinton, particularly in Maryland and D.C., is because of the large African-American population, a group that has been voting for Obama in large numbers.

On the other hand, Clinton's strongest minority support comes from Hispanic voters, a group that helped her win in states like California and Arizona.

Because of her strength with Hispanics, she will head to Texas later this afternoon with stops at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Clinton is expected to campaign in one of the the nation's most southern cities, near the Mexican border, tomorrow morning.

Her campaign is calling Texas "the big one" referring to the large number of delegates at stake there on Mar. 4.

Clinton will "start campaigning hard" in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to the campaign source,

"We've made it pretty clear all along that Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania were going to be important states for us and states where we think we'll do well."

34 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 34 Comments


by user168-2009 February 12, 2008 7:35 PM EST: Hillbilly Dumpty sat on a vole.
Hillbilly Dumpty had a great fall.
All the Maggie Williams REMOVED FILES
Couldn''t put Hillbilly together again.

"If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?"

Hillary, what is that you SOOO worry about?

Hillary, I truly hope what you are worrying about are the men, women, and children being slaughtered, dying, and suffering in that on-going bloody war you eagerly supported.

"... How many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?..."

WHY MUST OTHERS DIE SO YOU SHOULD LIVE?

Hillary, to love means wanting it to live!

"HELL is This Thing called WAR!"

"ONLY THE DEAD HAVE SEEN THE END OF WAR." Not Hillary?

Oh where, oh where were my Hillary phony tears when I needed thou most???; Reply to this comment


by Marie Zarankevich February 12, 2008 7:03 PM EST: crywolf11 - I can''t believe what I just read. You want Hillary in the White House because that way we''d have Bill back in there???? SHE''s running for president, not him, in case you did not notice!! ***; Reply to this comment


by user168-2009 February 12, 2008 6:53 PM EST: Hillbilly Dumpty sat on a vole.
Hillbilly Dumpty had a great fall.
All the Maggie Williams "REMOVED FILES"
Couldn''t put Hillbilly together again.; Reply to this comment


by jonsid2 February 12, 2008 6:39 PM EST: If you go to CNN and try to post something against Clinton it most likely will get rejected. They have a policy of "moderating" posts, and if they don''t like your post it won''t be shown. I posted the following and they haven''t posted it:
Deny, deny, deny. This woman is full of denials. She says she''''s winning but the facts are she''''s losing. She lends her campaign money and her top manager steps down for "personal" reasons and then she says she''''s not in trouble. Asked if old wounds might be reopened and she says "That''''s not going to happen". She wants so badly for things to go her way; she must have been a very spoiled child. She''''s not in this for the good of the country, she''''s in it just to win and get into the history books. The Republicans will chew her up and spit her out. She''''s carrying more baggage than a Greyhound bus. Obama''s our man!; Reply to this comment


by b-easy63 February 12, 2008 6:37 PM EST: GO HILLARY 2008! WOOHOO!!!

Posted by IRLiberal at 03:33 PM : Feb 12, 2008

Yes, GO HILARY!!! FAR FAR AWAY!!! PLEASE MOVE AT WARP SPEED AND DON''T STOP TIL'' YOU''RE IN 2010!!! wHOOOO hOOOOOOO!!!!!; Reply to this comment


by irliberal February 12, 2008 6:33 PM EST: GO HILLARY 2008! WOOHOO!!!; Reply to this comment


by Martha Z February 12, 2008 6:31 PM EST: That so called "source" is probably a bad apple that should be taken out of her team. She does not need that kind of negative attitude around her!; Reply to this comment


by aartcom February 12, 2008 6:24 PM EST: cbs. why ignore my comment. and post others. i once believed you were the best source of news and opinion.; Reply to this comment


by pacific_c February 12, 2008 6:22 PM EST: I dare everyone to read this link with an open mind. womensmediacenter.com/ex/020108.html

Excerpt. "Time is short & the contest tightening. We need to rise in furious energy%u2014as we did when Anita Hill was so vilely treated in the U.S. Senate, as we did when Rosie Jiminez was butchered by an illegal abortion, as we did & do for women globally who are condemned for trying to break through. We need to win, this time. Goodbye to supporting HRC tepidly, with ambivalent caveats & apologetic smiles. Time to volunteer, make phone calls, send emails, donate money, argue, rally, march, shout, vote. I support Hillary Rodham because she%u2019s the best qualified of all candidates running in both parties. I support her because her progressive politics are as strong as her proven ability to withstand what will be a massive right-wing assault in the general election. I support her because she knows how to get us out of Iraq. I support her because she%u2019s refreshingly thoughtful, & I%u2019m bloodied from eight years of a jolly %u201Cuniter%u201D with ejaculatory politics. I needn%u2019t agree with her on every point. I agree with the 97 percent of her positions that are identical with Obama%u2019s%u2014& the few where hers are both more practical & to the left of his (like health care). I support her because she%u2019s already made history as a fine senator, because I believe she will continue to make history not as the first US woman president, but as a great US president."; Reply to this comment


by user168-2009 February 12, 2008 6:20 PM EST: To the Clintons:

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time"!

YOU SHALT NOT FOOL AMERICA''S YOUTH! THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WE''VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

GO! YOUNG ADULTS, VOTE FOR YOUR DREAM! VOTE FOR WISDOM, COMPASSION, AND COURAGE! VOTE OBAMA!

%u201CLIVE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.%u201D; Reply to this comment