CHARLESTON, W.Va., May 8, 2008
Clinton Presses On, Stumps Coast To Coast
N.Y. Senator Tells Supporters To Ignore Pundits, Says She Is Strongest Democratic Candidate
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Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., turns after greeting supporters after entering a campaign event at the state capitol rotunda in Charleston, W. Va. Thursday, May 8, 2008. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
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Photo Essay Hillary Clinton A look at a life and career full of firsts.
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News Tools Campaign Calendar The latest list of primary and caucus dates as states continue jockeying for position.
The former first lady raced into a long West Virginia-to-the-West Coast campaign day, declaring she would move forward with her presidential effort and insisting anew that she, not rival Barack Obama, would be the stronger Democratic candidate to face Republican John McCain in November.
At a rally under the dome of the West Virginia Capitol, Clinton dismissed calls for her to drop out as "deja vu all over again." She said she had faced similar pressure before going on to win in New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania.
She made her case for pressing on, even as she thanked her supporters for doing the same.
"A lot of you have stuck with me; you've been through all the ups and downs in this campaign, the biggest victories and toughest moments," Clinton said. "I think it is because you understand that you've got to have a president who gets up every day and fights for you, who never gives up on you."
Her fading chances didn't diminish the loyalty of Evelyn Smith, 78, one of hundreds of supporters who jammed into the Capitol and waited nearly two hours to hear Clinton speak.
"It's going to take a miracle for her to get the nomination, which I could sit down and cry about because I think she really deserves to be president and the first lady president," Smith said.
Whatever the odds, Smith said Clinton should stay in the race until the final contests June 3. She said, "I'm a lot like she is, and I would go to the finish line even if I came in last and took a fall. I'd make it to the finish line, and I think she should, too."
Jim Duffield, 64, agreed.
"We don't have a winner yet. Of course she should keep going until we get a winner," Duffield said.
Said Clinton as her audience cheered: "I'm running to be president of all 50 states. I think we ought to keep this going so the people of West Virginia's voices are heard."
In contrast to her confrontational comments in speeches leading up to recent primaries, Clinton's only mention of Obama was to say next Tuesday's election would be a test for both her and the Illinois senator. She did highlight her strengths with various voting blocs through the primaries, an implicit comparison with her Democratic foe. She said the states she has won and the voters she has attracted are essential if the party is to beat McCain and claim the White House.
"We need to bring back hardworking people to the Democratic Party," the New York senator said. "I'm winning Catholic voters and Hispanic voters, blue-collar workers and seniors. People Sen. McCain will need in the general election."
She added, "Some call you swing voters. I call you Americans."
(Click here to read Fernando Suarez's report on Clinton's new strategy of focusing on the general election).
Exit polls in Indiana and North Carolina on Tuesday showed Clinton continuing to dominate Obama in attracting support from whites, particularly white men, and voters who lack college degrees. An average of 57 percent of whites have backed the New York senator in Democratic primaries since Super Tuesday on Feb. 5.
West Virginia's demographic makeup of white, older voters favors Clinton. During her appearance Thursday, she offered the same populist pitch she began making in the closing days before Indiana and North Carolina.
She renewed her call for a summertime holiday for the federal gasoline tax, with oil companies making up the difference, a proposal that many economists - and Obama - have dismissed as a meaningless pander.
The West Virginia rally was the first event in Clinton's exceptionally busy campaign schedule Thursday. She also planned appearances in South Dakota and Oregon, which have primaries in coming weeks.
She is favored to win West Virginia's primary but has fallen further behind Obama in delegates won in primaries and caucuses. Her hopes for the Democratic nomination rest on strong showings in the remaining contests to convince more than 200 party elders and other "superdelegates" to support her.
Obama was in Washington talking with superdelegate members of Congress, telling them it was now time to declare for him.
©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- "...elite wealth and power to buy a position of power."
Isn''t that what Bush''s daddy did for him in the 2000 primary and general election. If it were not for the oil boys, Junior would have never raised $50 million for the primary without even trying. - Reply to this comment
- No, the pledged delegates are the ones the voters selected. The non pledged and super are not. You have it backwards.....sheesh!
- Reply to this comment
- txgrouch2004 wrote a NEW song about it:
Sung to the tune of %u201CThe Wheels on the Bus%u201D
Hilly needs to milk her sheep,
Milk her sheep, milk her sheep.
Hilly needs to milk her sheep
To get her money back.
Hilly spent e-leven mil,
%u2018Leven mil, %u2018leven mil.
Hilly spent e-leven mil,
She NEEDS that money back.
She needs to get her money back,
Money back, money back.
She needs to get her money back,
Her campaign will go on.
She%u2019ll go away when she gets it back,
Gets it back, gets it back.
She%u2019ll go away when she gets it back,
Forget about Obama.
Ask not what she%u2019ll do for you,
Do for you, do for you.
Ask not what she%u2019ll do for you,
But what you%u2019ll do for her.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you can do another one to the tune of the ABCs song then I think you''ve found your audience. - Reply to this comment
- "Except for HIllary ! She is the ONLY NORMAL ONE around !! As a Feminist College Professor I can bring Wisdom to this discussion. H is smart and NOT DOMINATED BY MAJOR FATHER FIGURE! Not too late. And by age 60 she is no longer on her period." Posted by colonieNY at 12:32 PM : May 09, 2008
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I was wondering where the Rodham in Hillary Rodham Clinton came from? As for normalcy, "If you''re a misfit within a group of misfits, does that mean you''re actually popular and normal?" (Laura Preble) - Reply to this comment
- "When you take out super delegates, non pledged delegates, put in Michigan, Florida and the primaries to come, it is dead even"
Are you being sarcastic? If you take out those things then the process is called ''coronation". This is America and we "elect" our officials. Sheesh!! - Reply to this comment
- Rowdy,
How can you claim he cannot get the ''mojority" when he won ''white" NC and black NC? Whites and blacks are choosing PResident Obama in droves! Even if every black man in america voted for Obama, he would not have gotten this far, facd it he has all the "white" support he could ever dream of, as well of the support of black people who believe in him. Face it, you are going to have to stand when President Obama enters the room pretty soon. I know it will probably kill you to respect a black man, but the day has come. - Reply to this comment
- When you take out super delegates, non pledged delegates, put in Michigan, Florida and the primaries to come, it is dead even.
Obama won 90% of the black vote, small red states and caucuses. Everyone needs to examine the details of who voted for whom and you will see that Hillary Clinton can win in November. - Reply to this comment
- ALL POLITICS HAVE BEEN CONTROLLED BY CONTROL FREAKS MEN:
Something to prove ?
Gore- grew up in hotels as dominating father played senator and groomed him , although labeled as stupid in school and slow, for WH !
Bush - dominating mother, and father, taken away from TEXAS to back east boarding school at age 12, to be groomed as Pres. Could not wait to get back to TEXAS.
Clinton - Father and mother gone, left in care of low income grandmother. Something to prove ?
Obama- same thing, something to prove ? Raised by (wonderful) grandparents, while mother was "leading her life" ( read modern woman)
Mc CAin- Dominating military father and grandfather. Something to prove ? Marries rich woman to support his life ambitions.
Kerry - Something to prove ? Marries two homely rich woman to support his ambitions. Hob nobs with rich kids in college even though poor.
WOW - what a collection of misfits, ego tists - and focused strangeloves.
Except for HIllary ! She is the only normal one around !! As a Feminist College Professor I can bring Wisdom to this discussion. H is smart and not dominated by major father figure !! Not too late. And by age 60 she is no longer on her period. ! - Reply to this comment
AMERICA, YOU OWE US ONE !
A VOTE FOR ANY MAN = ANTI FEMINIST !- Reply to this comment
- As a College Professor for Women''s Rights and Study - I truly am offended by the way and manner this vote has taken. Women have the the virtual slaves of men since the American Constitution did not allow equal voting rights. Thus, The Democratic Party have taken the votes of women away, in Fla and Mich, just as Hillary was about to win those states, they changed the rules! Shame. Everyone knows that Hillary would win all the anchor states, but the MEN who CONTROL the RULES said NO!
Again, A vote for any MAN is a vote AGAINST FEMINSISM and a vote for HISTORY of Sui-SUPRESSION of Genetalis femalis. I am offended. The American Council of AA Academics have called for a double of votes for women to reflect the inability of most women to make it to the voting polls due to family care obligations (read housework). We DEMAND all VOTES OF WOMEN bE COUNTED TWICE to a make up for this dimensional limitation of MEN dominated SOCIETAL rules !
Thus, Hillary should be our PRESIDENT. THE COUNTY OWES US ONE. - Reply to this comment
- Barak supporters have insulted me so much I will have a very difficult time supporting him. I have been a Human Rights and an environmental activist for 25 years and all I hear him say is how no progress has been made for, 10, 20 and 30 years. I really dont see anything that might of helped that cause on his past. I do feel him standing on my shoulders and looking down on me. The call for the end of democracy in America by his supporters who dont think the last states should even bother with votes is wrong. Telling my 75 year old Mom in Oregon who has waited her entire life to vote for a woman she should not bother over and over again has angered her so much she and her friends say they may sit the novemebr election out. A win without Florida and Michigan? LOL! You call us Hillary supporters racists if we point out that Barak gets 91% of the black vote while saying he does not need get the working white vote will hand McCain the WH. And you dont make "CHANGE" by sitting by, saying nothing for 20 years when some one is screaming hatefull speech uncallanged in your face. I have allways spoken up in these situations, challanged people like Wright. That''s how the change has happened. All I hear from him is a list of what is wrong with America. If I hear one more obama person tell me elections with out voting are better for the party the small chance you have for my vote will be gone forever.
- Reply to this comment
- She simply lowers the bar for victory when she lost by the earlier definition.
Posted by jockh at 06:28 AM : May 09, 2008
Her campaign sites Obama''s failure to go along with the previous plan to have new primaries as justification for her actions. From a lawyer point of view, it''s a compelling argument. But she''s done. There''s no way they''re gonna dis the black guy in favor of HRC. - Reply to this comment
- We are now left with two dangerous choices for president -- a young liberal who is friendly with terrorists or an old liberal who is friendly with Teddy Kennedy. Both are too depressing to ponder.
- Reply to this comment
- Both candidates agreed to the rules regarding Mi and Fl.
Hillary is behaving like a spoilt child, she AGREES to the rules and then when she is losing and she cant see any way out, she starts crying and getting hysterical, insisting that the rules be changed so she can win !!! She needs to be in kindergarten not on the political arena.
She reminds me of Bush. She simply lowers the bar for victory when she lost by the earlier definition. - Reply to this comment
- Hill & Bill
Hillary: Bill, I thought John Gatti was Teflon...
But Barack Obama is ....Platinum Plus !!!
Bill: Hillary lets invite the Obamas Over, for a Night Cap...What about it ..Hun
Hillary: Bill, You''re reading My Mind...Baby
Bill: I got Michelle on Speed Dial !!!
Hillary: I got that ''Hot Barack'' in My Fave 5 !!!
Bill & Hillary: Were gonna make this Night a D@mn Night to Remember !!
Bill: Just Like Ole Times ...Hun...
Just Like Ole Times !!! - Reply to this comment
Bill: Well Hillary, I campaigned throughout Rural White, Confederate Flag Waving, Southern Fed & Southern Bred, NASCAR WEEKEND, Robert E. Lee, Counties, throughout North Carolina...
Chelsea Campaigned throughout the Various North Carolina Colleges...
You Traveled Throughout the (NC Region) for the past 2 weeks and Lied like a Natural Clinton does and...
We had our Natural Lying, Scheming & Decieving A$$''s Handed to Us !!!
I Guess those Johnny Rebs, Country Bumpkins have Access to the World Wide Web and pulled one Over on us...
Huh ..Hun- Reply to this comment
- cryhavoc2 - One could look at it as "putting her money where her mouth is" or one could look at as using elite wealth and power to buy a position of power. One could look at is an example of incredibly poor fiscal sensibilities, and one could look at it as a simple bad investment driven by ego. To tell the world to "shut up" is rude and typical of a shrieking Hillary supporter drowning in sour grapes.
- Reply to this comment
- jockh wrote
She has LOANED her campaign nearly $12 million dollars
--------------
Here, I wrote a NEW song about it:
Sung to the tune of %u201CThe Wheels on the Bus%u201D
Hilly needs to milk her sheep,
Milk her sheep, milk her sheep.
Hilly needs to milk her sheep
To get her money back.
Hilly spent e-leven mil,
%u2018Leven mil, %u2018leven mil.
Hilly spent e-leven mil,
She NEEDS that money back.
She needs to get her money back,
Money back, money back.
She needs to get her money back,
Her campaign will go on.
She%u2019ll go away when she gets it back,
Gets it back, gets it back.
She%u2019ll go away when she gets it back,
Forget about Obama.
Ask not what she%u2019ll do for you,
Do for you, do for you.
Ask not what she%u2019ll do for you,
But what you%u2019ll do for her. - Reply to this comment
- The only reason Hillary has not pulled out yet is obvious.
She has LOANED her campaign nearly $12 million dollars; at the moment there is not enough money in her campaign to repay her, if she quits then the donations stop, which means she has a problem recovering her millions.
However if she is clever she can continue and keep making requests for donations from foolish Clinton supporters.
Once enough gullible people have made donations and there is enough money to pay her back THEN suddenly she will announce that she is quitting for the good of the Party !
Does that make sense to you Clinton supporters?
Now go to her website immediately and pay back her loans! - Reply to this comment
- RField9 babbled
I was indeed shocked
that people came back into Tent Obama on Tuesday.
-------
Baa, baa, RField9.
Will Hillary get any milk from you? - Reply to this comment
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
