Clinton Supporter Jeered By Antsy Crowd
YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO -- As the polls were closing in Wisconsin and as early results were showing a victory for Barack Obama, a Clinton supporter here was addressing a crowd at a rally for Hillary Clinton that soon turned into lengthy, angry tirade against Obama, drawing boos from the feisty crowd.
Machinist Union President Thomas Buffenbarger took the stage an hour after Clinton was scheduled to speak (Clinton was running late), and immediately began slamming Obama. "We go with a woman who...is still fighting our battles. That's our choice. The editor of the Harvard Law Review or a fighter? I have a confession to make, even though our union has endorsed Hillary Clinton and has given and will continue to give her our unwaivering support, I have been moved by Barack Obama's words: hope, change, yes we can. How can you not be moved by such wonderful, uplifting platitudes so artfully delivered. Watch the junior Senator from Illinois carefully as he deliveres his best lines he cocks his head up, lifts his nose up and turns his ear so he can hear the roars of his adoring crowds. It is a trained thespians move," said Buffenbarger who later continued his attack on Obama for nearly 10 minutes.
Buffenbarger likened Obama to a "shadow boxer" who is all show and no action. He said Obama consistently "walks away from a fight" and even took issue with his young group of supporters.
"The Barack show is playing to rave reviews sold out at college campuses after college campus. Standing room only crowds to hear his silver-tounged orations. Hope, change, yes we can? Give me a break! I've got news for all the latte-drinking, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies crowding in to hear him speak. This guy won't last a round against the Republican attack machine. He's a poet, not a fighter."
The crowd grew increasingly hostile toward Buffenbarger, so much so that AFSCME president Gerald McEntee took the stage in hopes of moving Buffenbarger along, who at this point was well into his attacks on Obama. It is unclear whether the crowd's boos were in response to his negative comments toward Obama or the length of his speech.
When McEntee took the stage he told the crowd his remarks would be brief, the crowd erupted in applause. "I traveled a long way and have a very short speech," said McEntee, "After listening to this crowd it got shorter and shorter and shorter." The crowd began cheering louder.
Eventually, Clinton made it to the stage where she gave a spiced up version of her stump speech. She took several jabs at Obama during her remarks. "We gotta get America back to the solutions business…the best words in the world aren't enough unless you match them with action," Clinton said.
Clinton, who's campaign released snippets of her speech to the press earlier in the day, focused on the theme that the voters of Ohio have a choice to make in the next round of primaries on March 4. Clinton says that choice is between a candidate with experince who is "ready on day one" and her opponent who's campaign, she argues, amounts to speeches and words.
The mood was strange in the crowd. Clinton seemed to rush through her speech and for the first time in a while she delivered her remarks with the help of a teleprompter. Clinton did not make any mention of Obama's victory in Wisconsin during her remarks, but the campaign said she and Obama did speak on the telephone earlier today.