Clinton Tweaks Message
HARTFORD, CONN. -- With Barack Obama's message of "change" seeming to resonate with voters and his continued attempts to pigeonhole Hillary Clinton as the "status quo" candidate, the Clinton team is tweaking their message.
Selling the sole idea of Clinton being the "experience" candidate seems to be on the outs.
During a campaign stop in Hartford, Clinton laid out a tweaked stump speech, where she focused on delivering a long list of things she "believes" can improve the lives for Americans.
Clinton said "I believe" over 25 times during her speech with lines like: "I believe health care is a moral right…I believe people have the right to organize…I believe our tax code should fair to the middle class…I believe that anyone who wants to move a job from Connecticut overseas should not get one penny of taxpayer help to do it…I believe every child needs a chance to make it in life…"
She made it clear that she has "very different beliefs than the current administration" in an attempt to define herself as a "change" candiate and to distance herself from the "status quo" argument.
Although Clinton is taking on this new approach, it doesn't fully abandon her position as the candidate with the most experience to be president.
"How do we translate our beliefs in to action? How do we go from a campaign where we make speeches, the people stand up and cheer and clap loudly, into making what we believe, real?" asked Clinton in a jab at Obama, without naming him.
In fact, Clinton never mentioned Obama by name during her stop in Hartford but rather focused her attacks on President Bush's State of the Union speech, which she is planning on attending tonight.
Clinton said to loud cheers, "I assume that all of you know that tonight is a red letter night in American history. It is the last time George Bush will give a State of the Union!"
"Now if we all do our part, next year it will be a Democratic president giving the State of the Union!"
Clinton continued, "I'm sure that the President tonight will, as he has for the previous seven years, say that the state of our union is strong."
"But with all due respect Mr. President, come on the road with me, come meet the people that I meet," she added. "Listen to the stories that I listen to. Sit at tables in diners and hear what's on American's minds."