Clinton Campaign Fights Dirty With Voter Suppression Tactics

In Iowa, New Hampshire and now Nevada, the Clinton campaign has sought to suppress the vote of her rivals' supporters.

The headlines say the latest schism among the top Democratic presidential candidates is over gender and race. But on the ground in the presidential season's opening states, there is a darker narrative: that Hillary Clinton will not just fight hard, but fight dirty, to win. And her tactic of choice is attempting to suppress the votes of her rival's supporters.

The latest example is from Nevada, where the Nevada State Education Association is widely seen as filing a suit on Clinton's behalf to stop Las Vegas' most powerful union, Culinary Workers Local 226, from caucusing inside downtown casinos after the union endorsed Barack Obama. The tactic foments a split along racial and class lines in arguably the strongest union city in America.

"It's horrible," said one longtime Nevada activist, who didn't want his name used. "It will cause fights and damage that will last for years."

But the Clinton campaign has made similar moves in New Hampshire and Iowa.

Click here to continue reading about Hillary's hardball strategies in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Comments

[CaveatMagnusFrater]

12:50 PM on 01/16/2008

Caucuses are the problem. It doesn’t matter where it is held; the caucus eliminates the secret ballot. Is it any wonder that Barack won in Iowa, in a caucus, and Hillary won in New Hampshire, in a primary? Women in Iowa had to publicly demonstrate who they officially supported in front of their husbands and neighbors. In Nevada, employees have to publicly demonstrate their support of one candidate in front of their employers and union leaders. I’m anxious to see the results of a primary in a racially diverse state.

Go Dems!!!

[Harrier]

03:04 AM on 01/16/2008

Absolutely no ethics and everything goes.

[swokm]

02:18 AM on 01/16/2008

Yet Hillary has been getting many union votes -- more than even Edwards. Some people must like be abused, I guess, because this stuff is hardly news for that campaign and people like Mark Penn. The sad thing is she will STILL get union families voting for her. I'm starting to have real doubts about America's ability to rise above a 40 IQ when determining what is good for them. "We're against the abuse by big corporate America... so vote for big corporate America! Yay!" We deserve the government we get; it's gonna be a long, cold next decade at this rate. African American voters are starting to wake up (and not automatically vote Obama, which is pretty awesome. Congrats to them on analyzing policy over identity or charm.) I wonder if Latinos and "Whites" (meaning "other" I suppose) will EVER wake up too.

[chilifan]

02:06 AM on 01/16/2008

That's it for me as far as reading Huffpo is concerned. I guess I thought this was going to be a good website that was somewhat liberal and at the very least, fair. All it has turned into is one big "Let's bash Hillary" site and/or Obama advertisement. How sad and disappointing. Their is so little real balance in the media, and I thought Arianna was going to be more against the neocons and bush, but for some reason, there is an obsession with Hillary and a real hate for her on this site.

I never was a Hillary supporter, but the more people on the democratic side bash her, the better she is looking to me. Keep it up, and you might just get her elected.

[lynnn]

12:48 AM on 01/16/2008

This is what happens when we condone Dynasties. This is third world stuff, and it only goes down hill if we support it!

[Jacee]

12:36 AM on 01/16/2008

The Clinton's will take down the Democratic Party before they see anyone else controlling it. Its as Bush as you can get.

[shengirl]

12:23 AM on 01/16/2008

Bush has wrecked the Republican Party because he does not care about the Republican Party, he only cares about GW Bush. And Hillary seems to have the same attitude toward the Democratic Party. It rates only so far as it can boost her personal ambitions. She's willing to destroy the party if it gets in her way, just as Bush has done with the GOP. I worked on Bill's campaigns but I am sick and tired of the both of them now, I'll never vote for her.

[beekeeper]

12:21 AM on 01/16/2008

Oh spare me. When the republicans can redraw districts in Texas and California now, at least trying...

Give me a break.

[Ides]

12:13 AM on 01/16/2008

Truth to power.

[RationalObserver]

11:53 PM on 01/15/2008

More typical bullshit and distortion from HuffPo.

Obama's supporters are trying to allow caucusing specifically at worksites where the union that endorsed Obama work. Efforts to allow caucuses in the casinos are designed to disproportionally help Obama's supporters to caucus. If they really want to help increase participation in the caucuses, then why not hold caucuses in ALL workplaces?

Jesus, you guys are either flat out intellectually dishonest or incredibly stupid.

[NewRiver]

11:47 PM on 01/15/2008

Clinton's fighting dirty? Old news. Been that way for 15 years now.

[ChiGuy]

11:33 PM on 01/15/2008

At one time not too long ago, I admired Hillary.

She's VERY smart and believes that her policies are what's best for America.

But with the onset of the utter Rovian filth her campaign has been spewing for the last few weeks, I now am not only campaigning for Obama, I'm stepping up my own efforts to campaign AGAINST Hillary.

I know it's minuscule compared to the Clinton s**t-stain machine, but I can swing a few votes. All I have to do is show people this and a couple of other articles and Obama will have a few more vote from here.

Screw Hillary to hell and back.

[blahber]

11:23 PM on 01/15/2008

i hope the democratic primary never ends...

it's only a matter of time before you idiots redirect your hate of yourselves to me ...

liberals == if you don't people as much as i hate people, you should be hated

[cephalgia]

10:12 PM on 01/15/2008

How is not having caucases in the casinos spliting voters along class and racial lines? I can see not having caucases in the place where a union could put undo pressure on members to vote as they are told. I hope the lawsuit goes through.
No one is saying the Culinary Union members can't vote. They just shouldn't have do it where repercussions are possible on members. I live in Nevada. I don't want ANYBODY to have an undue influence, be they corporation, casino or union.

[Ginzaman]

09:52 PM on 01/15/2008

The neocon MSM will do anything to have their ultimate dream of Hillary being the nominee and winning come true. They'll put on neocons that were (and are still)involved in voter suppresion. And they'll let this slide because what we the public think doesn't mean s**t.