GOP Mailer: McCain Is Inheritor Of Hillary Movement

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania is sending out a flier that paints John McCain and Hillary Clinton as political allies, and presents the McCain-Palin ticket as the one to break the glass ceiling in which Clinton "left 18 million cracks."

The pamphlet, provided to the Huffington Post by a reader in the state, is the latest effort by the McCain campaign to play off any leftover schisms from the heated Democratic primary contest between Clinton and Barack Obama.

"It is safe to say Hillary Clinton does not approve this message," said Kathleen Strand, a spokesperson for the New York Senator. "She made history earning 18 million votes and has urged everyone who supported her to vote for Barack Obama because they have so much more in common with him than they do with Senator McCain. Voters should not be distracted by last minute, desperate attempts that claim otherwise."

Indeed, the GOP mailer makes it seem as if McCain and Clinton are of the same ideological mindset and share an opposition to Obama's candidacy.

Senator Hillary Clinton blazed a trail for future generations of women. She fought for working families, and she heard your voices. America needs a steady hand to guide out nation in a time of terrorist threats. Senator Clinton said, "...we need a solid plan to restore our economy, to create jobs, and to provide health care."

Most importantly, Senator Clinton knows how to reach across the aisle to solve problems. Both she and John McCain have shown the American people proven results, not pretty words.

The next page is even more explicit in its hopes of siphoning one-time Clinton supporters -- specifically females -- from Obama's pool of supporters. Written as a note from McCain, it reads:

Everywhere I go, I see that Senator Clinton inspired a whole generation of young Americans in this country. With my running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, I will make sure that Hillary's efforts are not forgotten.

I share Senator Clinton's goal of promoting women to more important roles throughout our government. By the end of my first term, I promise you will see a dramatic increase in the presence of women in every part of the government. You have my word on it.

For good measure, the pamphlet includes a quote from Sen. Joseph Biden praising Clinton as "more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America."

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Clinton voters have, by and large, migrated their way towards supporting Obama even if it took some time. But the bruises of the primary battle were most painful during the weeks leading up to Pennsylvania's election, with many working class whites souring on Obama because of his notorious bitter comments.

Over the course the general election, Clinton has worked tirelessly in turning around these sentiments. In the process she has leveled repeated charges that a vote for McCain would not represent an advancement of her cause, even with a female vice presidential candidate on the ticket.

Here's the mailer:

Comments

[FR]

"By the end of my first term, I promise you will see a dramatic increase in the presence of women"
"By the END of my first term" ¦ because during the rest of that term McCain will do his usual nothing-nada-zippo for women, and then he'll need another dramatic stunt move, like Palin.
Yup, Senator, according to you women require only a PRESENCE of women in government; not rights or equal pay or equal responsibilities or actual power.
We have your record on that.

[FormerLutheranChick]

What makes this tactic so bizarre is that many hard-core Republicans DESPISE Hillary. I'm thinking of some of the so-called funny anti-Hillary merchandise many of them had---sorry, these items are crude and offensive but typical for what was out there: the T-shirts saying "No Way In HELLary", and "Run, Hillary, Run" bumper stickers for the FRONT bumper, the shirts that called her the "B" word and worse, the "c: word. And let's not forget the Hillary nutcracker. I know neocons who bought this stuff.

My point is, the die-hard Republican base that lurves McCain/Palin despises Hillary. They're threatened by a strong, independent, accomplished woman who can think for herself. So in this desperate pander to Hillary fans, aren't they betraying their core supporters?

Every Hillary supporter I know (myself included) has gone through this process of high enthusiasm when she was winning to disappointment when it became clear she'd lose. We thought we'd stay home from the polls, then maybe we'd vote for McCain (the real McCain, not the shadow self he has become), then we'd reluctantly consider voting for Obama.

Every Hillary supporter I know (again, myself included) is now an ENTHUSIASTIC supporter of Obama. We took the time to learn about him, listen to his speeches, read his books.

The choice of Sarah Palin to be VP has always felt like a slap in the face to this former Hillary supporter. These ads using Hillary to promote McCain are insulting.

[RoofinReality]

Naturesway, you gotta let it go.
Just remember this if nothing else, IF McCain - Palin win, then Palin has something over Hillary, and I'm not talking about hot babe looks or whatever the RNC cooked up in September at their convention.
No, I'm talking about actual governing responsibility (making decisions) at both the Governor level and Executive level. And on that exec level, it won't be because she was married to the President. She would've been voted in. So, please stop playing fantasy in your mind.

And as far as punishment, please see a therapist. My bet is you make less than $120,000 as a household. If correct, Obama gives you more money than McCain. But because you sense some wrong, where there isn't one, you will decide to give people like me with a household income over $200,000, more of tax break, at your expense, to teach someone you don't know a lesson they can't possibly learn?

Lastly, good mailer by Team McCain, especially the picture of them up close at first and then Biden's words at the end. Now, Hilary has to do like she did previously, I DO NOT APPROVE OF THAT MSG. Then, tell why she doesn't.

[Sarahmay99]

The Hillary Harpies will not swing this election.

[naturesway]

Millions of Hillary supporters are voting McCain as a punishment for the Democratic Nat'l Committee for the fraudulent and undemocratic primary. WE all saw how Dean and other SuperD's were bought and paid for by O. PUMA grew from that resentment of the illegitimate primary.
Get ready to hear PUMA roar on NOv4.
O must go down.

[HowietheScreamer]

Yaaaawn... you bore me.

[Bompa]

TROLL ALERT! TROLL ALERT!

Crawl back in your hole now... don't you have to go listen to Limbaugh or something?

[Puffin16]

Any woman who was a real Clinton supporter and knows the issues would NEVER, EVER vote for McCain/Palin. Period.

[phoebie]

After we voted early for Obama, I have a friend who was a staunch HIllary supporter (as were we in the primaries) who stated she still had not decided for whom to vote. My husband and I were stunned. I dearly hope she breaks for Obama but it makes me concerned. How many others like her will pick McCain instead? His disjointed campaign, choice of Palin and negative tone have made me more positive Obama will rally our nation into the hopeful, productive nation we once were.

[jusion]

" How many others like her will pick McCain instead?

The internals are indicating that about a 1/3 of Hillary supporters will vote for McCain.

http://www.israpundit.com/2008/?p=4803

[RockySoldier]

bitter, angry, spiteful. should they prove to be vital in getting mccain elected, they would deserve every last bit of restrictions of rights that a mccain administration would bestow upon women. every last bit.

[Linda51]

It's obvious that McCain thought that by picking Palin, he would get the female votes from Hillary.
He was thinking like a man. Most men will stand by each other, no questions asked.

Women do not. We won't switch to Palin just because she's female. We want to know more details. Women are hard on women because we feel that they should be better than us.
I am a staunch supporter of Hillary and am insulted by McCain thinking that I would switch to Palin because she's a woman. After hearing Palin talk, I am convinced, she's NO Hillary. She's not even close. Doesn't stand for anything Hillary does, Obama shares the same views a Hillary, but not the same chromosomes!

[militarymomforobama]

So if you think Hillary is so great, Sara, why are you not encouraging your daughters to be more like her--educated, strong, independent?

[TakingBackTheUSA]

For anyone who doubted that the choice of Palin was to only serve 2 purposes, to shore up conservatives and to attempt to pick up the HRC supporters, I'd like to submit to you the final proof. The mailer more or less spells it out in it's most obvious possible format. It is insulting that McCain STILL thinks of the HRC supporters as outliers and "easily picked fruit" simply because he picked a running mate that has the same anatomy. Absolutely insulting. And I'm not even a woman and I'm insulted. Proof positive that Republicans in general think that the rest of us are stupid, easily tricked, and don't see through their 5th grad shams.

[militarymomforobama]

McCain has always denigrated women. They are objects to him--something to use and then toss aside--at least Sara realizes that--she uses him too.

[jusion]

Hillary Democrats say there are more "closet McCain supporters" than anyone can count. Despite what the media says, people are not enthused and fired up to go out and vote for Obama --- quite the contrary: people are scared of Obama"s policies and will be voting McCain.
As in regards to the Hillary Clinton convention delegates who are openly supporting John McCain, the largest number of these people come from states that held caucuses. The Clinton delegates from these states have been coordinating efforts amongst themselves for payback against Obama on November 4th, since no state will vote in a caucus then. This is the reason that Iowa is so much closer than the McCain campaign ever dreamed it would be. McCain is supposed to lose Iowa because of his opposition to ethanol subsidies. So it's buffling McCain and Palin would make appearances throughout Iowa, or the fact internals show the state incredibly close.
THE CAUCUS FRAUD Obama committed back in January is coming back to bite him in a HUGE way. Now McCain might end up winning Iowa, as well as New Hampshire and Maine largely because of Democrats who are so disgusted by the behavior of Obama"s followers during the caucuses.
On election night, the media will be spinning and sputtering and trying to explain things that those of us on the ground have seen coming for months now.

[TakingBackTheUSA]

Good luck with that...

Those that would sell the entire country down the river by electing McCain over little more than a petulent vendetta will get exactly what they deserve. 4 more years under republican rule, more war, a further tanking economy, more deregulation, etc. If you, and the other Hillary Democrats you refer to, are willing to do this to ALL OF US, then you are doubly responsible for continuing this country down the tailspin that Bush has put us into.

I honestly hope that your opinion and belief stated here is a very small percentage of the populace. If after the last few months you haven't figured out that McCain and Palin are not fit to lead, and gotten over your vendetta from Denver, then you are no different than the raving right wingers. You will have proven that you are willing to send this country to it's doom because you put your pride and petulence before your well-being of your country, as we've watched the GOP do continually for 8 years.

[nomorebologney]

someone sounds bitter.

[jusion]

Yes, I'm bitter. Thus I'm clinging to my guns and my religion.

[sak]

There was a time, a long, long, time ago when McCain had a soul. That time has long passed. He pushed the McCain/Feingold bill. That was good. He pushed the legislation against torture. That was good, HOWEVER, he has remained silent while the law continues to be broken. When Bush added a signing statement to that bill, McCain said nothing. Now, he has sunk to the bottom of the barrel and revels in slime as his campaign slings mud and slanders his opponent.

Hillary began this mess by handing over to McCain the very things he is using today. The Clintons have not truly supported Obama. They are going through the motions, but if body language means anything, they are still angry. They are not like Obama. He will win and hopefully pull us out of this mess. McCain will sink into oblivion and Palin will stride back to Alaska, hopefully to never get elected to anything again.

[Shashi0224]

Hillary supporters are too intelligent to fall for this schtick.

Obama/Biden '08 and '12!!

[BruceGirl]

I was a strong Hillary supporter and was devastated when she lost,I was always going to vote for Obama after that,but when McCain picked Palin he turned me from a reluctant supporter into someone who has over and over donated to Obama,made calls for him and will now be much more devastated if HE loses! What McCain did was so insulting,not just to women but to the whole country.it can't be rewarded...please make sure everyone you know votes,and if you have any money left to send at this point,send it,,we can't let this happen.

[sak]

I also supported Hillary in the beginning. And you are right. The Palin pick was in insult to women. It was a cynical pick. Men would drool over her and women would think she was a great image for them. Wrong on both counts. Well, men do drool over her, but most still want this country to survive.

[RockySoldier]

maybe YOUR man drools over her, but i don't. why is it ok for women to constantly make these prejudiced, unfounded, stereotypical comments and not get flagged and removed here on huffpost? every time a comment criticizing women's own prejudices is posted, the responses critiquing it are removed. it's making me re-consider staying here at huffpost.

[truthyguy]

"flier ... paints John McCain and Hillary Clinton as political allies"

The McCain campaign is in such disarray that they have been reduced to saying anything and everything in the hopes something will strike a chord with voters. Pathetic. The Straight Talk Express left the station long ago and McCain was not on it. What happened to this man that he no longer has any dignity or ethical compass?