Everyday Voters, Not Celebrities, Rally for Hillary

If you turned on a TV in the days before the voting began in the Super Tuesday states, you would have thought that Barack Obama was headed for a landslide. On every cable news channel, and on the nightly network news, as well, there were reports of crowds gathering around the country to cheer on the Senator's campaign. Flip on one channel and there was California's First Lady, Maria Shriver, joining her cousin Caroline Kennedy and talk-show host Oprah Winfrey in Los Angeles to sing the praises of the Illinois senator. Push another button on the remote and there you would find Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, joining Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick at a rally in Boston. Still on another channel, you could catch Oscar-winning actor Robert DeNiro and former senator and presidential contender Bill Bradley, flanking the candidate in the Meadowlands Sports Complex, all urging Garden State voters to get "Fired Up!"

What you didn't see in those TV reports or in the cheering crowds were the millions of ordinary Democrats who didn't manage to get on television but did go to the polls and vote. These are the voters whose lives and livelihoods depend on the outcome of this year's election -- the voters who care more about real results and a better economy than celebrity endorsements. They're the folks struggling to make ends meet, the people who have been hurt by seven years of a president who just doesn't care about them. And millions of America's working families turned out on Super Tuesday, just as they have in earlier contests. They handed election victories to Senator Hillary Clinton all across the country including a stunning upset in Massachusetts.

These are the voters who are working paycheck to paycheck, trying to make ends meet while health care, energy and food prices continue to climb. These are the folks who work hard and play by the rules and are trying to get ahead. They are the people in America who feel invisible, who feel that no one really cares about their problems. Celebrity endorsements and a candidate with a rock star persona are not what motivates them. Rather, they want a candidate who has solutions to the problems they face day in and day out, who hears their concerns and speaks for their interests. They have found that candidate in Hillary Clinton.

That's why when the votes were tallied late last night, Senator Clinton emerged victorious, including huge victories in New York, California, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Senator Clinton's message is working, in big states and small states, in red states and blue states. She carried states from coast to coast, from Liberty Island to San Francisco Bay. Even in states where she trailed in tightly contested contests, such as the bell-weather state of Missouri, Senator Clinton demonstrated that she can appeal to rural as well as urban voters. She carried 110 of the 115 counties in the "Show Me" state.

Senator Clinton's victories in New York, California, Massachusetts and New Jersey are tremendously important, because all are reliable blue states that Democrats must win to gain a victory in November. While the media may focus on celebrities and endorsements, the voters on Super Tuesday and in earlier contests this year have focused on issues, substance and solutions. In the states most important for a Democratic victory, they have chosen Hillary Clinton as their candidate. Delegates at the Democratic Convention will do the same.

Comments

[ayc]

When is the last time a Democrat lost New York, New Jersey, New York, California, or Massachusetts in a Presidential race?

[meileen]

The MSM is pushing for BO, and you have to wonder if there is some Rovian work underfoot.

Hillary, as a woman, is the real change candidate. She's just not as exciting as the new guy on the block. Folks are looking for the next American Idol, and don't realize that the winner usually ends up losing (with regard to record sales). The loss this time would be for our entire country, so let's hope sense somehow prevails over kumbaya.

And note this: if we thought we heard a lot about the Whitewater real estate transaction, believe you me, we'll be hearing an awful lot about Rezko if we end up with the lesser candidate come November. It's the reality chip that most folks are not bargaining for. The GOP will not let this guy through without a slamfest. We at least know Hillary can take it.

[BitJam]

Everyday voters are actually funding the Obama campaign. He raised $32 million in January compared to Clinton's $13.5 million. Clinton had to kick in $5 million of her own money just to compete on Super Tuesday. In response, everyday voters have raised over $5.5 million for Obama just today. You can go to his web site to see for yourself.

[BrianBoru3]

You covered all the talking points mailed out by the Clinton campaign. Too bad they are just talking points.

Obama's performance bodes well for the general election. He carried African-Americans and whites in California.

Obama is ahead in delegates who are elected. She has the annointed super-delegates who are not elected. They won't hold hold on for her if he wins the race for elected delegates. It would be the end of the Democratic Party if she gets nominated only because she has the super-delgates.

He won in the "red" states. Obama won in the caucus states. She won the media states.

He actually has REAL people contributing to his campaign. It appears her PAC supporters are either tapped or maxed out. His money comes from the PEOPLE. He is on track to win both the nomination and the general election.

[DietrichMoody]

Not really, and within the last 16 years - the Beatty's, Nicholsons, Streisands, Jeffrey Katzenbergs, Eisners, Spielbergs, Geffen, etc., were heavily involved in raising cash for the Clintons and getting them to where they are today. Able to contribute their own $5 million to their campaign. Now, Geffen, says "they lie like ease" - Geffinism. Oh, and who WERE some of other working class people over the years:


TOM ARNOLD 9/19/1995 $1,000 - Bill Clinton


CANDICE BERGEN 10/13/1999 $1,000 - Hillary Rodham Clinton


BLAKE EDWARD BOYD 6/14/1995 $1,000 - Bill Clinton


JEFF GOLDBLUM 9/25/1995 $1,000 - Bill Clinton


TOM HANKS 5/15/1995 $250 - Bill Clinton


MARTIN SHORT 12/17/1999 $1,000 - Hillary Rodham Clinton


MARIO THOMAS 9/22/1999 $1,000 - Hillary Rodham Clinton


Yeah - everday people. Coincidentally "Bryant Park Hotel doorman Gregory Smith campaigned door to door for Bill Clinton in 1992, he voted for Hillary Rodham Clinton in both her Senate elections - but last week he went online and gave $25 to Barack Obama for president.­" http://www.nypost.com/seven/04082007/news/regionalnews/i_dumped_hill_for_obama_08_regionalnews_james_fanelli.htm

[MizJ]

How true. And if you count the Michigan and Florida votes people came out in droves to pull the lever for her. She cannot get the traction from the MSM but the ordinary citizen is paying attention to her message. Thank you for seeing through the haze of cult celebrity.

[Democrab]

Have to love your positive words and confidence. And I'm sure she'll win Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

She's the champion of the little guy in this election and the hope of millions.

[LostintheFlood]

Why did Fortune put Hillary on the cover? Why does Hillary have to take out a loan for her campaign when Obama can raise 5 million just since yesterday? You, Mr. McEntee, hitched your wagon to Clinton. That doesn't mean all us "little people" will. We know how Bill screwed us with NAFTA and some of us don't forget.

[nomobull]

yeah right you left out ha he won more statesthe deleate difference is arginal and her lead was cut significantly in severa of the stae you mention.

[not one of the sheep]

Jerry, a little bias aren't we. Ignore all the Obama victories and typically spin the slim Clinton lead into a coronation for the queen. Reality is that it could still go either way. Did you write your post from the Clinton Machine press release?

[Hilleluiah]

This is exactly what I've been saying. I cannot be concerned with being someone's chearleader. I want to hear how your policies are going to effect my life. Huge endorsements by rich people mean nothing to me and apparently to the rest of the states, such as my state MA, which Senator Obama was "supposed" to win. In MA, he wom a lot of the affluent neighborhoods, like my city Cambridge. I love to be inspired, but I'm inspired every day to work hard in order to pay my bills. I don't need motivation in that area.

[cithorn]

I agree!

[RichLiberal]

Let me explain some additional info about last night that should make you feel even better. Those states you mentioned that Hillary won had 147 electoral votes out of the 270 needed to win. i.e more than half. And she kicked Obama's butt in all of them. These are core Democratic states that can be counted on to deliver in November. Obama, on the other hand won states with 111 electoral votes. At least 42 of those came from states like Alaska, Kansas, Utah, Idaho, Georgia, Alabama, North Dakota, and Colorado, who among them probably haven't given the Dems a single electoral vote since Nixon's southern strategy. Furthermore, these were contrived victories where Obama's machine was able to get out 18K in ND, 6K in ID, etc. His big wins were his home state of IL which gave him a 650K vote margin over Hillary, and the ethnic vote he was able to muster SC-like in GA, AL gave him an additional margin of 450k for a total of 1.1M Hillary needed to make up. Hillary pulled in votes in states like MA 700K, NJ 600K, NY 1M, CA 2M. Her margins in those 4 states amounted to about 1M. In addition, she got margins totalling about 300K in Ark, Tenn, and Okl. All this combined roughly accounted for her 45%-42% overall national vote total victory.
Furthermore, Obama's campaign has been exposed to be nothing more than a huge home state win, a couple of racial wins in the south with voters clearly voting race as the determining factor, plus a bunch of suspect red state, low vote total Republican strongholds, that have sleepy Democratic operatives that his organization rallied to get him some delegates, although neither these states nor the racial states will carry over to November electoral votes.
The core Democratic party spoke last night. The media won't tell you what was said, but it looks like working people have just about figured it out.

[fact finder]

Yep the poor working people voted for another Clinton. Guess they forgot that the first Clinton signed the bills that sent their high paying jobs over seas so that they could work for minimum wage's. No wonder America is screwed the people can not even remember who screwed them.

[WilliamTravis]

Not to mention her dependence upon the majority support of Party establishment, undemocratic super-delegates. Which is counterpoint in boldface.