The Hillary Ask: Whatever You Do, Don't Say "Obama"!
Campaign letters are always at least a little comic -- the faux-personal tone, the formal-informal style, the beggarliness. There are also the "artful" decisions made by the authors that are fun to explore for hidden meanings.
Hillary's latest dispatch to her supporters is a gem. Her campaign is over, the thrill of future campaign-related possibilities long past, and yet she is forced to continue asking for cash. The word "help" is plastered all over the thing, the smell of bad management rising from the text. One particularly pained passage makes the campaign seem like a shamefaced mutt who has left an unwanted deposit on the kitchen floor for the family to clean up.
"There's something else -- less endearing and I hope less enduring -- that our campaign has left behind: our substantial campaign debt."
Yuck.
There is also the decision to leave off entirely the name of the man Hillary is going to be campaigning for beginning Friday, the man now at the center of the "fight she believes in" and the "cause" she "believes deeply in" and the "next phase" of the "journey" she's embarking on and the "cause" again she wants to advance and maybe even one of the people she wants to "advocate alongside."
Or maybe not. The need to not offend in order to raise the cash to clean up the debt has left Hillary inarticulate. What's the real message of this letter?
"The Democratic party is my cause, of course, as is the Democratic president, the name of whom, however, I can not bear to write."
or
"My true cause above all is you, dear Hillary supporters, no matter what I say -- and you know that and so, ha, I don't have to say it!"
or
"Even if you hate hate hate Barack Obama, don't hate me, still love me, always, and show that love by sending me money, please. And for that, I won't mention his name!"
Enjoy!
Dear X,
I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep it.I told you that if you stood up for me, I would always stand up for you. You did more for me than I could have ever imagined, and I'm going to keep my end of the bargain and keep fighting for what we believe in -- in the Senate and on the campaign trail, helping to elect a new Democratic president and a bigger Democratic majority in Congress.
That relationship will endure thanks to the remarkable journey you and I have shared. But there's something else -- less endearing and I hope less enduring -- that our campaign has left behind: our substantial campaign debt.
I'm so grateful for all you've done for me -- all the ways you have given your time, energy, and financial resources. But today I am asking once again for your help ridding our campaign of debt so we can keep fighting together.
Contribute today to help us reduce our campaign debt.
As you know, I had to loan money to my campaign at critical moments. I'm not asking for anyone's help to pay that back. That was my investment and my commitment because I believe so deeply in our cause.
But I do need your help paying the debts we accrued to others over the course of this campaign. We put everything we had into winning this race, and we came just about as close as you can.
I will never regret the energy, effort, and passion we put into one of the closest and most expensive primary contests in history. But I need your help to move on to the next phase of our journey together.
Your contribution today will help us pay down our campaign debt.
You've done so much for me over the past 17 months, and I can never thank you enough. But I hope you know how much I appreciate everything you put into our campaign.
Sincerely,
Hillary
Hillary Rodham ClintonP.S. Everywhere I go, people tell me what a big difference our campaign has made in their lives. Let's keep working together throughout 2008 and beyond to advance the causes we believe in and to advocate alongside people whose voices need to be heard.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
I have, actually, contributed many times a small amount ($25) to Senator Clinton's campaign including a couple of days ago. I'm honestly not certain which way to vote in November. I owe my allegiance to my country over my party every day of the year and now need to do complete research on both of Senator Obama's and Senator McCain's records to decide which direction that I find to be the better way to vote.
Just for the record, although I have never supported Senator Obama, I still defended him against stupid rumors on many a website. Could everyone here please think four or five times, then re-read your posting another ten or so, before submitting? Such anger and hostility isn't good for yourselves, anyone else or the country at large.
By the way, what the heck is a "PUMA"?
I sure hope all those Clinton Women's Liber's read this article and discover that their only role in life is to be subordinate to there husbands. Still thinking about voting for McCain and the Religious Right??
Bet you feel like a damn fool now.
Google the "Denver Group" for an update on the push for an open ballot at the Democratic convention.
What a bunch of idiots!
EEEEWWWWW.
These people have absolutely no shame (she and her husband).
They made the choice to press forward, leaving debts behind left and right. They made the choices of how to spend the money they had, and did a really poor job of it.
People are quick to blame borrowers for the mortgage mess - how is this any different? She can sign a book deal and have this debt erased in moments. I wouldn't give her one red cent.
HE and the DNC made the choice to disenfranchise voters, leaving us behind. Seems to me that they are the ones who had bad management and they are the ones "begging" for Hillary supporter's help to elect the unelectable nominee. If she will wash her hands of Obama and the DNC now, we will gladly help her pay off her debt. Not one dime until she completely bows out of this phoney election process and looks forward to 2012. We don't need them and they don't need us so leave us and the Clintons alone. McCain 2008 Clinton 2012
When in spite, vote White!
Leave her alone? She's the one begging us for money.
But that would mean the unthinkable....no media spotlight for her or her husband.....for pehaps years!!! They may just whither away outside all those bright lights.
Please do pay the debt, and pay it soon. It would be nice to have this behind us as well.
She has no one but herself to blame. This is one of the reason people were asking her to quit when it was glaring that she can't win the nomination. How could you be so dump spending money on a cause that you knew you can no longer win? Now that she finally ran her reckless race to the end of the road, she needs help. From who? Her 18 million voters? Where are they? If they truly believe in her, that should be easy. Obviously, they don't. Keep begging -- what a shame.
Where are those 18 million voters $1.25 from them and she is in the clear.
All Hillary had to do is vote no on this needless lousy Iraq war and she would have been our next president.
When it came to make the most important decision of her life she got it wrong. She has no one to blame but herself.
Democratic president=republican house and senate.
That's really the way to unite the party, Way to go Hillary.
I'm not giving one red cent to Hillary. Not one.
Heck, Obama was the first one I ever donated to (maxed out, there). Just cause he says "We should help her" doesn't inspire me one iota. Matter of fact, makes me think a little less of him since he's playing business as usual politics by going all buddy buddy with someone who spent all these months slamming him and playing dirty pool.
And this letter begging for money is just classless. This woman spent months talking about how she was for the working, suffering people...yet she wants those same people to pay off her debts for her. No accountability and she has more than enough money to cover her own.
He had to do it. Now he has done it and it's behind him.
Winning graciously is an art too.
If the HRC supporters took an OUNCE of their time that has been spent GRIPING about the fairness of the election to organize contributions to her campaign, she wouldn't still be begging for money like she had to do at all her previous primary night speeches.
If you're that angry that she got an "unfair" deal, the least you could do is support her financially. But since she's still begging for money, seems her supporters are full of B.S. They won't and haven't put their money where their mouths are, for a woman they say they truly support and love.
No matter what you say about BHO supporters, we send small donations to him REGULARLY. That's called A LOT of change you can believe in. On my way to give another contribution to BHO.
I am a Clinton supporter.
Obama didn't win this race fairly.
The media bashed the entire Clinton family almost daily.
Obama got a free ride.
The DNC rules committee were unfair Michigan and Florida voters were never counted properly.
Obama kept the three hundred delegates from those two states in his pocket to brag about himself to the media and to the superdelegates
Obama has friends that are weird, radical and anti American.
Obama is such a weak candidate, it's rediculous.
If you were a Cinton supporter, you would get behind her now.
It wasn't fair. Really? This is so childish.
I some certain people in the media hated the idea of a Clinton Restoration.
Really? A black man raised by a single mother and his grandparents named Barrak Obama, who got scholerships and student loans to compeat at Harvard and was the Harvard Law Review editor, got a "free ride". What planet do you live on?
Clinton signed a paper saying Michigan and Florida would not count.
Obama gave Clinton delegates so she could save face with folks like you. Why bother?
Obama has friends that are as American as you are. Shame on you.
Obama is a political genius. This is not a game.
1. And I'm a Lincoln supporter...too bad he's not in the race so it doesnt matter.
2. yea, all the race baiting, gender card pulling, lies, false statements, pandering....OH WAIT THAT WAS HILLARY
Besides, where you anti-media when they were eating out of her hand in December, January and Feb? I bet you loved he media then.
3. If Obama got a free ride how do you explain the Rev. Wright / muslim garments fiasco that dominated the news? YOU CANT
4. If anything the rules committie was TOO NICE. Besides she was just fighting over 4 delegates when she was behind by over 150...
5. Hillary defended plenty radicals when she was a lawyer. Including those from the Weather Underground. And her husband pardoned a few (WIlliam Ayers being one). Now what do you have to say for yourself?
6. If he's so weak then Hillary would have defeated him.
That's like saying the team who wins the Superbowl should be put in 2nd Place.
Have you maxed out on your $$$ contributions to your candidate yet?
Until then, STFU.
By the way, after the Unity rally, I sent her $50 to show my appreciation for her efforts. How much have you given?
Yeah, it sure is "rediculous".
I see. When brinkmanship pulls up lame before the finish line, it's rotting corpse itself becomes a new reason to fight. It all makes perfect since to me now.... NOT!
I'm not sure this is all about identity politics or race or just blind jackassery, but it is amazing how for some this has become a political ontological argument. It would be funny, if it wasn't so revealing.
Sure hope both Obama and Clinton read some of these comments. They'd would certainly not be trying to find any unity. Most of the Obama supporters want to turn the clock back to February and then have Hillary Clinton concede and give her supporters over to Obama. Too sad. But be assured that the Clinton Democrats will come through for her and pay off debt vendors. What you Obamacons don't realize is that Obama's campaign outspent her anywhere from 2 to 1 up to 4 to 1 and still lost the big states that were considered important: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana. Yes, Obama had support from smaller donors but he also enjoyed the bundled monies from drug groups and oil groups. He also was well supported by a Chicago machine dedicated to getting a winner in the White House. Just one thing: don't expect any of us who donated and actively campaigned for Clinton to be there for a candidate who decided to NOT take federal funds for the campaign, supports the latest Supremes' decision on gun control, who voted for Cheney's energy bill, and who finds nothing really wrong with the FISA legislation. All the change will be a reincarnation of George Bush's policies only with a lot more voters supporting them.
I don't like the Clintons at all, but as of tonight, I have seen the light concerning BO. The FISA thing...wow. After all the speeches....wow. Had me fooled.
I was never fooled - I'm smart enough to know that a radical progressive agenda will not get Obama elected. I'm still voting Obama, because he's smart enough to know that appearing weak on terrorism will give the republicans an opening to campaign on fear.
Well, I have been an Obama supporter from day one, and I just sent Hillary a small donation, the same amount I gave to Obama several times, just to show there are no hard feelings. I hesitated to do it because she continued to spend money needlessly when it was obvious she was going to lose, and in the process she further divided the party and made things more bitter between the two sides.
Now, what about you? You always have plenty of negative things to say, but you ought to put YOUR money where YOUR mouth is. My bet is that you won't contribute a red cent, and that in part explains why your side lost. While your side whined, we contributed money and volunteered out time to register new voters.
So, keep crying, we'll bleed Kool Aid for you. And get your facts straight; Hillary voted for the FISA compromise, too.
The only red cent I'll spend will be to retire Hillary Clinton's debt to vendors. I supported Obama, Edwards, Biden and Clinton in the beginning, 17 months ago??!!, but when the great speeches were contradicted by the pastor of Obama's church and when in debate after debate he proved to be unable or unwilling to suggest programs that Clinton had at her fingertips, healthcare, the economy, bringing the troops home in an orderly fashion, I stopped sending him any monies. My small donations to Clinton have added up and I certainly will never have buyers' remorse for supporting her, remorse which you must be feeling at least a little bit. He certainly isn't the candidate he claimed to be 17 months ago.
You need to get your facts straight, honey. No one has voted on the FISA compromise yet. The vote is scheduled for July 8. Obama is the only doing the talking about it and some of his surrogates are saying he is doing it for secret reasons so that he can prosecute the corporations once he is president. Even that bit of garbage gossip has been refuted by folks like Greenwald.
Perhaps each party may come to outlaw "self-funding" by candidates. It'd spare us from all of this.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
