Watching Clinton's Speech With 18 Million Voices

culmination of pro-Hillary group 18 Million Voices's day of all-things-Clinton was a public broadcast of her speech at Cheesman Park. As my cab driver informed me as she dropped me at the sparsely attended rally, the allegedly haunted park had once been a cemetery. That fact was surely unconsidered by the event's planners, and it was unintentionally symbolic for a group of supporters who wanted to see their preferred candidate's chances resurrected, but ironic in that it may have been a last moment of pro-Hillary/anti-Obama emotion before putting their crusade to rest.

Leading up to Senator Clinton's speech, a crowd of about 150 people had assembled, most Clinton die-hards, although a many curious Obama supporters and local residents also came for the broadcast. Crowd response to and attention given Ted Strickland's speech was tepid, or at least mostly disinterested. Deval Patrick's mentions of Senator Obama drew some scattered and half-hearted boos.

Brian Schweitzer's excitable speech drew some of the best (and most comedically challenged) lines of the night.

Schweitzer: "And who do we need??"
Crowd: "Hillary!"
Schweitzer: "Barack Obama!"
Crowd: "Noooo. Boooo."

Schweitzer: "Can we afford four more years of the same?!"
Clinton supporter: "Can we afford four more years of 'CHANGE'?!"

Other miscellaneous heckling included the gems: "Just words! Just stupid words!"; "Present! Present!"; and "CHANGE?? Change your underwear!"

When Clinton came out, the crowd came alive, waving homemade signs, with one girl frolicking in the shallow fountain in her raincoat as a brief rain shower passed overhead. The joy and emotion of these Clinton supporters poured out as they watched the opening montage and introduction by Chelsea, and applause lines were sustained and heartfelt throughout the speech. Did Clinton help bring her disaffected voters back into the Democratic tent? Maybe not immediately, but in the words of two attendees, "We'll get there, but right now we're just happy to have seen her deliver this speech."

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Comments

[Fabienne]

It would be nice if the news media quite pretending these people were a force of any sort. There are few of them, they are basically nonsubstantive in their remarks, and it is an embarrassment for the country to have them perpetually in the news. Let's forget them and support our candidate. The Clintons are the past and last night the past stepped aside with grace. Let's turn our focus to our excellent candidate and the return of the Democratic Party to actual Democrats.

[johnnygoodwud]

welcome grannie, we appreciate your support. i too am 60 and remember the same things you do. mc cain is simply more of the same.

[Kwaayesnama]

Please ask those people to take this test?

Would a Democrat vote for a man who voted against raising the minimum
wage in, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2006?

Would a Democrat vote to kill our bravest young people for 100 years looking for weapons of mass destruction that do not exist?

Would a Democrat vote for a man who does not know that 9-11 was
caused by Osama Bin Laden not Sedam Hussein?

Would a Democrat vote the man who does not know if the Sunnis or
Sheits are our enemies?

Would a Democrat vote for the man who voted against increasing
benefits for the military that he sends in harm's way?

Would a Democrat vote to keep putting our government on the China,
Saudi Arabia credit card?

Would a Democrat vote for tax cuts only for the wealthy?

Would a Democrat vote for opposition to SCHIP?

Would a Democrat vote for tax credits for health care instead of a
nation health care system?

Would a Democrat vote to overturn Roe v. Wade?

Would a Democrat vote for a right-wing Supreme Court?

Would a Democrat vote for a third Bush term?

Would a Democrat vote for a man who says the economic downturn is
psychological?

Would a Democrat vote for a man who says you are better off under
George Bush?

Would a Democrat vote for a man who says irresponsible, undeserving
homeowners are losing their homes? But is fortunate to own 8 homes!

[Kwaayesnama]

First let me say that I am a 60 year old white Republican grandmother from Arizona.
Because of my grandchildren I am supporting Barack Obama. We live in a world that that is teetering on a dangerous nuclear war. I do not want a dangerous old man with old attitudes and a nuclear temper to have his finger on the nuclear button. I am old enough to remember the scandal filled Clinton administration. I was stupid enough to vote once for George Bush to get this nation away from the Clinton’s and look what it got me! Thousand of precious people killed looking for nonexistent weapons of mass destruction, an economy down the gutter. A nation known as the world bullies. So the misguided PUMA’s could hold onto their bitterness and lose everything their party has accomplished in generations. This Republican grandma will vote for Obama.