Some Hillary Clinton supporters find her endorsements of Barack Obama lacking

kingcap72 · August 23rd, 2008, 01:50 PM

At Rally, Finding Clinton’s Aid to Obama Too Tepid
N.Y. Times
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Minutes after pushing through the rope line to thank Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for “all that you do,” Robin Shaffer said she was worried. She feared that the senator she respected and admired for being tough and experienced had not done all that she could to unify Florida’s fractured Democratic Party while campaigning here on Thursday for her former opponent.
“It was good that she said my supporters need to now support Barack Obama,” said Ms. Shaffer, 46, reflecting on Mrs. Clinton’s speech before about 700 people. But, she added, “I wanted her to repeat that one more time.”
Many who had supported Mrs. Clinton’s run for president shared Ms. Shaffer’s opinion. Democrats who said they had recently accepted that Mr. Obama, of Illinois, would be the Democratic presidential nominee greeted Mrs. Clinton’s 30-minute speech — her first rally in Florida on his behalf — with warmth but also demands for more.
Democrats here have been especially divided since Mrs. Clinton battled to have the state’s delegates awarded to her after Florida held its primary early, in violation of Democratic Party rules, and after the party said it would not seat its delegation at the convention.
The delegates’ voting rights, with half a vote each, were eventually restored, leaving Mrs. Clinton’s victory here intact. And while national polls show that her supporters have been moving toward Mr. Obama, many Clinton voters are still demanding a strong signal from her on whether to shift their allegiance.
In her speech, Mrs. Clinton, of New York, offered an unequivocal endorsement. She repeatedly linked her signature issues of health care, the economy and abortion to Mr. Obama. Emphasizing how a President Obama could further her agenda in the Senate, she said, “I need a president who will work with me, who will be there for the people I care about, that I get up and fight for every single day.”
In all, Mrs. Clinton mentioned Mr. Obama’s name about 10 times. But at some points she sounded wistful. She pointed out, for example, that it was her third time at Florida Atlantic University as a proxy for a presidential candidate. “I’ve been here three times,” she said. “In 1992, for my husband. In 1996, for my husband” — the audience laughed — “and in 2008, for Barack Obama, the next president of the United States.”
Guy Montes, 63, a retired shift manager for United Airlines and a Clinton supporter in the primary, said later that Mrs. Clinton’s heart did not seem to be in it.
“It was a platonic type of endorsement,” Mr. Montes said. “It wasn’t real love. She’s just doing what she’s supposed to be doing.”
Even Cecilia Payne, 52, an insurance agent in West Palm Beach originally from Barbados, who declared that “the Clintons are the best thing that ever happened to politics,” said Mrs. Clinton must work harder.
“She should have been a little more forceful and more convincing,” Ms. Payne said.
Many here said they feared that Mrs. Clinton did not fully appreciate the divide that remained among Democratic voters. Ms. Shaffer, a part-time medical technician, said many older voters she knew were still struggling with racial prejudice, an issue Mrs. Clinton did not substantially address.
Ileen J. Cantor, 46, a Democratic precinct coordinator in Boca Raton, said that among many lifelong Jewish Democrats, “it’s still iffy, which is freaking me out.”
Jennifer Boxen, 35, a librarian at Florida Atlantic, applauded vigorously when Mrs. Clinton said she and Mr. Obama had been “on two paths” but were now on “one journey.” But she said she was still not sure whom she would vote for.
“Ask me again next Tuesday,” Ms. Boxen said, “after I know who the vice-presidential pick is.”

nycgirl · August 23rd, 2008, 02:27 PM

What exactly do they want her to do? She's endorsed him many times now, it's up to the people to vote how they want to vote now.

kingcap72 · August 23rd, 2008, 02:30 PM

The problem people have with Hillary, and Bill's, endorsements is that they're half-hearted and unconvincing.

Beeyotch · August 23rd, 2008, 03:38 PM

That's interesting, why are they so half-hearted about it? Sore loser syndrome or do they have differences on issues with Obama?

Grimmlok · August 23rd, 2008, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nycgirly101

What exactly do they want her to do? She's endorsed him many times now, it's up to the people to vote how they want to vote now.

she should do MORE, there's a lot of sore feelings, Hillary will need Obama's 20 million voters come 2012, this isn't very good for party unity, you want her to WIN in 2012, don't you?

... sound familiar.....

kingcap72 · August 23rd, 2008, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeyotch

That's interesting, why are they so half-hearted about it? Sore loser syndrome or do they have differences on issues with Obama?

Sore loser syndrome. Because while the Clintons are saying all of the right things, they just don't put any conviction behind it. And when some of Hillary's own supporters are picking up on that, then that's bad.

Beeyotch · August 23rd, 2008, 03:55 PM

Well, sore loser syndrome reflects badly on her, I agree she should keep that in mind for her future political plans.

sputnik · August 23rd, 2008, 08:03 PM

i don't understand people who let this sort of crap affect who they vote for.

yanna · August 24th, 2008, 04:59 AM

WTF ever, what should she do, tattoo Barack 4ever on her forehead? If people care about what the Democratic party stands for they will vote for its candidate. Hillary doesn't mind control anyone.

*DIVA! · August 24th, 2008, 05:19 AM

She could if she wanted to, there were women who put all of their hopes, dreams, and aspirations in her and into candidacy, not only for them, but for their daughters also. So, every time she cried sexism, or foul they felt pain..pain from not earning an equal wage, pain from losing the promotion to the men that they trained, pain from having to take crappy jobs to make ends meet, and some felt pain from a cheating spouse..they took all of that and placed it with her. With a few nods, and winks they'd follow her to the nth level of hell if she asked them. She has the power, and with the RIGHT words she could lead them back to sanity and also to Obama. But, maybe she is holding onto them for 2012..

So, now McCain is going to run ads reaching out to her supporters telling them he feels their pain, and Obama should have picked Hillary.

kingcap72 · August 24th, 2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSDiva

She could if she wanted to, there were women who put all of their hopes, dreams, and aspirations in her and into candidacy, not only for them, but for their daughters also. So, every time she cried sexism, or foul they felt pain..pain from not earning an equal wage, pain from losing the promotion to the men that they trained, pain from having to take crappy jobs to make ends meet, and some felt pain from a cheating spouse..they took all of that and placed it with her. With a few nods, and winks they'd follow her to the nth level of hell if she asked them. She has the power, and with the RIGHT words she could lead them back to sanity and also to Obama. But, maybe she is holding onto them for 2012..

So, now McCain is going to run ads reaching out to her supporters telling them he feels their pain, and Obama should have picked Hillary.

The risk that McCain runs with that line of attack is that it could backfire and the Clinton supporters could ask him why he didn't reach across the aisle and select Hillary as VP, either.

nycgirl · August 24th, 2008, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yanna

WTF ever, what should she do, tattoo Barack 4ever on her forehead? If people care about what the Democratic party stands for they will vote for its candidate. Hillary doesn't mind control anyone.

That's what some people want apparently, despite the fact that she wasn't even vetted for VP. Funny.

Grimmlok · August 24th, 2008, 08:18 PM

oh come on. Now that the tables are turned, the clintonistas are all "god, what does O want?"

we've been saying that to the clintonistas even AFTER obama was nothing but gracious to her followers for the last little while.

Funny isnt it?

nycgirl · August 24th, 2008, 08:46 PM

She's introduced him as the next president, she's spoken at his rallies, she's encouraged people to donate and support him. All I'm asking is what else she should specifically do or say, and nobody can answer it because the truth is nothing she says/does can make anyone vote a certain way. People who can vote are adults and they are going to vote the way they want to at the end of the day.

*DIVA! · August 24th, 2008, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nycgirly101

She's introduced him as the next president, she's spoken at his rallies, she's encouraged people to donate and support him. All I'm asking is what else she should specifically do or say, and nobody can answer it because the truth is nothing she says/does can make anyone vote a certain way. People who can vote are adults and they are going to vote the way they want to at the end of the day.

She only introduced him as being the next President, because she took ages to concede!! She spoke at ONE rally with him, then she made two campaign stops...that's it.