Wednesday, January 09, 2008

South Carolina a test for Bill

From the Washington Post's campaign diary The Trail:

About thirty minutes into Bill Clinton's nearly two-hour stop here at Dartmouth College, a steady stream of students started walking out of the venue. . . .

"I am not anti-Hillary, I am not anti-Clinton, I love Bill Clinton. But I just think we need a fresh start, a new face," Ramirez told The Trail. "All my life I've known the Clintons. As much as I like them, it's time for someone like Barack."

Friends Allie Landers, Jenna Smith and Marina Galkina echoed Ramirez. The three stopped by to get a glimpse of Clinton. But they headed for the doors just a few minutes after they got there. They're Obama supporters.

"I think it's really hard that you're campaigning for change -- Clinton's been using that word a lot too -- when, if you were elected, then the past presidents would be Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton," said Landers, 21.

Added Smith, also 21: "I'm from New York. I think Hillary has done a good job as a senator, but it was just her stepping stone. And, for some reason, for whatever reason, I just don't like her."

The girls headed to the food court for dinner.
The entire article’s here. Hat tip: Michelle Malkin.

Comments:

Monday in The Clinton Rocks I mentioned a friend’s account of what happened a few years ago when the former president spoke at a national trade association convention where an SRO crowd was expected. The hall was only two-thirds full and people slipped out during Clinton’s speech.

My friend said convention goers who didn't attend Clinton’s speech said things that amounted to "I've been listening to him for years." Many acknowledged being Clinton admirers but passed on what they viewed as "same old, same old."

Let’s keep our eyes out for how effective Bill Clinton will be on Sen. Clinton’s behalf in South Carolina where Sen. Obama is Hillary’s principal opponent.

African-Americans have been Bill Clinton’s most reliable and enthusiastic supporters and make up about half the Palmetto State’s Democratic voters.

Bill Clinton is going to face many audiences there in which most of the African-Americans will be Obama supporters. They may also, like those Dartmouth students and my friend's convention colleagues have "Bill Clinton fatigue," a condition I developed sometime in early 1993.

The SC Democratic primary is Jan. 26, two weeks from Saturday.

It should be an interesting few weeks.

11 comments:

Debrah said...

There's validity in the opinions of those who say Hillary's recent display of tears and her out-of-character-soft-spoken "vulnerability" were as big a Hoax as the lacrosse case was.

Moreover, when you hear a former president attacking another politician from his own party the way Bill Clinton attacked Barack Obama......you witness a very grotesque example of real desperation.

Bill and Hillary Clinton need to be put to sleep. Their residue from the '90s needs to be buried.

Enough.

Barack Obama's strong opposition to the war and a few other core issues that make up his platform have me at odds with the man.....

.....however, no one can deny his charisma and his ability to inspire optimism.

After seeing and hearing more from him, I have changed my mind a bit and truly hope that he prevails and is chosen as the Democratic candidate.

The fact that someone like KC Johnson supports Obama and none other than George Will sings his praises speak volumes.

One of the main reasons I so abhor phony, syrupy Liberalism is illustrated by what we have just witnessed in New Hampshire. I agree with KC here that there must be another reason for the huge disparity between who people said they voted for and for whom they actually voted.

This is why phony Liberals so disgust me.

When it came to actually voting and they could do so in secrecy, they went for wide-azzed Hillary.

Both Obama and Hillary are very liberal on most issues; however, Obama has a much-needed desire to bring people together.

He resonates with people across the board and it scares the Clintons beyond measure.

Even hardcore GWB supporters and Republicans with whom I have spoken like Obama. His background and the fact that he was raised by his Midwestern mother and her parents gives him unimaginable human resources from which to draw that most candidates in the black community simply do not have.

I am disgusted by the voters in New Hampshire and the raw low class tactics of limp-membered Bill Clinton.

Again, I despise dishonest people who try to play it both ways in how they live their lives.

Here's hoping that Barack Obama prevails and wins the Democratic nomination.

His own decency demands it.

Debrah said...

Parker on Obama

Anonymous said...

I'm a bit disappointed in Johnson.
As Iglesia noticed, the pollsters got Obama dead-on. The error is all concentrated in a whole bunch of Clinton voters who came out of nowhere.

I personally observed a huge number of first-time voters registering at the polls - more than I saw in the 2004 presidential election. And I was not asked to show a picture ID.

All of which is leading me to suspect that the "Bradley" example is far less germaine than the "Richard Daley" example....

Anonymous said...

"Even hardcore GWB supporters and Republicans with whom I have spoken like Obama."

He appears to be a very nice guy, but based on his Senate record, his political beliefs are so far to the left (way to left Clinton's) that I want him nowhere near the levers of power.

Debrah said...

TO Ralph--

Indeed, Obama is a very liberal guy.

I would be especially worried about some of the views and comments from his wife--(don't care for her at all); however, he's one of the best pols who's come along in a while.

It's so refreshing to hear him speak and see how he treats people with whom he comes in contact.

He's even nice and does not try to ignore the ever-intimidating Bill O'Reilly. LOL!

I just like Obama's personality and would hope that his objective of bringing people together is sincere.

Also, if he were to win the WH, the very nature of the presidency would demand that he move a bit to the right......just to be able to govern.

Anonymous said...

"I just like Obama's personality and would hope that his objective of bringing people together is sincere."

When folks that far to one end of the political spectrum talk about "bringing people together" in practice it always turns into "making everyone follow with them." I think it especially likely given that that will be his definition of "bringing people together" based on the fact that his Senate record does not include a single instance of compromise on his part.

As we have seen in the last seven years, it's real easy to say you're gonna be "a uniter, not a divider" and a lot harder to actually accomplish it.

Obama's tall, has a nice voice, has very symmetrical facial features, and talks in generalities so that people can project their hopes on him, whatever they happen to be, without any risk of noticing an area of substantive disagreement. He's running a cult of personality.

Oh well, I guess it's that old saying again: "Sincerity is the most important thing in politics. Once you learn to fake that, you've got it made."

Debrah said...

TO Ralph (1:18 PM)--

LOL!

Very good.

You know the Diva is an expert on schtick. It can serve as an emollient on occasions when you just prefer to avoid a serious argument....(although those instances are rare for me). LOL!!!

Delivery always makes bad medicine go down easier and Obama has effective delivery.

His strong opposition to the war and his open desire to "chat" with all of this country's dangerous enemies are a problem....simply because it's a fact that there are elements in the Middle East that do not respond to logic and to reality.

Trying to reason with such factions is a fool's game.

However, if Obama can rid us of the Clinton residue I can forgive him for some of his Leftist dreams.

:>)

Anonymous said...

He's from Chicago.

He seems to be plugged into the Chicago machine.

His church seems to share a lot of ideology with the black "ministers" who were a source of so much mischief during the Duke Lacrosse Burning.

His wife is left-wing harpy who makes Teresa Heinz-Kerry look good.

The only reason he looks better to you than Ms. Clinton is that you don't know as much about him yet.

Debrah said...

Unfortunately, Obama is rated "worst for Israel" of the leading presidential candidates by a panel assembled by the liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Anonymous said...

Not surpirsing, given that he sucks on every single other substantive issue we've examined.

Your enthusiasm for this left-wing nut with a pretty face makes me question the wisdom of the XIX'th amendment. ;-)(?)

Debrah said...

TO Ralph (8:12 AM)--

How droll.