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September 09, 2008
Hillary's Visit To Tampa, Fl. She Refuses To Criticize Palin
Sen. Hillary Clinton greets supporters after speaking during a "Change We Can Believe In" rally Monday in Tampa.
In Tampa Visit, Clinton Refuses To Criticize Palin
In her first appearance in Tampa since losing the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton strongly endorsed Barack Obama Monday, but refused to criticize the newer woman on the presidential campaign scene, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
"Barack and I may have started on two separate paths, but we are on one journey now," Clinton said.
She reprised lines from her speech at the Democratic National Convention two weeks ago saying, in effect, that anyone who supported her ought to support him.
Referring to her 35 years working in politics and public policy issues, she said, "I haven't done that to see us squander this opportunity. This is bigger than any one person – it's way bigger than Barack and me."
Clinton spoke to a crowd estimated by organizers at about 2,300 at the All People's Life Center in East Tampa.
Several times, she declined to discuss Palin, chosen by John McCain as his running mate, who has been criticized as lacking experience. Instead, she shifted the discussion to differences between Republicans and Democrats and the errors she said Republicans including President Bush have made during the past eight years.
When an audience member shouted out during her speech, "Tell us about Palin," she responded, "I don't think that's what this election is about,"
"This election is about the differences between us and the Republican Party. Anybody who believes that the Republicans, whoever they are, can fix the mess they created, probably believes that the iceberg could have saved the Titanic."
Asked by reporters after her speech whether she considers Palin qualified to be president, she again declined to answer directly.
"I'm going to stay focused on the issues and I'm going to keep talking about the issues because I think that's what matters to the American people," she said.
She added that having Palin on the ticket is "a great milestone for our nation."
"The Democrats did it in 1984; it took a while but the Republicans got around to doing it this year," she said. But, she added, "That's not the determinant as to who should be our president."
But Clinton also couldn't help referring to her own quest for the nomination, and to the fact that Florida was one of her strongholds.
When an audience member shouted, "I love you Hillary," she responded, "I love you too -- I especially love Tampa and Hillsborough County for supporting me in the primary."
Cindy Bauer, a lifelong Democrat from Tampa, said she was "very disappointed" by Clinton's loss. "It took a few days, but I got over it. … There's too much at stake for the future of our country," she said.
Bauer said McCain's choice of Sarah Palin only solidified her decision to support Obama. "Anyone who tells me that I shouldn't get an abortion if I choose to, that's it," she said.
But not all Democratic women who supported Clinton have boarded the bandwagon.
Julie Harris, a longtime local Democratic Party activist who worked in Clinton's campaign, wasn't at the rally, but said in an interview Monday she's backing McCain
Clinton, however, said she's not concerned that significant numbers of her backers won't get behind Obama.
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Wild Thing's comment......
It looks like Hillary is just going through the motions of demonstrating party loyalty.
Bauer said McCain's choice of Sarah Palin only solidified her decision to support Obama. "Anyone who tells me that I shouldn't get an abortion if I choose to, that's it," she said.
Abortion, abortion, abortion. Is killing babies all these "women" care about?
Hillary just doing her job, Obama can't ask for more. He really should be doing his own campaigning.
Posted by Wild Thing at September 9, 2008 03:45 AM
Comments
Abortion is all Democrats are concerned about. It's a "right" added to the Constitution by decree of the Supreme Court and as such they know it can be taken away. The only criteria for a judge to be appointed to the Court by a Democrat is that they support abortion.
Actually, Hillary isn't doing her job. Her job is that of a Senator from New York and she hasn't represented NY for quite some time now. She's been too busy campaigning.
Posted by: BobF at September 9, 2008 07:20 AM
It's like a kid sending in his big sister to fight his battles.
How pathetic. Besides, he's not running against Gov. Palin - he seems to have gotten confused about that too.
BTW, I thought all these Dem women were screaming for pro-choice. I guess there's only one choice that's appropriate for a woman to make and Gov. Palin didn't choose correctly.
Posted by: yankeemom at September 9, 2008 08:56 AM
I wonder if Hillary is really, clandestinely undermining Obama's influence among Democrats. Is her enthusiasm for the Dem ticket rally carefully restricted? Does she say much to support Biden?
I bet behind the scenes and in her mind she is thinking about a Clinton-Palin showdown for 2012 with Obama as a 2008 loser.
Posted by: TomR at September 9, 2008 09:24 AM
Pics of the event:
http://flickr.com/photos/30341999@N07/sets/72157607192859061/
Posted by: Capitan at September 9, 2008 01:48 PM
I am sure Hillary is not going to go out of her way to campaign for BO. She wants 2012, and can not afford obama to get elected.
Posted by: Mark at September 9, 2008 01:58 PM
She's biding her time for 2012. Pay it no mind. Unless we can find someone to unseat her in NY of course.
Posted by: Nick Byram at September 9, 2008 04:25 PM
BobF, I bet she has to talk herself into each speech she makes for Obama. haha
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2008 04:36 PM
Yankeemom, ...."It's like a kid sending in his big sister to fight his battles."....it sure is.
I agree too he acts like he is running against Palin. haha
They already have their minds made up and that is that they love abortions and demand them.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2008 04:40 PM
Tom, I think it is like you said, even her speech from reading it was not a gong ho type and she clearly did not want to get into discussions about Sarah Palin.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2008 04:43 PM
Capitan thank you for the photos.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2008 04:45 PM
Mark, I agree and I would not be one bit surprised if secretly and ever so quietly Hillary and Geraldine Ferraro ( spelling ) vote for McCain/Palin ticket. I feel this so strongly in my gut. Niether of these women want Obama to win and if Obama does not win it would prove to a lot of dems how he should have picked Hillary, like some kind of justice in Hillary's mind.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2008 04:49 PM
Nick Byram, wow wouldn't that be something if she lost her seat in N.Y.
My husband's family half of them live in New York , the other have here in Florida.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2008 04:51 PM
Abortion shouldn't even be an issue! I believe it does start at conception because the cells start to divide (mitosis and meiosis). Doesn't that show life? But it seems that women supporting Obamanation have this feeling that it's their right to have an abortion and it really isn't. It's God's right. Some think that putting a child up for adoption will leave them with a worse life and then the child, God forbid, might come looking for them someday or that having the child and seeing the child will make them want to keep it and they can't have that because they're too selfish to raise a child.
That just smacks me in the face. For one who's lost a much wanted and loved child who never got a name, it's ridiculous.
Abortion should not be used for birth control!
Posted by: Lynn at September 10, 2008 04:26 AM
Obama is feeling the lipstick heat,that is sold out merchadising that people like and trust Mrs.Palin's vision for the sake of America
Posted by: Andrea Fuzzi at September 14, 2008 08:37 AM
