Clinton Insists Democratic Race Is ‘Long Way’ From Over, Looks Toward Convention
Hillary Clinton, shown here campaigning Monday at a community college in Blue Bell, Pa., tells FOX News the race is a "long way from being over." (AP Photo)
The Democratic race is a “long way from being over,” Hillary Clinton told FOX News on Wednesday, and she has no qualms about taking the primary fight all the way to the convention floor.
In a sit-down interview with FOX News’ Greta Van Susteren, which aired Wednesday night, Clinton said not to write her candidacy’s obituary yet, even though she’s trailing Barack Obama by 157 pledged delegates with opportunities dwindling to make up that gap.
“Sixty-two percent said let it go on,” Clinton said, referring to a new Rasmussen survey that found that portion of Democrats aren’t ready for either candidate to leave the race. “That is what people are telling me. That is what we have to do. Let the voters have a chance to be heard. Nobody should be writing obituaries on this race, because it is a long way from being over.”
The Democratic race has taken unexpected twists and turns in the last two weeks, from the controversy over Obama’s long-time pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. to criticism of Clinton’s claims that she landed in Bosnia in 1996 under sniper fire.
But neither candidate is expected to lock down the pledged delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the August convention. And although Democratic leaders are scrambling to avoid a prolonged fight that could give GOP nominee-in-waiting John McCain a decided advantage, Clinton said Wednesday there are too many ifs for the matter to be settled yet.
“Well this is a really close election. Despite what some might say, it is a very close election in the popular vote and in the delegates,” she said. “We have 10 contests ahead of us, plus, don’t forget, Florida and Michigan. You know, I keep beating this drum … millions of people are going to be voting in the next three months, and I hope that will include Florida and Michigan.”
Clinton’s campaign has argued for seating the Michigan and Florida delegations, which were stripped after those states held early primaries in violation of party rules. Recent efforts to hold re-votes in those states have fallen through.
Clinton won both of those states’ primaries in January, though none of the candidates campaigned. Obama was not even on the ballot in Michigan.
Clinton said, barring a resolution on Florida and Michigan, the fight goes to convention.
“You know, you can always go to the convention. That’s what credential fights are for,” she said. “Let’s have the Democratic party go on record against seating the Michigan and Florida delegations three months before the general election? I don’t think that will happen. I think they will be seated. So that’s where we’re headed if we don’t get this worked out.”
Clinton also has weighed in this week on the controversy over Wright, whose anti-U.S. sermons have raised questions about Obama’s judgment in choosing his associates. Clinton said she would have left Wright’s church.
“I was asked point blank yesterday what I would have done had I been in a position where someone was making those kinds of comments, and I said I would have left,” she told FOX News on Wednesday. “I’ve spoken out against all kinds of words that I thought were inappropriate. … You know, you don’t get to pick your family, but you do get to pick the church or synagogue you attend.”
Obama’s campaign on Tuesday blasted Clinton for trying wedge her way out of the fallout over her Bosnia claims by breaking her silence on Wright. Obama said Wednesday that he already has condemned Wright’s most offensive statements, and “we can’t afford to be distracted” from the real issues in the election.
Likewise, when Clinton was asked Wednesday about the Bosnia flap, she said that’s not what voters care about.
“I’m a human being. I made a mistake and owned up to it,” she said. “But that’s not what people talk to me about. When I’m out campaigning … people want to talk about the economy and health care, and they want to know what are you going to do to get fix our country and get it back on track, and help my family and me.
“And that what I’m really engaged in. Because, you know, when you’ve been on a campaign for 14 months there’s all kinds of other distractions, but at the end of the day this is a hiring decision,” she said.
I am sick and tired of listening to this witch. She is too stupid and too ambicious to know when she’s lost.
Hillary Clinton say she just made a mistake she landed in Bosnia. If she made a “mistake” about that, can we trust that she is not making more mistakes when she is talking to people about other issues such as health care and the economy. Why can’t she just admit she lied.
When this entire Democratic Primary began I felt comfortable that we had two very good candidates. But when Hilary Clinton began slinging the mud I was turned off by her candidacy. Hilary Clinton thought she was a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination. What ever gave her the impression that she was entitled to the presidency just because she was a former First Lady? When she thought that her nomination was a slam dunk she didn’t complain about either Florida or Michigan because she believed that she would sew up the democratic nomination by super Tuesday. However, she was in for a big shock—and that’s when the mud slinging began. I was happt that Mr Obama’s campaign finally decided to punch back. The question was being asked: Why doesn’t he respond? Doesn’t he have what it takes? Mr. Obama wanted to run a clean campaign based on the issues and he still wants to now. But the Clinton’s are dirty players.
In fact, I don’t know why Hilary is running as a Democrat. All of her mud slinging is straight out of the Republican dirty rules book. She really is a Republican in Democrat’s clothing. Democratic Voters Beware!
Clinton needs two things to happen, to take this to Convention. She has to win Pennsylvania, and she’s got to win, or keep it close in Indiana. This will keep the delegat math and the popular vote close.
Here’s why this is important for her “then and now”. If she gets close, and takes it to the Convention, and she looses there, I feel certain Obama will loose to McCain.
Clinton will make the argument in four years, “See I told you so, I fought this thing out to the end, because I knew he couldn’t pull it off”.
The truth is, most of us were scared to death about our chances across the board in 2008. Now us GOP rank and files are thinking, “Wow, could we have really gotten so lucky?”
Of course… we started thinking that, a week before Iraq got messy again.
At any cost? Give me a break. She doesn’t care about anyone but herself. She’s willing to cause irrepairable harm to her party and do whatever it takes to win….at any cost. As long as she gets back in the White house, she doesn’t care about who she hurts or what she has to do to get there. SHAMEFUL! TALK ABOUT SOUR GRAPES!
She’s already Lost..
How can we elect a liar?
What the president won’t be sleep deprived at 3am?
What will se say nuke them.. of wait i was sleep deprived.
god i love this! we are witnessing the party of social parasites that are liberals crumble right before our eyes. and the beautiful thing is us conservatives don’t even have to fire a single shot. they’re committing suicide!
glory glory hallelujah!
She looks crazy, she acts crazy, she lies and cheats and then tells us it isn’t important, what in the world is wrong with her? Who in their right mind would want this lunatic leading our country? What reason is there to vote for her?
Hang in their Hillary the tide will change….
Somebody should tell Hillary that people also want a HONEST president of impeccable integrity. She has none of that in my opinion, I was personally offended by her Bosnia LIE. Being a military man for over 20 years I know the great lenghts we endure to ensure VIPs are given safe passage when they enter a military zone. To come out and say you were taking sniper fire with your daughter in tow just defies all common sense. When you say that, you are also saying that the people assigned to protect you failed miserably.
I will not vote for Hillary Clinton for President and I will join a group and campaign against Hillary Clinton to ensure she will never be President… EVER….