Pennsylvania Primary Could Determine Fate of Clinton’s Presidential Bid
April 22: Barack Obama, D-Ill., and his wife Michelle applaud at a rally at the University of Pittsburgh (AP Photo)
PHILADELPHIA — Hillary Rodham Clinton was looking for a decisive win in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary to save her flagging candidacy, while front-runner Barack Obama hoped for an upset or a strong enough finish to move closer to ending their epic Democratic presidential nomination battle.
The two Democratic hopefuls barnstormed the state in a final pitch for votes in the most populous and delegate-rich state remaining in the nominating contest. Some 4 million Democrats were eligible to cast ballots, with 158 delegates at stake.
Clinton was relying on a decisive win to save her flagging candidacy, while Obama hoped for an upset or a strong enough finish to secure the delegates needed to maintain his overall lead.
Late polling showed Clinton with a single-digit lead in the state, after besting Obama by 20 points or more in earlier surveys.
As the polls opened at 7 a.m., the candidates marshaled their core arguments in interviews with network and cable television.
“What (Obama) has to demonstrate is to win a big state, a big state that Democrats need to win in order to achieve the presidency,” Clinton told CBS’ “The Early Show.” “The road to Pennsylvania Avenue for a Democrat goes right through Pennsylvania.”
Obama, noting Clinton’s polling lead, sought to lower expectations.
“I think we’ve trimmed that back, but our view has always been that we’re the underdogs here,” Obama said. “I think she has to be heavily favored to win.”
The Illinois senator and his wife, Michelle, addressed a rally at the University Pittsburgh on Monday night. They were joined by Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry.
Heinz Kerry noted that her husband carried Pennsylvania in the general election. “I’m asking you to keep this streak going,” she said.
In Philadelphia, Clinton appeared with her husband, the former president, and their daughter, Chelsea, before a crowd at the University of Pennsylvania.
“It’s not enough to say ‘Yes we can.’ We have to say how we can,” Clinton told the crowd, putting a twist on Obama’s popular slogan of hope.
The Pennsylvania contest turned sharply negative in its closing days as Obama cast doubts on his rival’s honesty and trustworthiness. Clinton, in turn, questioned whether Obama was tough enough for the rigors of the Oval Office.
The campaigns tangled Monday over a new Clinton television ad that invoked images of Osama bin Laden — the first time a Democratic candidate has used the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the 2008 race for the White House.
“Harry Truman said it best, ‘If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.’ Who do you think has what it takes?” the ad says, as a picture of bin Laden and other national emergencies — from Hurricane Katrina to the fall of the Berlin Wall — flash on the screen.
The Obama campaign moved quickly to counter the message, airing a response ad within hours that challenged Clinton’s 2002 vote authorizing the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Obama addressed the matter himself at the Pittsburgh rally.
“My job as commander in chief is to keep you safe. That will be my number one task,” adding, “The war in Iraq was unwise.”
Clinton also was grilled about the ad by MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann, one of a series of national television interviews the New York senator gave on Monday.
“Since Senator Max Cleland was cut down by a commercial that featured a picture of bin Laden, that has been — that tactic has been kind of a bloody shirt for many Democrats,” Olbermann said. He was referring to the former Georgia senator and disabled Vietnam War veteran who lost his seat in 2002 after Republicans questioned his willingness to fight terrorism.
Clinton insisted the ad was about presidential leadership, not fearmongering.
“There is nothing at all that is in any way inappropriate in saying, look, presidents face the unexpected all the time,” she said. “If you were to hire the person you thought was ready on Day One to do the toughest job in the world, what would you look for? What kind of resume would you be trying to seek out?”
Obama chose a somewhat more lighthearted television venue, chatting up Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”
Pennsylvania’s demographics suit Clinton. The state has a higher median age, a higher percentage of whites, a lower median household income and fewer bachelor’s degrees than the country overall. These are the voters — working-class whites and voters older than 50 — who have flocked to her in past contests.
In response to Jane….
Please tell me how is Hillary Clinton a proven leader? What has she led? What has she accomplished? Certainly not healthcare reform. She was married to a leader, which does not make her a leader by osmosis. What experience does she have? What has she done? Name one key piece of legislation that she has sponsored or passed. The answer to all of these questions is NONE. Her husband has the experience and the past performance record, not her. She cannot claim the same experience, or take any credit for it, simply because she was there when Bill did it. It does not work that way. She did nothing before she became a Senator, she has done nothing since becoming a Senator, and she will continue to do nothing if she is elected President. Her supporters claim that she has 25 years of experience. Experience doing what?
I would like to say that being from the state of Illinois, Barack obama has done nothing for the state. I had never even heard of him untill he decided he could run for president. People, Please! do your homework, if he can’t do anything for his state, how can he run all of them?
Hillary Clinton is the best leader for our times and has a proven track record! True to her word, she voted against expanding NAFTA, while both of her opponents voted to expand NAFTA. Hillary has the solutions and the experience. This time around, I have to support someone who is familiar with the US and has the best experience, which is clearly Senator Clinton. She has traveled widely and spoken out about wrongs in the world like the Dafur genocide and the problems with the Kenya elections. Her opponent is someone who has recent and associations with Rev Wright and others who have condemned America. Contrary to his speeches, I don’t see a track record or for that matter a voting records to back his speeches. When he voted to disallow mandatory healthcare for infants born alive during a botches abortion attempt and said that discussing Teri Shiavo’s situation was a mistake, I felt he did not respect life in the same way most Americans do.
Obama is not to be trusted, I would trust Hilliary before Obama. A man that can not put his hand on his heart when we say the Pledge of Alliance of the Flag, can’s bow his head when we pray and not wear a lapel flag pin, should we have that as a President of the United States….Hell NO!!!!!!
Wake up American and do the right thing!!!!!!
A woman’s point of view:
Hillary’s chance to prove that she can tackle a diving economy, what happens… her campaign is in debt, vendors are on the verge of suing her. That’s real life experience, and she failed. People look into your accounts, look at the pump when you fill up, look at the number of jobs and companies closing down or moving overseas.
I have had bosses who are where they are b/c of family connections who did know where the restroom was without help, simply clueless w/ huge egos… she just fits my experience w/ the type. I don’t see her being where she is w/o Bill and that’s just as worst as incompetent bosses that I and many others have experienced.
Women are usually better with money than men, but she again is proving to be hype and a big disappointment.
Sorry, Hillary America just can not afford you!
Linda and CNB:
I am glad that you live in a country where you are free to express your beliefs. Those freedoms are protected by people like John McCain, not by narcissistic tyrants.
My hope for you is, come next January, you will live under the watchful eye of President McCain.
America is ready for a black President. But that does not mean we pick ‘a’ black person and make him the president. Dont we also need to make sure there is a black person ready to be the President.
in response to Think Harder….
Actually when Bush took office, the country was in the slumps economically speaking. Do your homework…(most of the liberal press didn’t report the information in the liberal media format)
The econoy was on its way to a recession. Unemployment was up at 5.2% (greater than Bush’s has averaged {4.9% til march 08}). The GNP going into 11/99 was headed toward 2 consective negative quarters (indicator of recession). Also, the Clintons slashed the military to bits with their policies (ask any veteran!)
Even if there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, I can’t understand one thing about this:
Most Americans are aghast about the murder of the Jewish people by Hitler. After seeing Steven Speilberg’s wonderful movie “Schindler’s List” when it came out, I remember wondering how the world could have stood by and let that happen. I also thought that we, as a nation, would never let that happen again.
Tell me why people who were so appalled by what happened back then weren’t as appalled about what Saddam was doing to his enemies in Iraq.
I give honor and praise to all of our service men and women who are in Iraq (and all the other duty stations both here and abroad) for their bravery. I applaud President Bush for getting rid of Saddam like Clinton should have during his eight years in office.
I love how Hillary supporters are always trumpeting her “experience.”
Barack Obama had eight years with the Illinois Senate, but that apparently counts for NOTHING.
Hillary, meanwhile, refers not only to her eight years with the U.S. Senate, but her time as First Lady as well. She was FIRST LADY, people! You’d think SHE was president!
Hillary’s a snake. Never trust the snake.