Victorious Clinton vows to fight until 'everyone' is heard

Tuesday night, Barack Obama conceded West Virginia to Hillary Clinton in a cellphone voicemail from the runway in Cape Girardeau, Mo., to the phone of the New York senator's assistant, after an appearance aimed at the general election against the Republican dude from Arizona.

A little PR payback perhaps for the private concessions Clinton has delivered after her previous defeats to Obama that deny the victor any TV footage of the loser talking defeat?

So this morning the Clinton-Obama wrestling match continues unabated and the New Yorker gave no sign in her public remarks of relenting in her campaign, although the delegate math seems so fully stacked against her.

"I am," Clinton told the crowd of West Virginia supporters, although she was really warning a couple hundred uncommitted Democratic superdelegates not to jump yet, "more determined than ever to carry on this campaign until everyone has had their voices heard."

Let's see, "everyone" means then at least all the way through June 3 and Montana where, coincidentally, another Clinton, named Bill, was speaking outdoors at the same moment as a mountain spring rain began to fall. So, no quitting after another Clinton win next week in Kentucky? Until all the ...

...voices are heard could also mean until all the currently discounted Florida and Michigan votes are counted too. Could that mean Denver in late August?

It was a big win for Clinton, who got about 67% of the vote. And a real thumping for Obama, who got only 26 points, fewer even than his crummy bowling score a while back in Pennsylvania. His camp saw the L coming, given his token campaign appearance there Monday. With most of the West Virginia results in, the Illinois senator had not won one single county in a state that, since 1916, Democratic presidential candidates must win in order to reach the White House.

Clinton was clearly delighted in her nationally televised remarks when she delivered an early and urgent plea for money. "Tonight," she said, "I need your help to continue this journey. We are in the homestretch -- only three weeks left. Your support can make the difference between winning and losing."

Standing alone on the stage with the full focus on her, Clinton wanted to project an image of strength and fuel the doubts in the superdelegates' minds about Obama's ability to win crucial states. The absence of Obama on camera provided no video contradiction that evening.

"This race isn't over yet," Clinton said, reading her prepared remarks that called her win "an overwhelming victory." "Neither of us have the total delegates needed to win."

"I am in this race because I believe I am the strongest candidate to lead our party in November 2008," she said, plowing through even prolonged applause. "And the strongest president to lead our nation in 2009. I deeply admire Sen. Obama. But I believe our case is stronger."

"The White House is won in the swing states," Clinton claimed. "And I am winning the swing states."

"You know," she said, "I'll never give up and I'll stand with you as long as you stand with me."

During her remarks Clinton pointed to one supporter in the crowd waving a sign, "Until the last dog dies."

A reference, no doubt, to the Michael Vick dog-fighting scandal.

Not.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo: Hillary Clinton (Associated Press/Elise Amendola)

Comments

[Jason Beebe]

Clinton and Obam have very similar stances on almost all the issues. Let's not try to get too caught up in the drama of the competition. Look forward to November...let's not have to eat our words when we are there voting for "the leader we [don't] need." Let's keep it positive people!!

[Paula]

In the beginning of this campaign I thought Hilary Clinton was more prepared to be president because she had more experience. But I realized as I listened that I was counting her time as the presidents wife as HER experience. If that is to be counted as her experience, then what kind of experience was it? Bill Clinton's presidency is best remembered for his LIES. So fast forward to Hilary's campaign. It has been full of political spin, exageration, and lies. Like her being shot at. Trust me, you don't forget being shot at or having a gun pointed at you. It remains very clear even years later. There's her experience showing.

I'm tired of pandering politicians and the guys with the most money or power having the most influence on policy. I want to feel like our president has integrity and moral values that will influence all decisions. Hilary Clinton is sneaky and telling people what she thinks they want to hear. I'm tired of politics as usual.

[Ovi]

We always see how much campaing is done to let everyone knows how important is to vote. Always hear the same same motto, "vote, exercise your rights". However, Florida and Michigan states violated the voting rules by voting ahead of time and therefore the people, the citizens, the voters voices from those states are not important anymore. Help me to understand, is voting about being heard? Is voting about letting people to exercise their right to choose who they want as leaders? or Is voting about State's voting violations regarding the day the votations were supposed to happens?

[Joe]

I like how everything the Obamabots say is directed away from reality. If Hillary Clinton is such a horrible candidate why did she wax Obama yesterday? Obamatons don't get it, Obama isn't all that. He can't win the general election because of his own mishandling of the Rev. Wright mess by heavily playing the race card. Now Obamabots call a vote for Clinton racist. That's the pot calling the kettle black, no pun intended. Michelle Obama's heavy hand has been driving this election into the splitting of black and white and calling out white Democrats about how far they'll go to support a black candidate. I saw her thesis, she was the one who polarized her view of the world as black and white, even going so far as to use those particular terms, not Euro-American, African-American, Latina/o, Asian, racially mixed, etc. It doesn't appear she has grown very much in her racially divided world since she wrote her senior thesis and most likely kept Obama in that racially divisive Rev. Wright's flock because she felt "comfortable" in that world as an elite among the people she feels are looked down upon by the rest of society.

Only recently have Michelle and Barrack even included Native Americans in their speeches. Let's not let America's original inhabitants be called by what we call ourselves, by our own individual tribal names like Apache, Kiowa, Lakota, Dakota, Seneca, Cheyenne, Navajo, Cherokee, one of the Pueblos, Tlingit, Annishinabe, Gabrielino/Tongva, etc. or more generally American Indians/Alaska Natives/Hawaiian Islanders, no let's use the terms the government and academics and white and black liberals choose as politically correct: "Native Americans." Obama is paying us lip service, that means he doens't know anything about American Indians nor will he know how to do the right thing when it comes to American Indians and how we've been treated and how to rectify the misdeeds and horrible treatment many endure to this day regarding denying our rights.

To me this is a microcosm of why Obama is the wrong candidate. He is uninformed and while he may be a quick study we really don't have time to wait until he learns on the job and have to endure his mistakes and gaffes until he becomes a more seasoned, well rounded leader. We Americans could have Hillary Clinton as our president now, someone who has been through the rigors of politics at the national level, who knows how to battle and fight for what is right for this country, someone who has paid their political dues rather than someone who has precious little experience at the national level but could become a very good leader given some time and experience in the Senate. But too many want to jump the gun and hand Obama the presidency without his having gone through the trials and tribulations that it takes to lead effectively in our nation's highest office.

If Obama get's the nomination I believe the strategy he and his people have employed will have effectively scared off and turned off many of the people needed to be victorious in a nationwide general election, the people Obama concedes won't vote for him and who he doesn't even bother trying to mend fences with, discarding them the way he and his followers claim Black Americans have been discarded by the so-called white run establishment (that's the kind of "loaded" terms, pejoratively connotated words, Michelle Obama used in her thesis, it came off as very sophomoric and quite frankly her saying "I'm proud of my country for the first time," sounded like someone who would have nodded her head while Rev. Wright hollered "G__ D__ America") . Many of those people have heard Obama's "say what is politically expedient at the moment" cliches and throwaway lines pandering to those he is front of at that particular moment, discourse that is racially divisive and expose his inexperience and lack of knowlege regarding what this country and its people are truly about. That is precisely why he can't win in November, regardless of what his immature neophyte supporters seem to only be willing to learn the hard way through a bitter defeat which will set this country back decades regarding race relations, throwing away what now seem like small gains we older people thought we had won over the last fifty years. And come Novermber thanks for giving the election to the Republicans, again, unthinking Obama supporters. So go ahead and flame and insult away at my post Obama minions, that seems to be the only thing you know how to do. So much for keeping it positive. You Obama folks only care about shoving Obama down the rest of our collective throats as some kind of payback for slights real and imagined. If Obama truly cared at all about this country, more than his own and his wife's egos, he would have been the one to withdraw from this race, deferring to a future time, or at least not played the race card so heavily, so early on in the campaign.

[David]

As a conservative I will be honest, I love what I am seeing. Please Hillary stay in the race till the bitter end, fight amongst yourselves and use legal trickery to change the rules and steal the nomination. The longer you prevent the Democrats from forming a unified front for the Presidential election the greater the chance the Republicans will have. If you look at the big picture, just the fact that the Republicans have a chance to win the election after eight years of the most unpopular president in American history says a whole lot about what the Democrats are offering. So by all means Hillary fight on!

[F Evans (USN Retired)]

African Americans or Blacks account for 13.4% of the US population and over 44% of the prison population who are disenfranchised.

I think that to say that Obama is being elected because he has the overwhelming support of the Black vote is ludicrous! That would mean that 100% of blacks of voting age or not would have to be registered and voting. If this is true then it is truly a proud time to be an African American in this country because that would mean that we as a race are 100% politically conscious.

This is simply a tactic by the Clinton camp to marginalize the fact that Obama is uniting and electrifying a lot more than just the Black constituency. Meanwhile statements like "we need hard-working white workers to win in November" is supposed to be unifying and says nothing to the countless Blacks who have supported Bill and still support her - but for how much longer now.

[Shiv]

Yes, Stay in the race, Mrs Clinton! You still have some dignity left!

[amb]

I mean come on! Her campaign debt, and the added security detail? How can she say she's still in the race for the waitress on her feet and the health care worker when it will ultimately those people who will pay down the debt for this ego trip she is on. She's not going to win, she's still way far behind, and the only reason she is in this race is for herself.

[Jim]

"More determined than ever...." well, she can be determined but she can't change the math or the losing results over the past 43+ elections. She will lose, and being more determined than ever doesn't change the idiotic nature of her continuation of the race.

Terry McAuliffe and Howard Wolfson and most of all Hillary Clinton are sounding like idiots on the air these days. It's consistent with the "I don't listen to the experts" policy of her campaign, with the gas tax holiday sham and now even the irrefutable and simple mathematics of delegate count is not to be believed.

[LaurenR1]

Obama does not have core Democrats because he has a short resume and doesn't seem to have worked very hard. Hillary has always worked harder, because she is professional a woman! ( I know from personal experience as well..women have to worker harder to be recognized! )..she does her homework and she has a track record. Obama is all talk. If he had credentials like Colin Powell, their would be no issue. I cannot/won't vote for Obama.

[LaurenR1]

Obama does not have core Democrats because he has a short resume and doesn't seem to have worked very hard. Hillary has always worked harder, because she is professional a woman! ( I know from personal experience as well..women have to worker harder to be recognized! )..she does her homework and she has a track record. Obama is all talk. If he had credentials like Colin Powell, their would be no issue. I cannot/won't vote for Obama.

[puciret]

Obama, Clinton, McCAin they're all from the same mould. 6 of one ,etc. Mainstream candidacy represents a prolonged stay in Iraq, an invasion of Iran and a further decline in our economy helping to ensure a negative ending to democracy and a positive step toward our place as a 3rd world dictatorship. Our loss of freedoms will only double under any one of these candidates. Congress is made up of corporate puppets and the man or woman in charge is no exception. All freedoms are maintained by disciplines and constraints but not necessarily to satisfy governments need to stay
in power. We are slowly but inevitably moving toward a Socialist dictatorship and it is being exacerbated by our leaders ignoring the Constitution and " ameliorating " the bill of rights to suit their own purposes. If there is a God, may he help us all when one of these appointed demigods take the helm of a ship that is already sinking with democracy as it's passenger.

[Seni]

Thank you Patrick Knif. ----------------- I agree with everything you said. Also, I notice the reality of facts and the respectful and intelligent comments Hillary supporters make on these blogs, a reflection of her good leadership. The Obama supporters statements read angry, out of focus and filled with hate. This might be a true reflection of their candidate Obama.

[D. Lynn]

It's time for Obama to get out of the race. It's time for people like the above blogger "Sam Ted" to pay attention to the facts and not how the media twists it. Hillary's campaign didn't suddenly change the number from 2025 to 2209. IT WAS ALWAYS 2209. Obama was the one who pulled himself out of the Michigan race. Obama was the one who decided not to campaign in Florida. Those millions of voters DID NOT put up a fuss because he wasn't fully participating in their states because they wanted Hillary all along. They are Americans and their votes must be counted. They knew something all along that the rest of the country is just finding out. Face it, if the rest of the primaries were held now Obama would win very few of them. We didn't know much about this guy and what we are learning isn't pretty. It 's a wonder and frightening that he was voted into the Senate. If we knew then what we know now we'd have all voted for Hillary. I want to change my primary vote to her. I wish I could. I pray we can vote for her in the General. If not, I'm voting McCain.

[Franky]

From this pic, it sure looks like this fat-headed lady is singing.

[glenn]

Hillary has shown herself to be a ruthless politician and a racist. She will say anything, do anything and attack anyone regardless of the damage to get ahead.

She like her husband lack a moral compass and only play by their rules.

As a lifetime democrat it hurts to watch the damage she is doing to the party. I for one will either sit out the November election if she is nominated or vote for McCain.

[jay]

Like a bad poker player-doesn't know when to get out, but hurts everyone around them playing. As far as her debt, Obama should not pay back one dime for her...........AS she may have told Bill in the past, she made this bed and she must lay in it.....

[BJ]

I agree with you Patrick Knif.

The Obama campaign has wanted to stop Hillary in her tracks 3 times now... probably because they are worried that more will be discovered about his past.

And Hillary has earned the right to forge her campaign forward! She has battled the press, media, and even her own Democratic Party, who has treated her shabbily trhoughout this process! Not to mention Obama's hypocritical campaign methods of bait and switch.

[dennis urbano]

What does the woomans feels about HRC still fighting, in a world where that genre is left with just what the male world leave to them? Is it a real missing oportunity when a good HRC president would leave a red carpet for BO on the next presidential race? It is sad but 30%-40% of her genre choose to give their back to her and years of male/man history. Once againg they digg their own hole and buried with them once in a life oportunity.

[colette in Farmington]

Keep on going Hillary! If this were a man competing we would not be hearing the patronizing and veiled sexist comments that the news, pundits, super delegates and good ole boys club continually put out there. Chris Matthews "if she would JUST go quietly" says it all. As a woman, and not just any woman, but one running for the highest office of the land, Hillary should be treated with the dignity and respect due the nominee. Instead she has been mocked, put down, made fun of and more while Obama gets mostly a free ride. Is it any wonder that women are supporting Hillary in large numbers? and will continue to do so to the end. I call on all women to support Hillary because we deserve a REAL CHANGE
and a voice to be heard. I suggest that Hillary is the ONE making change even now by not bowing to the two- party system that usually ends the nominating process in the first few primaries. Witness the call for Hillary to drop out before the New Hampshire primary. Hillary has been the spear of change by allowing ALL the states to have a voice. She did not remove her name from the Michigan ballot or skip West Virginia. Obama says he wants to do things differently but uses establishment support (a la Ted Kennedy and others), has taken an elitist stance, and is very much in favor of the old way. Hillary has become the EVITA PERON of the United States, fighting for the laborers, and going to the people. She has truly started CHANGE and a new way of doing business. Hillary is living and exhibiting the CHANGE that Obama is purporting. If not President, she should be Vice Pres. Obama's choice of McCaskill or any other woman as running mate as a means of throwing a bone to Hillary supporters will surely be the most incendiary thing he could do. Hillary deserves to be first woman VP and
it will fuel the fire for women to see a random choice replace her and have this other person gain recognition in history. So, beware of what you wish for. Women will
start voting men out of office that don't support their efforts. Senator Dodd and others, you have been put on notice. We deserve to be treated with respect and the buck stops here. Hillary, KEEP ON GOING.

[whitey]

What is wrong with this woman?now that the the election has been decided(true it's not over just decided). She owes an explanation for this bizarre behavior.What about simple math does she not understand. You cannot call your competition unelectable when he has come from nowhere to kick your butt in 30 elections.You cannot call your competition inexperienced when he has held elected office longer than you.(your only older) and the list of implusible arguments goes on and on. So Hillary, please come clean and tell us whats up this is the last time anyone will listen.

[Winn]

Apparently she needs a hearing aid because everyone else is hearing one thing and she's hearing another!!

[jose lopez]

We can be heard if you listen Hillary.We're saying go away you creep!

[Robin]

Honestly, Cacuses are the most undemocratic thing I have ever seen besides Jebb Bush stealing Flordia. To say Obama won more RED states that will go republican, with moveon.org and that was fair ? is why democrats lose every time or are one termers except FRD and Bill Clinton.
Pelosi, Reid had excuses when they were minority party, now majority -still weak, Gore Kerry, Dean, Carter, Dukakis, Mondale, Humphrey, even Liberman switched sides almost; Mc Govern, Stevenason need I go on? Obama will lose. The longer she stays the more I believe in a stronger perosn Hillary. Meida is so Obama liberal biased more than ever and they will drop one like a hot potato when the facts come in for the empty suit Obama who hasn't held one meeting on Afganistan, now wears a flagpin and ,finally, salutes flag -from humble Muslim beginings-father-grandfather, etc. and Wright, Ayers, Rezko -well 0we will see. On Bil Clinton and FDR got re-elected what can the rest say?

[CalifLady36]

Stay in the race Hillary until the August convention. Then whip them all into shape. You can do it. Let's keep them from nominating an inexperienced, naive individual that the media has created as a holy comic book character. Obama has no substance, unless you care to call the reverend wright his substance advisor? Go Hillary.
The DNC is just a crock of you know what, that Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi are working hard to destroy based on their love of obama.
If Hillary doesn't get the nomination, my vote is going to John McCain - never to the obama/wright duo.