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At Dems Dinner, Clinton's Performance is Lackluster while Obama Remains Strong

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January 05, 2008 9:14 AM

ABC News' Eloise Harper and Sunlen Miller Report: Senator Clinton just took the stage in a large auditorium for the 100 Club Dinner in the Hampshire Dome in Milford, NH. Clinton launched a new slogan with a sign that just says READY. The change message that Clinton has been driving hard was tampered down in this speech – and instead Clinton focused on being "ready to make the changes that America deserves," and on a "new beginning."

Clinton was serious and was clearly trying to drive her message of seriousness and strength. Some boo's were audible from the crowd at times during her speech from Obama supporters and people were chanting "O-BAMA." Three thousand people packed the auditorium and it seems like there are many more Obama supporters than Clinton supporters.

It was not Clinton's best performance.

Clinton went after Senator Obama's healthcare plan (not by name) saying "there are some who say we can’t cover everyone its too politically ambitious its controversial – they offer instead virtual healthcare – well I believe we have to cover everyone and I am not going to leave anyone out."

Clinton exited the stage with President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton.

In a stark contrast, Barack Obama took the stage immediately after Senator Clinton this evening at the 100 Club Dinner.

In the brief moment between the two candidates speeches, a couple hundred Obama supporters left their seats throughout the venue and flooded toward the stage, leading a massive impromptu pep rally, shouting "Obama, Fire it up, Ready to go!"

An event staffer had to announce over the PA system,"For safety concerns please take your seats."

Obama took the stage to the loudest applause and cheers of any of the candidates, as supporters waved signature "O" placards, and delivered a strong speech, albeight through a still hoarse voice.

Obama stuck to his stump speech, but used the momentum from his Iowa win to make the case for winning New Hampshire, saying that hope is, "believing in things not seen, believing in brighter days ahead, that is what is possible in four days time. That is the challenge before you, New Hampshire. I am absolutely convinced that if you believe, we can not be stopped."

January 5, 2008 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (219)

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Hey, I got an idea. Let's create some change in Washington. Let's vote for Hillary. What a fabulous idea! Let's create change by voting for the same couple that occupied the White House in the nineties. Now that's real change. Clinton supports have got to be nuts if they think she is the change candidate. And by the way, I wouldn't call her to most experienced candidate either. You want experience - then Vote for McCain.

Posted by: Jones | Jan 5, 2008 12:32:31 PM

you are automatically deemed irrelevant if you can equate the bush family with the Clinton familiy

Posted by: chris | Jan 5, 2008 12:48:27 PM

What 'specifically' does Obama mean by change. He's all rhetoric, a toastmaster debater. What is he going to do-I haven't heard much in the way of anything other than 'we need to change'.

Independents will swing to the Republican candidate if Hillary and Obama are the best the Dems can put up.

Posted by: Jeff | Jan 5, 2008 12:52:32 PM

Hillrey is the ONE for all inteligint voters. I mean, cum on she is the smartest of them all, by very far. Her polisy solutions are best, way better then Barracks'. USA needs CLINTON! VOTE HILLREY!

Posted by: Tony | Jan 5, 2008 12:57:18 PM

You can't have change without a Congress that's willing to make the hard decisions. Bush would not have been able to do the damage he's done without the complicity of Congress. Congress loves the attention paid on the executive branch--it let's them off the hook in the minds of Americans. The Democratic majority in Congress is razor thin and apart from controlling the agenda, they can't accomplish zip without the support of a majority of Republicans. Kick the bums out of Congress, then we'll get somewhere.

Posted by: April Campbell | Jan 5, 2008 1:03:42 PM

I haven't decided yet, and I like both Hillary and Obama. I was very disappointed, though, that the Obama supporters were encouraged to be disrespectful and unruly. And then when Obama came out to speak to the crowd, he just stoked their disruptiveness. It casts doubt on his claims to be the candidate for unification and hope if he's encouraging people to be rude.

Posted by: Undecided | Jan 5, 2008 1:05:10 PM

american people's interest is to win obama on the other hand the lobby's interest is to win Ms Clinton or John Edword

Posted by: Steve | Jan 5, 2008 1:06:11 PM

i became a obama supporter after hearing him in a speech after all he is a eloquent speaker. i logged on to his campaign website and read the "issues" section to see where he stood on certain issues (can't list them all). on civil rights: "leads against discriminatory bariers to voting" - what barriers? service: "after graduating from law school..he helped register 150000 africanamericans voters in chicago" he did that because of all the discriminatory voting barriers? if your leaning towards obama - 1st find out what he really stands for.

Posted by: paul | Jan 5, 2008 1:08:20 PM

Those that think of change for the sake of change will be sadly taken care of by Hillary. Be careful what you ask for in wanting the old Clinton dynasty to be reincarnated and in charge.

Posted by: Bill | Jan 5, 2008 1:08:49 PM

Mr. Obama, someone who we don't know, is selling us HOPE, while he is asking us" believing on what we haven't seen". And still many out there buy him.

Hillary might not be the perfect solution, but Obama can't be (much less) neither.

The truth of the matter is Hillary is way more predictable, tangible. Obama is still a closed door that doesnt let us know (FOR A FACT) what's inside.

I'm not necesarily a Clinto's fanatic. But I see her much closer to the White House.

Posted by: Antonio | Jan 5, 2008 1:13:08 PM

Jeff, I hate to burst your bubble, but a very large number of former Republicans in Iowa, registered as Democrats, just so they could vote for Obama. They were smart in knowing Hillary wasn't the correct candidate for change and they're very tired of the Bush regime.

Posted by: steve | Jan 5, 2008 1:13:43 PM

I am from Iowa, I don't like the caucus process, they are usually rigged. We now live in Illinois. The state where Obama comes from. He lives in Chicago, the worst city in the U.S. for crime. He talks, talks, talks, but just like when he was in office here in Illinois, he never did much if anything noteable, he hooked up with Emil Jones and then the fun started. Oprah is the one who had Obama on her show and told America that he would make a good President. Well, he will, if you want someone who will talk, never do anything, but talk, be in the pocket of big corporations with payola money, He is the co-authour of the "Dream Act" (the bill to allow children who are really adults when they go to college) to get loans which will pretty much be free to attend college just by virtue of being the child of an illegal alien. He is for allowing all the illegal aliens to have amnesty. Go to the Internet and see how he voted on various Senate bills, this will tell you how he works the system. Oprah will probably be made ambassador of England, France, or some other country of her chosing. Chicago is such a corrupt city, it would make Rudy look like a angel. The tollways in Chicago have been sold to a foreign coumpany, does that look like Obama really cares about what happens to America when he allows our country to be sold, traded, or given to foreign countries. He is not the only elected offical to allow this. Obama lives in a million dollar house, do yo think he has to worry about making the mortgage payment like you do? We have written him along with other candidates to free Compean and Ramos, they wrote back that they were found guility, I wrote back they were rail-roaded by Johnny Cochran.We don't care if the President is white, black, purple, male of female. We want and demand a President of the United States who uphold the Constituation of the United States of America. We want a President who will do away with the lobbist and PAC's. We want an honest person who will work for America. We want a person who will close the doors and build a fence on our southern borders. We want a President who will uphold laws to deport all illegal aliens.

Posted by: Jo T | Jan 5, 2008 1:16:49 PM

yeah sure try to blame the candidate, when obama and edwards were booed at the debate, did hillary do anything to stop them?? No she didnt, when the tables turn she cries foul!! obama and edwards did not cry out, they stood and took it like men, hillary goes home crying to bill, folks we need a better person for president, she is weak and besides we have had enough of the bush-clinton-bush monarchy, this is a democracy and so far its working lets encourage the momentum and take our govt back from people like hrc who think, the presidency is her birth right!

Posted by: jacobs | Jan 5, 2008 1:17:38 PM

Have none of you people seen the list of "dead people" connected with the Clinton dynasty? They scare me more than Bush did. These people are "those who would be king/queen" and the country can not take the chance on electing someone who will do nothing but use the Bush ideas to establish their own form of control. If Hillary is the Democratic nominee, I will have to vote Rebublican, against my better judgment. Obama is the only salvation of the Democratic party that is really out to change the way "Government" is run and this is vital to the continuation of our chosen way of life.

Posted by: oldman5286 | Jan 5, 2008 1:21:10 PM

This thread is reproachable.
In essence, we should deride all pioneers for a message of hope. Don't worry about the issues but take stock on how supporters act. Heck, ignore the fact that we should keep our soldiers in an infinite meat grinder and only promote the working class and the poor to sacrifice their kids while investors in energy, weapons and defenses can enjoy a outstanding era of wealth.

I'm sorry but if you are undecided and your vote will only take into account how some supporters act with the current abysmal trend of our government, then please tell me how to get to this wonderland of ignorance. It certainly must be blissful!

Oh by the way, at least no other candidate was a sore loser and insulted the citizens of Iowa as did Hillary yesterday! (Sorry I meant Hillery for all you Clinton supporters that seem to not be able to spell).

Posted by: Rob | Jan 5, 2008 1:24:26 PM

Hillary Clinton would be a center-right Conservative in any Western European nation. Her military policy is to the right of Conservative leaders like France's Sarkozy. Her positions on trade would put American trade policy to the right of Nixon or Reagan or Bush the Elder. She voted with Bush on the Iraq War. She is saber rattling for war with Iran.

Yes, she has her pet liberal domestic social positions. But her foreign policy is to the right of any other Democrat on Capitol Hill.

She simply doesn't represent the Democratic Party. Of course she gets booed.

Posted by: ElodieStClair | Jan 5, 2008 1:26:09 PM

Obama is just like Dubya...Lots of promises and thin air. I like to hope but hope does not feed my family. Hard work - hard facts provide us and feed us.

For Obama supporters to say Clinton years were as bad as Dubya - you all are misstating facts. We had the best economic growth at that time - I guess Obama did it from Chicago -as far as the shrill booing air heads are concerned.

I believe the Obama campaign is using it s workers to post on these boards. Just like big O coming out for him. Big O is another hack who supported the war and derided any one who questioned it in here program. I hope people catch on to Obama ...I think he is a big fraud. Talk to people in his state. One over 50% does not mean (when only less than 30% percent of the voting population voting)
that Obama was believed in his state.

My feelings are he is as much a fraud as Dubya and I hate to see another 8 years of some one like Dubya (Who also preached hope for values in the WH).

People read the candiates policies - question them hard. Hope does not feed us!!!

Posted by: oh-barrack | Jan 5, 2008 1:32:36 PM

Hillary needs to realize that socialized health care along with virtually all socialist systems do not work, those systems always collapse under their own weight. China has realized this and adopted a more capitalist system and now their economy is almost unstoppable.

Posted by: Patriot2008 | Jan 5, 2008 1:36:40 PM

Clinton is deja vu. Why some one tell her that.

Posted by: A Lieu | Jan 5, 2008 1:37:37 PM

It is important how supporters act when they are marshalled to do so. These were young people brought there by the Obama campaign told where to go, told to block the aisles told to boo Clinton and told to create a false standing ovation by crouching in various places then standing when he was finished. It is theatre, well orchestrated, it however in my opinion and anyone experinced in campaigns who was there does not look bad on Clinton but on the Obama campaign. Certainly reporting a manufactured standing ovation is highly questionable as political analysis.

Posted by: s.b. | Jan 5, 2008 1:42:14 PM

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