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Clinton Mentions Election in Zimbabwe in Her Popular Vote Argument

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May 21, 2008 9:52 PM

ABC News' Eloise Harper reports: As she made her way down Florida, Sen. Hillary Clinton continued to push her polular vote argument. As an example, Clinton mentioned what happened in the elections in Zimbabwe to illustrate what can happen when the popular vote is not observed.

Speaking in Sunrise, Fla., Clinton said: "You heard Diana talk about coming from a country where votes don't count. People go through the motions of an election only to have it discarded and disregarded. We're seeing that right now in Zimbabwe -- tragically an election was held, the president lost, they refused to abide by the will of the people. So we can never take for granted our precious right to vote."

Clinton gave an abreviated version of her earlier speech, but made her argument for the popular vote to be the most important factor in this election again.

"Many of us believe that the candidate who got fewer votes was inaugurated president (in 2000),"  Clinton said. "And we know that of all states, this state should have extra attention to make sure your votes are counted."

Clinton, who has largely ignored fundraising in Florida, made a push for voters to go to her Web site,

and then said, "While you're there, think about making a contribution" -- the second time today she has made this suggestion to her audience.

The senator has one more fundraiser and then another stop in the state before returning to Washington for Senate business on Thursday.

May 21, 2008 in Bush, George W. | Permalink | User Comments (56)

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To the person who called Obama's african american supporters kooks: good riddance. Go vote for a republican. Who wants racist jerks like you in the Democratic party anyway?

This Zimbabwe comparison is just little much. Only ignoramuses would fall for it. I'm surprised her own supporters are not disgusted by the blatant demagoguery of this.

Posted by: narbu | May 21, 2008 11:08:41 PM

I stand in defense of Geraldine Ferraro. She never did anything more than make a statement and Obama insisted she leave Hillary's campaign. Just like Imus. He finds racisim everytime anything makes him look bad. His supporters are the same way. I find that very racist.

Posted by: carolyn | May 21, 2008 11:12:03 PM

Carolyn - ya still agitating I see all this defense of poor Geraldine.

The same Geraldine who is intimating she'll vote for McCain these days.

Ya everbody feels sorry for Gerry.

Posted by: The Commander Guy | May 21, 2008 11:15:19 PM

Actually McCain is much better than Obama. No way I will vote for Obama, He is so unqualified the privilege position.

Posted by: eddie | May 21, 2008 11:18:42 PM

John_Lai:

Great job. All those dumb words from Obama should be widely circulated - he is Bush in the leftist camp.

Posted by: Amy | May 21, 2008 11:31:31 PM

Now Hillary is comparing Obama to Mugabe. Has she gone nuts? Somebody, please take her to a psychiatrist before she breaks down!!

Posted by: John Santiago | May 21, 2008 11:40:37 PM

We as Americans need to get along. We need constructive debates. We better work together in this new world economy or
we are going to fall far behind.

Posted by: diana | May 21, 2008 11:57:21 PM

Something that Castro and Clinton have in common: they like to run in elections with just 1 name on the ballot. Hillary should be ashamed, but she is shameless, desperately craven and power-hungry. She once said "it's all about delegates." Now she says whatever she thinks might work. Remember the snipers in Bosnia?

Barack Obama has most othe elected pledged delegates...from Iowa, Oregon, Wisconsin, Virginia and 30 other states...most of whom were working class people.
Game, Set, Match... It's over, Hillary.

Posted by: David F. McBride | May 22, 2008 12:36:23 AM

John_Lai,

Good analysis! I think the Democratic Party has a very undemocratic primary election system. Hillary won most of the big states and important swing states and yet she is rejected to be the nominee. How pathetic is that!

Posted by: George | May 22, 2008 12:36:26 AM

Mugabe? Zimbabwe? This woman has gone over the deep end! What would her next comparison be, Uganda? Idi Amin? Hillary, you and your reckless husband are sore losers.

Posted by: kru_man | May 22, 2008 12:42:39 AM

When I heard Hillary clinton talking about zimbabwe, I immediately thought about our friend Paul Biya of Cameroon. He constantly changes the rules to suit him. he has been in power for 40 years and has just changed the constitution to give him the power to stay in power for the rest of his life.

What's funny is that Hillary does the same as he does. Each time he sets the rules, to which the opposition agrees and plays by those rules. As soon as they win with his own rules, he resets the maths and the rules. Then he accuses the opposition in the same manner as Clinton is doing. He is always the victim, according to him. This man has killed thousands of his own opposition and his jails are a death warrant. Yet It is one of our best friend, one from whom we buy oil.

Posted by: Aliou FL | May 22, 2008 12:46:10 AM

Hillary is like a cameleon: changes color and clothes as time changes or to suit her environment. Only, under the cameleon, there is a snake.

Be careful america, Hillary has a venon.

Posted by: Aliou FL | May 22, 2008 12:47:52 AM

Why would we want to elect a president who for 4 years anytime anyone questioned him or criticized him, his black supporters would be jumping up and down screaming racism, and rioting in the streets. Which, to no one's surprise they're threatening to do if he loses in November.

These people just aren't worth all the hassle.

Posted by: Jo | May 22, 2008 1:00:53 AM

I, for one, don't believe a word what Hillary says. I can understand why she feels so frustrated. She never even imagined that she would loose. But to suggest that the whole delegate Math is wrong is silly. This is the same math that has always worked. If you are in a fight, you ought to play by the rules. At the end of the day, people should vote democratic or republican, not based on personal prejudices. In a democracy, people should have the grace to accept the will of the majority. That is what democracy is right?
Florida equivalent to Zimbabwe.....give me a break. Then Hillary is equivalent to Mugabe. She supported the disenfranchising of the delegates too!!!! Does she mean to say that that decision of hers was a lie!!!! Well...so much for HRC. Dynasty politics should cease to exist anyways.....

Posted by: dave | May 22, 2008 1:13:10 AM

Hillary and her husband Bill are venomous and vicious! Slippery Hillary and racist Bill, get out!

Posted by: kru_man | May 22, 2008 1:26:40 AM

How in the world would people want to support a person that does not believe in voter's rights? I dont think we are quite ready for a dicator....

Posted by: kelly | May 22, 2008 2:22:05 AM

On 21 March 2008
A three-judge panel dismissed a long-shot lawsuit claiming that the Democratic party’s refusal to seat the Florida’s 210 delegates is unconstitutional.

Victor DiMaio, a political consultant from Tampa, tried to make the claim that Florida voters were being disenfranchised by the state Democratic party and the Democratic National Committee. And while he filed the motion way back in August, the judges at the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta threw out the lawsuit after hearing only four days of oral arguments.

In a statement, the D.N.C. said the organization was “pleased” because “as two US District Courts in Florida have found, and as the Supreme Court has consistently recognized, national political parties have a constitutionally protected right to manage and conduct their own internal affairs, including the enforcement of delegate selection rules.”

Gov Christ & the state legislature are the ones to be held accountable for the botched Primary vote. If Floridians feel upset, then they should use their next vote to get rid of their Govenor Christ and not try to shift the blame on Sen Obama.

Rules are not guidlines!

Posted by: jld1959 | May 22, 2008 2:22:18 AM

Many was fooled by Hillary,LOL!!! the time is ticking, if a primaries will be held today at Mi and Fl, Barack will easily win both, how irritating this biotch.

Posted by: alexis compton | May 22, 2008 2:22:23 AM

The Reason Obama is counting the delegates, is because the nominee is chosen by delegates. I am confused as to what election you are talking about in August, I live in Michigan and haven't heard about an August election, but we did have on in May here, with the only thing on the ballot being a a Bond Measure. I only knew about it a week in advance. I don't know what would be up for vote in August when there is an election in November unless a specific town in Michigan happens to have an August election for something special.

I find it strange everyone puts all the blame for Michigan and Florida on Obama. It wasn't Obama's idea to move Michigan and Florida up to January against the DNC's rules. Sure it is stupid that the rule exists. I was really angry when I heard about the ruling by DNC. But it makes me even angrier to know that Hillary thinks the vote should count as is. I didn't get to vote for the person I wanted to vote for. I had to vote uncommitted. That goes for a lot of other people as well. Hillary shouldn't get to benefit from that just because she didn't take her name off the ballot unlike Obama, Edwards and Richardson. If everyone was on the ballot there's no way the results would have turned out the way they did, and anyone with common sense knows that.

I have no desire to change my support for Obama. Why? I voted for him in Illinois when he ran for Senate (I lived in Illinois until last August). Not only because he was the only viable candidate (as if Keyes was a viable alternative), but because he is articulate, rational, and clearly is one of the best speakers I've seen in years. He isn't going to refuse to change just because he doesn't want to lose face, unlike a certain president that is in office now. He will be able to have people in his cabinet that don't agree with everything he says.

So he's not perfect, neither are the other candidates. Someone mentioned something about his comment about Arkansas being closer to kentucky than Illinois. Well, I realize kentucky shares borders with Illinois at Paducah (and keep in mind Obama fared better near Illinois than other parts of Kentucky), but chicago is much farther away from kentucky than arkansas is. You drive from chicago to Kentucky and see how long it takes you. Then, drive from the Arkansas side of the Memphis Metro area and see how long that takes you.

Posted by: Lesley | May 22, 2008 2:30:56 AM

She makes me so sick.... why did she agree to not let them count??? Where was she then???? Ugh, I thought that I could put up with her... I can no longer. How dare she compare this election to the one in Zimbabwe... how dare she.

Posted by: matt | May 22, 2008 6:49:32 AM

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