Wow! What a Monday night in Philadelphia! I have been on the campaign trail since January 2, and I don't think I've seen anything like I saw tonight. If Hillary Clinton ultimately loses this nomination, let it be said that at least she went down swinging.
The stage was packed tonight, including Bill and Chelsea Clinton and a couple of local members of Congress. But then there were Gov. Ed Rendell(D-PA) and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the African-American Congresswoman from Cleveland, who single-handedly helped Clinton over the top in Ohio, was here, too, as was Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX). In short, it was the Democratic Party All-Star Team. Almost everyone gave a speech filled with testimonials to Sen. Clinton that rocked the house. The most charming (and I think she was serious) was when Chelsea Clinton explained why her mom will be a better president than her dad!
But perhaps the bigger issue was who was in attendance. A crowd of about 10,000 packed the Palestra, the arena where the University of Pennsylvania plays. The audience featured hundreds of people in union T-shirts; hundreds of senior citizens; and, at least to the naked eye, a huge number of African-American voters, particularly black women.
Sen. Clinton needs all of these groups if she is not only to win here, but also to carry on in her campaign. As in Ohio, unions and seniors are huge, influential voting blocks.
I spoke with several audience members about why they were still backing Clinton, as she remains behind Barack Obama. “Personally, for me it’s health care,” said Aubry, 19. “I am a cancer survivor.” He said. “I am in remission.”
Aubry (shown on right) was diagnosed with lymphoma at 16, but the local hospital in New Hampshire did not have a pediatric cancer clinic. “When it came time to go to the hospital, it didn’t have a kid one” (pediatric unit) Aubry explained.“Thank God I had a teacher in middle school who knew people at NYU (medical center), pulled some strings, and got me in.” He wants Clinton’s brand of health care reform because “the average person doesn’t have the strings,” he said.
An interesting couple I met was Mindy and Alan Jeter, an interracial family with two small boys. They are standing by Mrs. Clinton. “Because she’s the best choice," said Mindy Jeter, “She’s what the country needs right now. She has the experience.”
The Jeters have very little interest in a joint Clinton-Obama ticket. “I’ll only support that if she is at the top of the ticket,” said Allen Jeter, who has little interest in Obama.
That brings us to a very perilous part of this campaign. A study of Pennsylvania voters by "USA Today" says 26 percent of Clinton voters will support Sen. John McCain if Obama wins the Democratic nomination. And 19 percent of Obama supporters also say they'll jump parties and support McCain if Hillary Clinton surges to the nomination. This new division represents a huge problem for the Democrats in November.
Right now, polls in Pennsylvania predict Clinton will win, even though Obama has spent $11 million on advertising, twice as much as the New York Senator.
But you'd never know that tonight. The crowd repeatedly chanted: "Hillary, Hillary!" and the building shook. You can't imagine she's the underdog, on the ropes. She never mentioned Barack Obama by name, but she did mock one of his campaign's signature lines: "It's not enough to say 'yes we can!' We need to say how we can," said Sen. Clinton.
And Bill Clinton may have said it best. He stumped this audience for thirty minutes, stalling for time, as his wife's plane was late to Philadelphia. (Can you name a politician who can ad-lib better than the ex-president?) Anyway, Clinton did not mention Obama by name either, but certainly challenged Obama's supporters when he said, "If someone tells you you can't win, it's because they are scared that you can." The Clinton family has made a dynasty while proving people and pundits wrong. Tuesday in Pennsylvania could be another such occasion.
Polls open here at 7 a.m. I will be on "live" with Ross McGowan on KTVU's "Mornings on Two" at 7:45 a.m. Pacific Time, as well as on with Ronn Owens at 9 a.m. on KGO-AM 810.
Check in often at www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com
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