by Mike Dorning
NASHUA, N.H.—Hillary Clinton campaign officials assembled a conference call with political reporters a few minutes ago to boast of the campaign’s organizational strength following the former first lady’s disappointing third-place finish in the opening Iowa caucuses.
Clinton national campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe also said in the call that the campaign would launch a series of new television ads in New Hampshire tonight and Saturday. He did not describe them in advance and a spokesman contacted afterward declined to do so..
The call was remarkable in tone for offering reassurances on the durability of a presidential campaign that was once thought to be a nearly unstoppable juggernaut. A hoarse-sounding McAuliffe emceed uniformly optimistic reports from key campaign officials in virtually all of the major early voting states, including New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and California, the prize of the Feb. 5 “Super Tuesday” contests.
McAuliffe claimed that Clinton’s presidential bid would move into the next phase of the campaign powered by abundant financial resources, a large campaign organization and broad backing from the party’s political establishment.
“We’ve got the resources to go on. Hillary is fired up,” said McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chairman and longtime political ally of the Clinton family. “Hillary is still a strong leader as we go on in this process.”
McAuliffe said the campaign already has raised “nearly $110 million.” With an additional $10 million left over from Clinton’s Senate re-election campaign, that has given her “nearly $120 million” for the election so far. Neither McAuliffe nor a campaign spokesman contacted afterward would provide crucial information on how much of that remained in the bank available to spend.
He also suggested that the strength of the Obama campaign in Iowa may have caught the Clinton campaign by surprise, noting that the Clinton campaign had surpassed internal targets it had set for turning out its own supporters. Nearly twice as many people turned out for Democratic caucuses in Iowa Thursday as did in 2004, which had previously set a high in participation.
“We are through with Iowa. The good news is we hit and exceeded our numbers,” McAuliffe said.
Kathy Sullivan, a former New Hampshire Democratic state Democratic party chair who is involved with the Clinton campaign here, said the former first lady had “more volunteers from New Hampshire in this campaign than I have seen in a long time.”
Sullivan said Clinton campaign workers already had knocked on 350,000 doors in New Hampshire and planned to visit another 100,000 doorsteps this weekend.
Don Fowler, a former Democratic National Committee chairman who is involved with Clinton’s campaign in South Carolina, boasted her voter mobilization there is “second to none”
He also sought to use a little homespun wisdom to tamp down the significance of Clinton’s loss in Iowa.
“One robin does not make a spring and one election does not make a nomination,” Fowler said.
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Comments
No matter how much Hillary's handlers spend on her fiftieth makeover, the American people see her for what she is: a re-tread of partisan politics past. She lacks the personality to lead the entire country, and basically, half the nation does not like her.
Obama is electric and Iowa has launched him to the next level. He is the uniter many of us waited for, and a man of everyday people. I know many Republicans who do not agree with all of his positions, but have the gut feeling that he is the right person at the right time, and support him.
I see Obama as another JFK kind of candidate. There is no way Hillary's machine can put a lid on the energy Obama has created.
Posted by: Liz | January 4, 2008 5:58 PM
Staying Power? That's the problem.
She doesn't ever go away.
70% of Iowa said go away. She's a bad candidate running an ill suited platform of "Change".
She clearly represents the past.
Parading an Impeached President around might not be smart either.
Posted by: The Laughing Liberal | January 4, 2008 6:44 PM
I know that Hillary Clinton is the best qualified candidate for the presidency. Unfortunately the younger, first time voter in Iowa has no idea the degree of complexity involved in making decisions to shape the lives of people who live in the United States and the World. Being president is not a popularity contest, and change for the sake of change is an empty promise for success. Our nation is suffering now from the effects of an inexperience president who called himself a champion of change with no sense of direction. Hillary has experienced effective change strategies and has a strong sense of direction and we know she is the most electable candade. Young people and minorities are not as "dumb" as people think they are. You can't blow in our ears and lead us anythere. We all need to wake up, if Hillary does not become the Democratic Nominee, we will certainly end up with 8 more years of republican rule. That's really scary to me. Republican Strategist have already cooked the goose for Obama and Edwards, they are just preparing the stuffing now.
Posted by: Aliene S. Linwood, DPA | January 4, 2008 6:46 PM
So Terry McAuliffe think's hillary's got staying power? That's a shocker.
Who's his source, Hillary's Mom?
Posted by: crafty b | January 4, 2008 8:05 PM
Be careful what you ask for Sen.Clinton says she's running for "Change".Beware with this tax and spend democratic congress, that's all you will have left in your pocket...change
Posted by: Paul Jaeger | January 4, 2008 8:43 PM
What is this; A Viagra commercial?
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 4, 2008 10:43 PM
"IOWA WINS"
THAT WAS REAL! THAT WAS PEOPLE DECIDING IN THE SAME MANNER AS YOU AND I WOULD AMONGST FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, KIDS, AUNTS, GRANDPARENTS, MOM, DAD, THE MAJOR, THE COLONEL, THE GENERAL FOR THAT MATTER.
THAT WAS "my vote will count" and it did.
BUT AT&T AND VERIZON WIRELESS 1 0F 2 OF 7 HEARD EVERYTHING YOU SAID. TRUST ME!
FEAR THAT. CONTINUE TO MAKE YOUR VOTE, AGAIN YOUR VOTE COUNT. IOWA DID, AND I DIFFER. BUT AT LEAST IT WAS A FAIR AND AMERICAN PEOPLE, DEBATING IN THEIR AMERICAN WAY.
BUT PER SARA, AND MONICA, IOWA IS NOT A CAGED VOTER STATE.
OHIO IS! GO REGENT UNIVERSITY.
Posted by: Roger Morris | January 4, 2008 11:20 PM
Hillary is an inspiring woman. Women were the last to vote in this nation and I am not about to wait until I am in my eighties to see a viable female candidate again. I am young and my enthusiasm for Hillary has not been stunted in the least. After making countless calls I am more convinced than ever that now is the time for Hillary to shine. Come super Tuesday we will see just how much this nation desperately desires a candidate with the fortitude and strength to carry our ideals to the White House and to the world. Obama has the least political experience of all and there are still those interested in giving him the highest position possible? I only wished everyone looked into the facts deeper. His foreign policy is hazy at best. HIllary has shown she is willing to work with the opposition on key bills and get the job done with every citizen in mind. She has shown stamina and grace in the face of diverse challenges. What impresses me most about Hillary is her willingness to change herself. Those who accept change in their own lives realize how important it is to bring change to the world around them. Hillary has been changing lives since she first started fighting for the Children's Defense Fund right out of law school. She has the skills and the talent to lead the nation starting day one.
GO Hillary!!!!!!!
Posted by: Carrie | January 5, 2008 12:04 AM
Ooooops...Hillary's bundler, Norman Shu, just got prison time!
Oooops...Obama's close friend, Tony Rezko, will soon follow.
Ahhhh...Those dems! Time for a change????
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 5, 2008 12:38 AM
"I know that Hillary Clinton is the best qualified candidate for the presidency."
No, that would be either John McCain or Joe Biden, Hillary does not come near their qualifications as the wife of a president.
"Hillary does not become the Democratic Nominee, we will certainly end up with 8 more years of republican rule."
Because Hillary is the one candidate with the highest negative ratings in either party, she would be a very weak candidate. Obama would not only get some Republicans and many Independents, but would energize the young vote (as in Iowa), and be virtually unstoppable.
Hillary is becoming like old milk, and no matter what her political organizations try to do, it is only getting worse. Let's face it, too many people just do not like her, and it is almost impossible for someone like that to be seen as a viable leader.
Obama is a rock star, like it or not. People believe in him, and not a political party. He is a winner.
Posted by: Markuu | January 5, 2008 1:13 AM
Yes, the younger voters are not educated enough to know that popularity doesn't run a country. It takes real leadership and experience like Mrs. Clinton!
Think of it? Most popular kids in High School ended up no where. It was usually the nerds and geeks in High School that are successful in life, today. Not in all situation but in the majority of the cases. Have you ever wonder what happened to that popular kid and the nerd in your school?
Posted by: Lou | January 5, 2008 2:26 AM
"Unfortunately the younger, first time voter in Iowa has no idea the degree of complexity involved in making decisions to shape the lives of people who live in the United States and the World." and then you say: "Young people. . . are not as "dumb" as people think they are."
Which is it? You can't have it both ways. By implying they have no idea the complexity you ineffect say they should follow the crowd like sheeple and vote Hillary.
You also make a backhanded comparrison between Obama and Bush, which could be farther from the truth. The reason we are in the mess we are in has little to do with experience and everything to do with intelligence and who is advising the president. If the Clintonian Democrats are really loyal to the US and the Constitution then they will be involved in an Obama Cabinet.
I teach high school history and every year I get the same old apathy, no doubt from comments that I posted above. You can't have it both ways, you can't complain that the younger generation isn't involved enough and then complain when they don't make the same decision as the older generations.
Quite possibly they're right and the older generations are wrong. Only way to find out is to give Obama a chance. Who you surround your self with as President is more important than and experience one may have. There are no perfect candidates running for president, there never have been.
Posted by: Buckley | January 5, 2008 8:30 AM
Hillary is the face of change, and has history, the economy was in great standing with the Clinton adminstration, she was a part of his and he will be a part of hers, She is an example "stand by your MAN" and behind every good man is a great women,let's face it, it is not about emotions, it's about being a savvy intelligent women, being president is not a man's job, that was the way it was,people are afraid of change. The good old boy's club is his-story, it is about WE THE PEOPLE!! Hillary will be proactive, with WE THE PEOPLE as her driving force. There are more women in this world than men, more single female headed house holds,where are all the strong men, Bush is not an example to follow. We need a leader that will think more, use logic, work smarter, and consider all americans. The focus today is about change, something we need, not another BUSH, bumping his head, reading upside down, sending young americans into parts of the world for all the wrong reasons and we didn't belong there. I can not recall hearing or seeing his family backing the decisions he made.We do not need someone, that will hear and forget, see and remember, We need a Clinton, who will do and understand.We need a leader that will be willing to get down and dirty,fight the right fight, not running around the white house with their pets, geting their children out of DUI situations, his children didn't respect the position he was in and their behavior sure proved that,so how did they fix that? Write a book, get an interview on TV. Bush is a finger pointer and made decisions that were not beneficial to WE THE PEOPLE, Food for thought, if you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got!!
Hillary for President!!!
Obama for Vice, Let's really make CHANGE let's make HISTORY!!
Shari From Wisconsin
Posted by: Shari | January 5, 2008 8:43 AM
Unreported so far in the DNC Swamp: Hillary was BOOED at the NH Democratic Party dinner:
"If the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s 100 Club dinner is any bell weather – Barack Obama will handily win here. When Obama, the dinner’s last speaker, took the stage the crowd surged forward chanting “O-bam-a” and “Fired Up, Ready to Go!” So many people pressed toward the stage that an announcer asked people to “please take their seats for safety concerns.”
By comparison Hillary was twice booed. The first time was when she said she has always and will continue to work for "change for you. The audience, particularly from Obama supporters (they were waving Obama signs) let out a noise that sounded like a thousand people collectively groaning. The second time came a few minutes later when Clinton said: "The there are two big questions for voters in New Hampshire. One is: who will be ready to lead from day one? The second," and here Clinton was forced to pause as boos from the crowd mixed with cheers from her own supporters. "Is who can we nominate who will go the distance against the Republicans?” (per TimeBlog)
Posted by: Bruce | January 5, 2008 10:16 AM
Pat Robertson won the Iowa caucus once and went on to become president. No, wait, he didn't become Prez.
McCain won the New Hampshire primary once and went on to become president. No, wait, he didn't become Prez.
It amazes me that so many people think these two states choose our nominees.
Posted by: Bruce Y | January 5, 2008 10:59 AM
Ooooops...Hillary's bundler, Norman Shu, just got prison time!
Oooops...Obama's close friend, Tony Rezko, will soon follow.
Ahhhh...Those dems! Time for a change????
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 5, 2008 12:38 AM
Give it a rest dude. Obama is going to be the next president. Get used to it!
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | January 5, 2008 1:14 PM
So now Hillary is saying she's the "Change" candidate? Look at her speech in Iowa on Caucus night - She has Madeline Albright and Big Bill standing with her. Talk about Groundhog day. As far as the economy being good in the 1990's, you can't then blame the 2000's soley on Bush. NAFTA was passed under Big Bill. Ask the manufacturing sector of this country how they feel about the Clintons.
Who will truly follow through and clear the lobbyists from Washington? Can you trust any of them to do it?
Posted by: karl | January 5, 2008 3:23 PM
Hillary for President! Take the yoke off the Roman Empire! Welcome to freedom!
Posted by: Lou | January 5, 2008 4:23 PM
Posted by: Bruce | January 5, 2008 10:16 AM
Got any proof of that really happening? From a real news source website, I mean - not from your imagination.
Posted by: BC | January 6, 2008 8:53 PM