Hillary’s clout is key at Democratic Convention

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/08/25/hillarys-clout-is-key-at-democratic-convention/

Denver – The chances of a Democratic victory this fall may well turn on what Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton says in her prime time speech at the Democratic National Convention here Tuesday.

If she pleads with the 18 million Americans who voted for her to bury the hatchet and get behind Barack Obama, Democrats may regain the White House. If she signals the slightest ambivalence, enough of her supporters may stay home – or vote for GOP rival John McCain – to cost Democrats the race.

For Senator Obama, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Voter surveys show a tightening race with Senator McCain. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last week, just one of two voters who supported Senator Clinton in the primaries say they now back Obama.

The McCain campaign sought to exploit the party’s internal rifts Sunday with a TV ad questioning Obama’s choice of Sen. Joseph Biden as vice president. “She won millions of votes but isn’t on his ticket,” a female narrator intones in the ad called “Passed Over,” referring to Clinton. “Why?”

Denver is abuzz this week with die-hard Clinton supporters planning protests, rallies, and celebrations that will culminate with a march on Tuesday, the 88th anniversary of the day the 19th Amendment granted women voting rights.

“Hillary supporters are still very upset with the party, very upset with the media, very upset with the process, to the point where I think millions of them will not vote for Obama in November,” says Darragh Murphy, the founder of PUMA PAC, a pro-Clinton political action committee that claims 10,000 members and is planning a series of events here.

[MercutioATC]

1. You're quoting PUMA now??

[DJ13]

2. I think you have really bad timing

But thats just my opinion.

[madfloridian]

3. I am done with the Clintons.

This is not about them right now.

[Prophet 451]

4. PUMAs are idiots

Most extreme example I've ever seen of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. They're not pro-Hillary, they just really hate Obama. Think Perry Logan with more estrogen.

Hillary's been great since she dropped out. She'll back Obama, urge her supporters to do likewise and probably tear strips off McCain.