PrintAugust 26, 2008
Hillary Supporters Unite! (Sort of)
They scurried across the lawn at Denver's Civic Center. Most carried signs. Some banged on drums. Most of them were women ... and a lot of them were angry. They were gathering together to express their support for Hillary Clinton.
I spent over an hour this morning talking with members of "18 Million Voices," "Rise Hillary Rise," and "PUMA" (Party Unity My Ass), three of Hillary's political support groups.
I heard mixed messages. Hillary's followers hold three distinct, and irreconcilable, views on what Hillary should do in the next several hours. They have three disparate ideas on whom to vote for -- should Hillary not be the Democrats' nominee.
Some people (the smallest in number) are going to vote for John McCain if Hillary is not nominated. They are clearly disgusted with the hanky-panky that took place in the Iowa caucuses, in the way the primary voters in Michigan and Florida have been treated by the Democratic Party, and in the heavy handed tactics of the Obama machine that are taking place at the convention. These Hillary supporters have, essentially, given up on the Democrats.
The second group is made up of (what one member described as) "yellow dog Democrats." I would call them "true blue." They are going to support the party nominee. Period. Most of them think Hillary should bow out gracefully and run again, depending on the results of this year's election, in either 2012 or 2016.
The third group is the most interesting -- and the most numerous. They want Hillary to fight to the bitter end for the nomination. Like Hillary's soon to be McCain supporters, these people feel betrayed by their party. Unlike the McCain converts, these people are not going down without a fight.
Some of the members of this group told me that they would not vote in the presidential election if Obama is the Democrats' nominee. Others said that they had yet to decide. But none of them had given up hope.
I asked a PUMA member what she planned to do to help Hillary in the next 36 hours -- and who she would vote for if they were unsuccessful. Her response was instructive and, perhaps, prophetic:
"I am waiting to hear from Hillary. I don't trust the party anymore. I don't listen to the party anymore. I only listen to Hillary."
Larrey Anderson is reporting this week from the streets of Denver on the DNC for American Thinker. Photos by Larrey Anderson and Brett Olson.
