Clinton attacks base of Democratic Party

While Barack Obama is still feeling the sting of comments he made to a group of supporters in San Francisco several weeks back, referring to some voters as feeling disaffected by politics as usual, and thus being "bitter" and "clinging" to particular partisan issues rather than looking to candidates who might help them with their problems, Hillary Clinton now faces a similar dilemma.
Clinton was unfortunately captured on audio tape, taking a shot at the base of the Democratic Party, and most likely will pay an even higher price in the long run than her opponent has, because her slam was against a crucial activist element known as Moveon.org.

The Huffington Post once again stepped up to the plate and let the cat out of the bag, just as it did with Obama's comments. That website posted the audio, as well as a transcribed version of the incident in question.

In Clinton's own words: "Moveon.org endorsed [Obama] - which is a gusher of money that never seems to slow down. We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. Moveon didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean that's what we're dealing with and you know they turn out in great numbers. And they are driven by their view of our positions, and it's primarily national security and foreign policy that drives them. I don't agree with them. They know I don't agree with them. So they flood into these caucuses and dominate them and really intimidate people who actually show up to support me."

The "activist" base she so disdains today is the same group which she sought support from early in her presidential bid and is the same group that was founded originally to save President Bill Clinton from impeachment all those years ago. My but how times have changed for the Clintons.
Moveon's Executive Director Eli Pariser responded on LATIMES.com to the candidate's remarks: "Senator Clinton has her facts wrong again. Moveon never opposed the war in Afghanistan, and we set the record straight years ago when Karl Rove made the same claims." Karl Rove?

The Clinton campaign charges that there were well-documented instances of intimidation of her supporters in caucuses in Nevada and Texas by Moveon supporters of Obama is yet another fabrication created by the Clintons. The reality is that the Nevada caucuses took place prior to Moveon's endorsement, and Texas had not even caucused when Clinton made her outrageous allegations.

Senator Clinton had eagerly jumped on Senator Obama with criticism when his comments dominated the media, because as she said his electability should be questioned, as he had offended key Democratic constituencies. Maybe she should apply the same litmus test to her own words.

According to the LATIMES.com article, Pariser went on to defend the party base by concluding that "Senator Clinton's attack on our members is divisive at a time when Democrats will soon need to unify to beat McCain. Moveon is 3.2 million reliable voters and volunteers who are an important part of any winning Democratic coalition in November. They deserve better than to be dismissed using Republican talking points."

Clinton's comments deviate from what a Democratic presidential candidate would be expected to express out loud. Party activists are always the element which can be most heavily relied upon to get out the vote for the nominee of the party.

Earlier in the primary race Senator Clinton had done nothing but gush about how wonderful it was that the Democratic turnout in both primaries and caucuses demonstrated how these excited participants and grassroots voter groups made her proud of her party and our country's democratic process.

Grassroots activists have been responsible for the high voter registration and get out the vote efforts in the primary contests across the country. But because most of the caucus outcomes haven't gone her way, Clinton now chooses to disparage them and her campaign has even gone so far as to call them "undemocratic."

Maybe how you grow up early on sticks with you all your life, no matter how much you claim to have changed.
Hillary Clinton grew up in a conservative Republican household. She began her political life as a teenager canvassing for Richard Nixon (not John F. Kennedy) during the 1960 presidential election, and then worked as a "Goldwater Girl" and youthful supporter of 1964 Republican Party presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. And even as an undergraduate at Wellesley College, Clinton actually served as president of the campus Republican group.
It is just possible that Hillary Clinton's comments about her current party's base, merely reflects a bit of party-identity confusion on her part.

ABOUT THE WRITER
Carol Jensen is a long-time Barstow resident, graduating from Kennedy High School and Barstow College, where she was an English instructor for many years. She may be contacted at cajensen49@msn.com.