Slog - Comments on With Clinton on the Ropes

Comment by freshnycman

freshnycman — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:45:14 -0800

That's beautiful

but still...

DROP OUT ALREADY!!!!!

love,
a former Hillary supporter

Comment by it's ME

it's ME — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:48:33 -0800

I hope, surely, that you're not trying to suggest that Hillary Clinton is an actual human being. That's just ridiculous.

Comment by hairyson

hairyson — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:49:14 -0800

I thought you said it was "over"?

But now that she has this "blast of supportive emotion" she should keep going, right? That's amazing - I've never heard of the little people blasting their supportive emotions at a political event... someone should tell Obama it's over.

Comment by heywhatsit

heywhatsit — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:49:26 -0800

But her bubble has burst. Time for her to drop out. She can still do it with at least some degree of grace.

Comment by Cato the Younger Younger

Cato the Younger Younger — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:49:52 -0800

It is her good bye tour...she knows it's over and this is her last big campaign.

Comment by elenchos

elenchos — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:52:46 -0800

This level of emotion is going to increase, even as the size of the crowds shrinks. It's like religious restrictions. The more elaborate and nonsensical a religious observance is, the more committed you have to be to be doing it. But the feeling of doing something without a benefit or logical reason is the point of strictly keeping kosher or whatever it is. The lack of a reason proves how committed you are. It is self-justifying.

So yes, for the remaining Clinton supporters, the only reason this must go on is nothing more or less than "it must go on." But why must it go on? Because it must. That's all there is.

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:52:47 -0800

I love her. I truly do.

Comment by Brendan

Brendan — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:53:38 -0800

That's a nice report. Thanks for conveying how she comes across up close and personal.

Of course, Obama had a similar lovefest appearance yesterday, only his was on the floor of the House of Representatives instead of a rural Oregon livestock auction house.

Comment by Homo Will

Homo Will — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:58:12 -0800

A bubble yes, but one that's losing its air.

A very delusional bubble.

Comment by patrick

patrick — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:02:50 -0800

And those people that fawn over her need to be convinced to vote for Obama...mock them all at your own expense.

Comment by Smade

Smade — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:07:52 -0800

People still go apeshit when the Stones come to town, too. I'm sure the outpouring of love is very satisfying and hard to give up. But they're not the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band anymore.

Comment by Hernandez

Hernandez — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:15:33 -0800

@10 - True, but when it comes the absolute die-hard Clinton fans that attend rallies like this one, there's really no point in trying to convince them to switch until she actually drops out. Until then, let the mockery continue.

Comment by tim

tim — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:17:58 -0800

Great post Eli. It's good to be reminded how the feeling of being loved is such a powerful force. And why famous people's emotional states are so mercurial.
When this ends, she knows the depression will kick in; the brutal emptiness will take the place of warm love.

Comment by DOUG.

DOUG. — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:20:54 -0800

"... and signing everything in sight": DOMA, NAFTA, Iraq War resolution, flag burning amendment...

Comment by Jersey

Jersey — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:25:28 -0800

I think its kinda brutal what she's doing to her supporters. She has lost but is taking them on a farcical ride. She is horrible.

Comment by Karlheinz Arschbomber

Karlheinz Arschbomber — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:32:53 -0800

Doug@14: Patriot Act, extension/expansion of Patriot Act.... I know I feel so much safer now, don't you? Of course one of WA's female senators also votes a la Hillary. War good. Security-state good.

Comment by COMTE

COMTE — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:37:18 -0800

@15:

One might easily turn your statement on it's head and ponder the "brutality" of what her supporters are doing to her.

She most likely HAS lost - although, it really ain't over until it's over, sayeth Yogi Berra - but I can also see Eli's point that, when you have supporters like these, it makes the decision to drop out, to essentially turn your back on the emotional support they provide, all that much harder.

Comment by Auric

Auric — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:38:05 -0800

You know, I'm still holding out for experience. I want a president who's truly ready on day one.

That is why I believe Hillary needs to announce her running mate is going to be Monica. With their shared experience we'll be so much safer, jobs will be created, and we won't need "Days of Our Lives" anymore.

Hillary/Monica in 2008!

Comment by Alan

Alan — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:38:24 -0800

Y'all are brutal. Let the woman finish this as she sees fit. It's her campaign.

Nice story Eli.

Comment by fluteprof

fluteprof — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:46:34 -0800

It's amazing how different life is outside the Stranger bubble. Great post, Eli. This is the first one in a long time where you've shown true heart.

Comment by Reality Check

Reality Check — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:46:58 -0800

Too bad... even fringe elements like cults have blind devotion to their spiritual leader.

I'm pretty sure you could have gone down to that Texas David Koresh compound, and found devoted lovers there too...

It's all perspective.

Comment by patrick

patrick — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:51:59 -0800

Its not a compound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tICf7MaXyKs

just because i like it

Comment by Mr Fuzzy

Mr Fuzzy — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:52:04 -0800

From your description, it sounded more like a farewell party (and rightly so) than what I expect Obama's gatherings to be like. I suspect that one of the reasons it was so emotional is that you have to be emotional to delude yourself into thinking Hillary can still win.

Which isn't to say I wasn't touched, but really, just because she can smile (or cry) for the public doesn't mean she's not a selfish person inside.

Comment by Ragnar

Ragnar — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:54:45 -0800

Of course, Obama had a similar lovefest appearance yesterday, only his was on the floor of the House of Representatives instead of a rural Oregon livestock auction house.

He did, how elitist of him!! Here Clinton is shaking the hands of hard-working white American while Obama is yucking it up with his elitist Washington cronies. She's working hard and he's doing a victory lap...such arrogance.

Comment by Vince

Vince — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:12:59 -0800

He better fucking win in November.

Comment by DJSauvage

DJSauvage — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:14:12 -0800

I was hoping we could have another president that insulates themselves among their supporters and ignores anyone who disagrees with them.

Comment by ecce homo

ecce homo — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:19:09 -0800

Did anyone give her a bottle of Lotrimin?

I heard she has a wicked case of Gardanella Vaginosis.

Comment by michael strangeways

michael strangeways — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:37:07 -0800

Daaaaamnn....Hillary looks good for sixty!

For someone not getting much sleep and eating crappy food on the go, she looks amazing.

I'd make a "Picture of Dorian Grey" joke but ECB might hunt me down and kill me.

Comment by N

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:38:37 -0800

It's not the first time a first lady (or her press office) has sought to cast the opinions of those who seek her out as representative of more than that.

From this:

And I don't really believe those polls. I travel around the country, I see people, I see their response to my husband, I see their response to me.

Comment by BCnOR

BCnOR — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:43:21 -0800

Stay in there Hillary! There are still tons of us fighting for YOU!

Comment by Beguine

Beguine — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:47:58 -0800

@23-Just because she's a selfish person with a less than ideal amount of campaign ethics doesn't mean she can't genuinely be touched or feel an emotional connection with her own supporters, or even really be convinced that the ends justify the means and that some of the dirtier moves she made were for the Greater Good. Selfish narcissistic jerks have feelings too.

Comment by Ramdu

Ramdu — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:50:52 -0800

Good story and good pictures, Eli. It's good to see how it looks from the other side. Pretty sweet, actually.

Comment by Gurldoggie

Gurldoggie — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:53:01 -0800

Thanks for this post. It's refreshing to see a different side of this story. While Hillary obviously must attract loyal support from a dedicated following, you would never know it from tracking the major media. According to just about every story we've seen on tube or read recently, Hillary's remaining supporters are all dead-enders and loons. It takes an "alternative" paper like this one to point out that there are some actual human beings with real concerns and viable opinions casting those pro-HRC votes.

This kind of reporting is the Stranger at its best.

Comment by She needs the money

She needs the money — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:57:54 -0800

These supporters better be donating as much as they are able and allowed to help her retire her debt.

Comment by NapoleonXIV

NapoleonXIV — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:17:41 -0800

It's like a remake of The Last Hurrah.

But without Spencer Tracey.

Comment by Auric

Auric — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:19:12 -0800

You know, I'm still hanging on for a Hillary/Monica win in November, but if she doesn't speak to the plight of hard-working white homosexuals soon I may have to switch!

Comment by Jersey

Jersey — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:22:00 -0800

Yeah those donors better be helping her with her debt, I mean she's only got 109 million left herself.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:28:44 -0800

The key word there is "older".

Yup, that's her base.

Comment by Jeff Stevens

Jeff Stevens — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:45:11 -0800

It was actually all a big ruse that proved once again how skillful she's gotten, after three decades of life in politics, at disguising the fact that she's actually one of the evil shape-shifting reptiles who control the US government. (It's true!) She totally fooled you, Eli. I hope you're blushing.

Comment by Oh please

Oh please — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:45:06 -0800

#33: have you taken a look at Hillary's campaign site? Peruse the folks posting on the blog; a scarier bunch you'll likely not find this side of sanity.

Those that aren't borderline for Bush anyway are calling for Hillary to win "because she's a woman".

Oy.