Hillary Clinton Courts Voters in Obama Territory

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Hillary Clinton Courts Voters in Obama Territory

March 7, 2008

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton knew she'd be entering lukewarm, if not downright decidedly indifferent, territory when she decided to attend Thursday night's 26th annual Jefferson-Jackson-Hamer Dinner.

But an energetic Clinton brought her campaign to the Canton Multipurpose & Equine Center nonetheless, offering the estimated 2,000 Democrats a pact.

Clinton, who entered the hall in Mississippi's self-proclaimed "City of Lights" at 7:53 p.m., was well-received, pausing to greet her supporters who thronged to the front of the arena for handshakes, autographs or a glimpse.

Clinton, who was introduced by State Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, did not attack her opponent, but did savage the Bush administration for the continued war in Iraq and what she termed "a national disgrace" in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

"They have done everything that they have been asked to do," Clinton said of the America's armed forces in Iraq. "Now, it is time for them to come home. They have earned that right, and as we bring them home, let's make sure that we take care of them."

"We have some things we can learn from the 1990s, when we were creating jobs," Clinton said, referring to her husband's eight-year run in the Oval Office. "Someone said, "Well, the 1990s, that's ancient history.' Well, it's not like it's ancient Rome.

"There's no reason we can't do that again (create jobs and raise the standard of living). We just a need a president who is a good steward of the economy, who is fiscally responsible and not frittering our money away."

The crowd at the Mississippi Democratic Party's Annual Jefferson Jackson Hamer Dinner Thursday was small enough that all the guests in the bandstands were invited to sit at the reserved tables and dine free.

Still, the crowd of nearly 1,000 was vocal. Most chanted "Hillary! Hillary!" and "Yes she can!" � a play on Barack Obama's slogan, "yes we can" � as she entered shaking hands, at a volume that seemed loud even in the huge multi-purpose hall.

When Hillary took the stage to speak, the roar of the crowd was twice what it had been when she entered the room, and she opened her speech with thank-yous and compliments to the state of Mississippi, including mentioning some of Mississippi's extraordinary people, saying, "I'm told that when my husband gets to Tupelo tomorrow, Elvis will be there."

"Mississippi is poised once again to be a leader," she told the crowd, "...if you have a partner that's going to work with you to make that happen.

"I'm so pleased that Mississippi's voice will be heard in this election because it needs to heard," she said to thunderous applause. "It needs to be heard loudly and clearly," adding to even louder applause that even though she had been told that Mississippi's vote will likely be in favor of Obama, "I want people in Mississippi to know that I'm in favor of you."

The Senator spoke on a plethora of subjects, including the once unthought of situation of a woman and an African-American vying for the presidency, saying that her 88-year-old mother, who was born before women had gained the right to vote "marvels" at the situation.

She moved toward the close of her speech with an acknowledgement to her opponent, saying, "This is a tough choice and I know that ... but I just want to underscore that I am ready and prepared to lead on day one."