Behind the scenes at Hillaryland in NH, Bill Clinton wept when he heard the results

[Herman Munster]

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200801u/hillary-campaign

To say that that the Clinton campaign was preparing for the worst understates the deep sense of gloom that settled over Hillaryland.

Several senior staffers were MIA. Clinton had taken the reins of her inner circle, self-strategized, rewritten her stump speech and generally decided to shed the hardened political shell around her personality. It worked, although she did not know it.

Yesterday morning, some of her aides dressed casually; there was no reason to spruce up.

On Monday night, the press corps had carpooled to her final campaign event; some called it the "Clinton swan song."

The final Clinton campaign internal tracking poll projected an 11-point loss. Early in the day, a senior campaign official said the campaign's boiler room canvasses of targeted precincts predicted a major Obama victory.

Reports of high turnout deepened the worry; this was Iowa all over again. Clinton cloistered with her family on the top floor of the Centennial Inn in Concord.

During the day, as Clinton contemplated a winless future, her campaign's advance team built a small crowd for a school gymnasium in Concord.

At first, the crowd was, indeed, small. But Nashua and Manchester, gritty, blue-collar, working class cities, began to report in, and the margin for Hillary Clinton was huge.

By 9:00 p.m, as the pied piper of victory played on the television, supporters found their way, startled and excited, to the gym.

A Clinton adviser, by e-mail, said: "It's going to be very close."

Around 10:00 pm ET, the AP projected the race. The remaining precincts were too widely distributed throughout the state to fall to one candidate.

About seven hours of ecstasy followed. At the Centennial Inn, President Clinton, according to several sources, wept.

[Pirate Smile]

1. I can't believe how much my feelings toward Bill Clinton have changed.

:(

[JI7]

7. changed

for the better or worse ?

[Bucky]

12. Based on context clues... I think "the worse" is the answer you'll get.

I'm more sympathetic to Obama than Clinton, but I really haven't changed my view of her husband. He's trying his best to help his wife get elected. What husband wouldn't?

[JI7]

14. thanks,

i should have read the article first.

[Anouka]

43. It's a circumvention of the Constitution. That's not cool.

It also looks like Hillary only stayed with Bill in order to get a foot up to making her own presidential run. That's such a 180 from feminism, I'm not the only one nauseous from it.

But there's also HIM staying with HER to get back into the White House. They had a co-presidency in the 90s? A co-presidency where she didn't have a security clearance but his 24 year old humidor did?

(and why wasn't she given that security clearance? it was 8 years, and in that time she never received it? what was up?)

He is not FDR and she is not Eleanor.

Would this be a Hillary presidency? or a Bill presidency with Hillary as the figurehead taking up First Lady Plus duties?


Vote Edwards. Vote Obama. Vote both.
but not the Clintons.

[Pirate Smile]

17. Worse

[Anouka]

9. If you mean, you used to like him...

Then I know what you mean. I can't believe they're blowing how people feel about their legacy, over this. They're falling apart, even when they 'win'.

I think back to other things in the past. I keep hearing about him at Ron Brown's funeral.......but I also remember his ability to elicit emotion on cue. I believed him then. As I've said elsewhere, he has the talent to make people believe he's empathetic. He makes you believe he cares for you. That's a good trait, as long as it's used for good, and not evil.

Hillary doesn't really have that trait. She's never really used it before, so for her to use it this past weekend seems suspect, even if it was 'sincere but not spontaneous' as a Daily Kossack (I wish I could remember their name) put it.

Bill should have never, ever, called Obama's run a 'fairytale'. He should have never, ever, whined about 'why are you guys ignoring when we call Obama's fund corrupt but then you imply I am corrupt?' Something's not right.

Bill should have never said he was against the Iraq War all along.

And Hillary should not have sent out that false email about Obama's record. You fight someone on their record, but you don't falsify information.

Obama doesn't make the Clintons look conniving and manipulative and whiny. The Clintons make themselves look conniving and manipulative and whiny. Maybe it's not true, but they need to get their game together. They can better represent the Democrat party.

[ruggerson]

23. the "Democrat party"?

hmmmmmmm.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

27. .

.

[DURHAM D]

32. Good catch. n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

34. Freudian Slip

~

[Marrah_G]

30. You meant Democratic party, right?

[Anouka]

42. The party rep'ed by a donkey my father ran for local office under in the 70s, yes.

If somebody wants to dis my post, they can go for it.

The Clintons are not the best the Democratic Party has to offer. Bottom line.

Edwards, Biden, Kucinich.... those are people I trust the Democratic Party with.

I don't know anything about Gravel or Dodd -- except that they don't have the whiff of corruption and 'scorched earth' about them that the Clintons do.

I believe Edwards will fight for his ideas. I believe that the Clintons will fight -- for themselves.

I believe Kucinich would put the country before himself.

I believe Biden's time has passed, and that the plagiarism incident of the 80s was a case of 'getting caught doing what everyone else was'. But Obama spoke up for him, and he hasn't done anything during this campaign post 'articulate' that's been stupid. And that was a case of him trying to be complimentary. He's acquitted himself well.

I believe Richardson would make a good Secretary of something, but is not presidential.

The Clintons do not compliment. They are negative. They are nasty. They falsify. They manipulate. They are not the best the Democrats have to offer. They will embark upon any means necessary to win. But they are not winning for the country, they are winning for themselves. That is my belief.

[Andromeda]

51. Sounds like you are describing yourself.

Negative, nasty, manipulative---and "Democrat" party was just precious.

[CyberPieHole]

47. "Democrat party"...

No sale.:hi:

[Hieronymus]

22. Same here ... I used to think he was IT.

[RummyTheDummy]

Me too

I have a framed campaign poster from 1996 that I took down the other day. I also no longer keep his book in my book case. It'll never be the same for me with him.

[demnan]

2. Well Thank God

its not just women accused of shedding tears. :sarcasm:

[BluegrassDem]

3. Bill Clinton is so full of shit, it's not even funny

I mean, this guy is an utter joke. I can't believe I've supported him all these years. I need to go take a shower after just hearing him talk on TV. Bill Clinton is seriously creeping me out. I wish he would just go away.

[Jane Austin]

10. I can't believe how I feel about him, either.

I invested a lot of myself in defending him for 12 or so years.

[BluegrassDem]

15. Jane, I invested in a lot in him too!

I about started fights with people that even spoke a bad word about Bill Clinton. I was in Europe in August, 1998 at the height of the Monica scandal and I spent my whole trip defending Bill Clinton. I even met Bill in 1997 during a trip to Kentucky. I've done a total 180 on him now. I can honestly see why it's possible that Republicans have detested him for so long. He's the biggest bullshitting politician I've ever seen. What I despise worse is that he's acting a like a spoiled brat when things doesn't go his way. He whines and complains...blames the media for Hillary's problem. I mean, that's like a spoiled child or something. I actually dislike Bill more than Hillary.

Though I'm an Obama supporter, I support Edwards in a heartbeat. Anyone but Clinton.

[bellasgrams]

13. I would love to tell you to wash yourself down the drain but I won't

I've been following politics for years and just can't believe the spewing hate for other dems on this board.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ElizabethDC]

4. That's very sweet, I think

It seems to me that he really loves her a lot.

[OKNancy]

8. I agree, and it's so "Bill"

I can't believe the way people talk about him on DU... I mean really, what's he going to do? Support someone else, talk up someone else, give speeches for someone else.
Sheeesh.

[Cameron27]

11. Well that's two of us in this thread.

:-)

[Auntie Bush]

19. Make that three!

:) :) :)

[Little Star]

35. Four

[Auntie Bush]

39. !!!

:hug:

[jackson_dem]

41. Five

[CyberPieHole]

48. Six...

I am glad to see Clinton standing by the woman who stood by him. It shocks me to see so much hate against the two of them here on DU. Sometimes it seems no different than posts written on some freeper site...I guess "hope" only applies to their wishes and desires...everyone else is tainted and sullied in their eyes.

[BootinUp]

54. Seven. nt

:):):):):):):)

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

55. Eight.

[DemExpat]

56. I'll make it nine....

:D

DemEx

[eileen_d]

5. Ecstasy in Hillaryland

I can't even imagine. I don't know if I want to. (Nothing against Hillary - I just don't want to be that close to politicians)

[Ediacara]

6. They must be crocodile tears

...after all, no one can ever show a genuine emotion :eyes:

[bunnies]

16. I wept as well. Many people did. For different reasons though. nt

[THUNDER HANDS]

18. Clinton/Kleenex 2008

I kid, I kid.

:evilgrin:

[Sparkly]

20. I thought I saw tears in Chelsea's eyes, too.

I'm sure they were both very proud of her.

[jefferson_dem]

21. Awwwwwwwwww....

Whatever. Now...that's a real fairy tale.

[ruggerson]

24. Is this a fairy tale?

http://www.intrade.com/jsp/intrade/contractSearch/

;-)

[jefferson_dem]

26. Bah...

I've made a pledge to myself to NOT go there for a few days...till the (hopefully) irrational exuberance subsides.

As a side-note, I have congratulated Hillary for a job well-done in NH. Her supporters have a right to be proud.

[ruggerson]

28. I know you have

and you were damn gracious.

[frankenforpres]

25. i almost wept myself

she's a good woman, has been demonized for almost 20 years, and i thought the press finally killed her career.



but she goes on



beautiful

[JohnnyLib2]

29. And we're all talking about the Clintons.

What the hell would we do without 'em?

:evilgrin: :shrug:

:hide:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

31. They Are A Very Entertaining And Complex Couple

I love em both...

[rolleitreks]

33. I'm puking. Thanks. n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

36. That makes two of us

From your post.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

37. PWNED

~

[ShortnFiery]

38. Oh thanks, let's chalk that up as another in the continuing line of "Clintonian Kodak Moments?"

:eyes:

[sandnsea]

44. Funny their internals didn't pick up the huge turn out n/t

[Clintonista2]

45. I simply cannot imagine what Sen Clinton and her family felt as the results started coming in

After Iowa, I personally felt hopeless, doomed. It felt as if it was all over. I was absolutely ecstatic as the results of NH started coming in, and I can hardly imagine the joy that the Clinton campaign must have been feeling.

[RummyTheDummy]

46. Ralph!!!!!!!!!!

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[CyberPieHole]

49. Thanks for your concern, Rummy...

You are a perfect reflection of your namesake.:hi:

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Egnever]

52. The crying works ! Lets all do it!

Heartfelt moment my ass

[RummyTheDummy]

53. But Hillary is so completely unscripted and real

So say her "supporters".