Clinton Supporter: “Remember in November to Vote Present”

I’ve read quite a bit of the news coverage of Hillary Clinton’s speech today and in each piece, I’ve winced at one or more uncalled for snide comments by an obviously biased reporter or perhaps worse – an inexperienced writer trying to earn points by sounding edgy.

It’s been several hours since Clinton spoke in Washington’s National Building Museum to thousands of her supporters, and Time Magazine’s Jay Newton-Small’s contribution shows a little more thought and well - let’s just call it class - than the earlier reports.

Newton-Small begins by introducing his readers to a couple who have come to hear Clinton, but didn’t stick around long enough to hear her endorse Barack Obama:

‘“Linda Mahoney and her partner Edith Miller, both in their sixties, were among the first to line up to see Hilary Clinton end her bid for the presidency. Decked out in Hillary t-shirts and hats, the couple from Silver Spring also had printed signs pinned to their backs: ‘Remember in November to vote present.’”

Mahoney has strong opinions about Obama:

‘“Obama ‘is a mediocre Chicago machine politician and he will not stand up for us,’ said Mahoney, who added that she will never again give money or volunteer for the Democratic Party and plans to stay home in November. The couple both donated the maximum for Clinton and spent 23 days traveling to five states to work on her behalf. But, 10 minutes into Clinton's remarks Mahoney and Miller were heading for the door, refusing to hear Clinton's endorsement of Barack Obama.”’

Newton-Small reports a snippet of Clinton's speech:

‘“Now, when I started this race, I intended to win back the White House and make sure we have a president who puts our country back on the path to peace, prosperity and progress,’ Clinton told the crowd of several thousand gathered at Washington's National Building Museum. ‘And that's exactly what we're going to do, by ensuring that Barack Obama walks through the doors of the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2009.’ The door swung shut behind Miller and Mahoney.

Newton-Small’s coverage also includes the mixed response from the crowd to any mention of the presumptive nominee:

‘“The crowd reacted with cheers, boos and hisses, — underlining the work that remains to be done in uniting the party. Clinton, in a black suit and blue shirt (perhaps unconsciously black and blue), repeated her endorsement of Obama eight more times, using his full name in each instance to underline the formality of her support. Each time Obama's name was mentioned, there was a mixed response. ‘Emotions are running high right now,’ said Ellen Malcolm, head of Emily's List, a non-profit group that works to elect Democratic women candidates and one of Clinton's strongest backers. ‘I don't think anyone's going to vote for John McCain in the fall. Given some time to grieve, they'll see the importance of electing a Democrat, Barack Obama, in November.’”

In my opinion, Malcolm could be overly optimistic about the necessary change of heart among faithful Clinton supporters toward the candidacy of Barack Obama.

Go here to read the complete article.