Posted on 05/24/2006 5:56:48 AM PDT by Gopher Broke
'Hillary for president' rally draws 20 instead of hoped-for 200
Tom Kovach of Mt. Juliet tries to persuade Greg Jones, left, and Ollie O'Hanlon, 16, right, to oppose Hillary Clinton as he protests near a Hillarynow.com rally in the Germantown neighborhood.
DIPTI VAIDYA / THE TENNESSEAN
By BONNA de la CRUZ Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, 05/24/06
A Hillary Clinton rally drew critics of President Bush, nonpartisan voters looking for a strong leader, and people who want to elect a female president.
About 20 people attended the Tuesday event, the national kickoff for Hillarynow.com, a grass-roots group pushing to draft the New York senator and former first lady to run for president in 2008.
"I've been fired up about her for a long time," said Mary Sneed, 64, of Pegram. "I think she can get things done. I admire what she's done in upstate New York. If she can win over New Yorkers, she can win over anybody."
Organizers hoped to have 200 people at the event in Nashville, a city selected to show that Democrats can win in Southern states.
They were disappointed but said they are not focused on numbers.
"We can build something from this," said E. Gayle O'Hanlon, president of Enchanted Gingerbread, who cooked for and helped organize the fundraiser.
Clinton is not associated with the group. "Hillary is focused on working for the people of New York and winning re-election to the U.S. Senate," Ann Lewis, director of communications for Clinton's Senate campaign, said via e-mail.
Miami Beach-based activist Bob Kunst, the founder of Hillarynow.com, said Clinton needs the help of energized grass-roots supporters, not the Beltway consultants who tripped up the campaigns of John Kerry and Al Gore.
"Out of this can come the White House, starting here in Nashville," Kunst said. "We're not afraid of the controversy, and we have to make the controversy an ally."
Under large shade trees on a vacant lot in the Germantown neighborhood, the mostly female crowd picnicked. Two anti-Clinton protesters picketed on the sidewalk nearby.
"Nashville is well-known as the buckle of the Bible Belt, and Hillary's position is in direct opposition to the values of both Republicans and Democrats," said protest organizer Tom Kovach, 48, of Mt. Juliet, a candidate for Congress in the 5th District.
Attendees got custom-baked "Hillarynow.com ginger-girl" cookies that O'Hanlon baked and chocolate chip cookies from a Clinton recipe made by Goodlettsville chef Anna Lia Notardonato-Hicks.
"Even if she doesn't run, at least we started a dialogue about having a woman president," Notardonato-Hicks said. •
(((((CRICKETS CHIRPING!!!!)))))
LOL
MSM reports "great turnout for hillary"
An enthusiastic group, no doubt.
Holy basic Demo-Rat principle Bat Man.
Can anybody point to a Bill she introduced that would do great things for upstate New York, and why only upstate New York?
(Apologies to Yogi Berra).
She will get the votes of the firefighters and the police officers.
The only thing that she must be referring to is getting VOTES from the upstaters.
FReepers no doubt :-)
She could care less about the upstate voters.
The secrets to Hillary's political success thus far have been the ability of her staff to shield her from answering any serious questions, Rudy's prostate cancer and finding a liberal venue that continues to support Democrat political views that are unsupportable in a national election.
Last but not least in the growing feeling that Bill is undermining Hillary's attempt to become a political equal. Bill's opinion of women, and believe it or not Hillary is a woman, will not allow him to ever see the day when Hillary will be introduced as former President of the United States. Wife of former president William Jefferson Clinton is where Bill plans on drawing the line.
Nineteen were paid staffers, the other was Hillary herself.
They stayed home in droves.
Keith??...ugh, tell me it ain't sooooooo!!
That's a critical point, even if you made it up.
We can chuckle about a turnout flop this far before the '08 race, but it would be a mistake not to take Hillary seriously. Right now, this minute, she is the Dem nominee, and she is campaigning. Right now. Celebs love her, her husband is a dazzlingly effective politician and money-raiser, and the MSM treat here like the second coming of Christ. She's got a very good shot at the White House, and we'd be fools to let our guard down.
They are not focused on numbers because the numbers were not in their favor. If they had gotten 2000 instead of 200 you can bet they would be focused on the numbers.
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