Posted on 12/15/2007 10:29:15 AM PST by InvisibleChurch
JOHNSTON, Iowa - Hillary Clinton, who spent the past year as the Democratic presidential front-runner fostering an aura of inevitability, found herself Friday in the humbling position of declaring she won't be knocked out early.
With polls showing Clinton locked in a tough battle in Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses and her once dominant lead in New Hampshire now gone, the former First Lady said she is in the race to stay through Super Duper Tuesday, when more than 20 states including New York and California hold primaries.
"I have always intended to go all the way through this process, all the way through the Feb. 5 states," said Clinton when asked during an interview on Iowa Public Television whether her campaign could withstand a loss in Iowa. "Every single place that there's going to be a caucus or an election between now and Feb. 5, I'm going to contend in."
"I always thought this would get close," said Clinton, now facing a tougher challenge by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). "This is what happens in a contested election."
For the first time Friday, Clinton also responded to questions about the resignation of her national co-chairman Bill Shaheen, who stepped down after he suggested Obama may have sold drugs as a teenager.
"I not only disapproved but it did not reflect the campaign that I'm running," Clinton said.
Obama said Friday he's become a target for political attacks because the momentum has turned in his favor.
"The fact that we're up in Iowa and we've now closed the gap in New Hampshire and South Carolina, that means we've got momentum and that means you're a target," Obama said. "What it also means is folks are excited; they're energized. I think people are realizing we've got a chance."
Clinton picked up the endorsement Friday of Rep. Leonard Boswell, a prominent Iowan who has considerable credibility in the farming community, and the backing of New York's 1199 SEIU and 32BJ, the health care and building workers unions.
But the union endorsements can't help Clinton where she needs it most right now - in the earliest voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Out-of-state locals can't compete against the candidate chosen by the unions' chapters in those states - in this case, John Edwards.
Either you have no control over your campaign or it was a calculated expose that backfired.
Which is it Hillary... and why the hell would any of us want to vote for you? You are either a backbiting politico or you have out-of-control people working for you...
So nice to see what goes around comes around! Enjoy it bill and hill you deserve every bit of it!
“I would expect a profanity laced diatribe directed at the vast rightwing conspiracy, the biased media, and the American people in general.”
That will happen even if she wins.
Yeah, check on Chavez... he is doing a bang-up job in Venezuela...
Vice-president or Arkicide Obama will offered a choice he can not refuse.
Obama better watch his back. Hillary is ruthless. When you add rage to that (if she loses in New Hampshire) and she would be capable of anything.
Then, she is definitely quitting. She will write a sob-story book about how the boys ganged up on her.
Someone should ask Obama if he would Hillary as vice-president, and watch for the reaction from Hillary. You are correct...Bill gets his divorce within a month or two after she is finished. The amusing thing....Bill will marry again within twelve months of the divorce.
Vice-president or Arkicide
What of the Obama supporters? I don't think Oprah will comply with Her Royal Ruthlessness.
Once Hitlery quits, Huma will be out of there so fast!
Oprah would fall in line behind her. They are, after all, liberals first and foremost.
Obama's choiceConvince his followers or go the way of Ron Brown
Not if Obama wins a majority of the delegates based on primary results. If Hillary starts losing primaries, she will have to do more than have the DNC void those loses.
“The worst nightmare is that she’ll figure out a way to get back in the lead and end up as president.”
Rush said yesterday she’ll form a third party.
“”I have always intended to go all the way through this process, all the way through the Feb. 5 states,” said Clinton when asked during an interview on Iowa Public Television whether her campaign could withstand a loss in Iowa”
The media has sensed first blood and has already gone in for the kill. It’s the question that counts, not the answer. Media could have done better though, possibly “are you going to quit now, or later?”
If she ever had an open and honest debate (non prescripted or media biased), she’d go down in flames even faster.
Mia T’s work was nothing but the same page slowing/killing weird stuff over and over again.
I’d forgotten about her...Mostly, I assume, because I’ve had more time to enjoy more Free Republic posts.
My eyes quit bleeding since she stopped posting that stuff.
It’s talk radio’s fault.
Mia T has been banned for some reason. I’ve been wondering why. I miss her mile long posts.
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