Getting Votes From Hillary Backers

What's the best way Hillary Supporters can exact payback? By actively opposing people like SuperDelegates Patrick Murphy and Jason Altmire who basically stabbed Mrs. Clinton in the back. A simple, clear message. For political reasons, Mrs. Clinton may even endorse such turncoats, but her supporters know she will be holding her nose with both hands. "And down goes Murphy . . . and down goes Altmire . . ." What a pleasant thought.

Before I go to bed (early Thurs. a.m.), let me send a personal/political message to Tom Manion and Melissa Hart. I think both of you should go after Hillary Supporters with a vengeance. (And in a slightly different way, the same is true of Toni Gilhooley and Marina Kats -- Marina get that web site up soon!)

[In the 2008 election, women's votes are going to be critical to winning. On my national blog(s), I have a column by Jean Avery, an expert on female voting tendencies. Jean says, Jean Avery's comments follow: "Last week, Howard Dean and friends gave delegates to someone who wasn't even on the ballot and took half the delegates from a candidate who was. And, by the way, she was also the first woman with a serious shot at the Presidency. Suddenly millions of American women who hung their hopes on Hillary are the Desirable Voting Bloc. (Sure, Hillary had male supporters, but because many women's motives differed, their response to her rejection may differ too.)"]


Pennsylvania candidates (male or female): Tell the Democratic women in your districts -- and they voted overwhelmingly for Hillary -- that the Democrats' "Boy's Club" -- and call it that -- sold Sen. Clinton down the river. Cite Howard Dean, Bob Casey (much hated among Hillaryites), Patrick Murphy, and Jason Altmire. Heck, throw in hapless Tim Holden for good measure. (In due time, I'll figure out what to do with Allyson Schwartz.)

Manion can say how Murphy defied the wishes of his constituents, which happens to be true. Melissa Hart can note that Jason Altmire cast adoring glances at Obama and dithered until he could safely endorse Obama, which also happens to be true.

Make this a campaign issue. Ask to speak to Democratic women, individually or in groups. Don't let anybody forget what the "Boy's Club" did to Hillary. Talk about how Howard Dean gutted the Hillary votes in Florida and Michigan. Talk about how Pennsylvania Democrats either supported the "conspiracy" (Murphy, Casey) or colluded in it (Altmire).

Say -- many times and at all decibel levels -- that the Boy's Club doesn't deserve to remain in office. Make it your mantra. Recognize that 90% of winning is acting like a winner. When you reach 40%-plus in the polls, start declaring victory. Voters love bandwagons.

Do these things, and you will get one-third of the votes that went to Hillary Clinton. Also, one-sixth of the Hillary voters will stay home (or vote for Ralph Nader? or George Washington?).

In short, rub the incumbents' noses in the degradation and defeat of Hillary Clinton. If they get just half the Hillary voters to show up on November 4, they are not going to like what they see on Election Eve.

I wrote Wednesday (scroll down) about Hillary Supporters taking out revenge on Democrat "SuperDelegates" that supported Obama -- even though their districts or states voted heavily for Hillary Clinton. When the angry Hillary backers get through with them those delegates will not feel very super.

About 10:30 a.m. Friday (right here), I'll attempt an answer to an overwhelming question: How exactly do Republican candidates for federal office -- including John McCain -- go about getting the votes -- and financial support -- of the Hillary backers?

I can imagine GOP congressional candidates, some of them very dear to me, saying, "Hey, I don't agree with Hillary on much, so how can I can her supporters to back me?"

First, understand that Hillary Supporters aren't from another planet. As our fellow Americans, they share a lot more with us than we -- or they -- might imagine. For instance, the vast majority of Hillary backers do support our American soldiers. In fact, Hillary's voters are a lot more likely to KNOW -- or to have in their family -- one or more American soldiers.

The same is not true of Obama-philes. To them, soldiers are somebody they see on TV. Twenty percent of Democrats say they hope the U.S. loses the war in Iraq. Very few of them -- almost none, I'd guess -- voted for Hillary Clinton in the Dem Primaries.

Even though I have one wife and five daughters and various grand-daughters, I don't claim to be an expert on women. Even Dr. Freud (not a big favorite with feminists) felt called upon once to ask, "But what does a woman want?"

In coming up with an answer to that, I'm going to rely on my long-distance friend, Jean Avery, from Seattle, Washington. She's as good as it gets on understanding the hopes, fears, and thoughts of female voters. Jean blogs at http://moms4mccain.blogspot.com/.

She's the one who brought to my attention the avalanche of angry generated by Mrs. Clinton's loss of the nomination. I wrote about that on Tuesday on my Hillary Supporters for McCain site. I also provided the very long list of web sites for Hillary-ites who now intend to vote for McCain.

Caution: Jean, a mom herself, is also a Princeton grad (perhaps one of the few things she shares with Michelle Obama). However, she's promised me not to use too many big words. (When people found out I had been a college English teacher, they used to worry about their grammar!I think it cost me invitations to parties.)

As always, thanks for visiting. If you have comments, please either use the "comments" section or send them to me via e-mail at TalkTop65@aol.com.

P.S. Jean's material will appear on Thursday on my HIllary site, and, since Jean has lots of great material, more will appear here on Friday.