# Hillary: Obama's losing support with "hard-working Americans, white Americans" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 8, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576 "2008-05-08T16:39:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/1 "2008-05-08T16:39:51Z")
Um…wow. That was an inartful way to phrase whatever the hell it was she was trying to say: From [here:](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/) > [@](#): > > In what appear to be the New York senator’s most blunt comments to date regarding a racial division in the Democratic presidential race, Hillary Clinton suggested Wednesday that “White Americans” are increasingly turning away from Barack Obama’s candidacy. > > “I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,” Clinton said in an interview with USA TODAY. > > Clinton cited an Associated Press poll “that found how Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.” > > “There’s a pattern emerging here,” she said. Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/2 "2008-05-08T16:45:57Z")
Yeah, but she’s not lying- per the same article she’s winning over 60 percent of the white vote is the last few states, and last I checked, the white vote is the one you need to win… Kinda like Dennis Hopper’s True Romance speech- now tell me, if that’s a fact, then am I lying? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/3 "2008-05-08T16:50:17Z")
The “working, hard-working Americans” followed by “white Americans”, as though these are synonymous, is a bit jarring. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/4 "2008-05-08T16:53:35Z")
> [@](#): > > The “working, hard-working Americans” followed by “white Americans”, as though these are synonymous, is a bit jarring. Yes. This, **Wee Bairn** , is what I’m Pitting. What an awful choice of words. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/5 "2008-05-08T16:56:16Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene] Yes. This, **Wee Bairn** , is what I’m Pitting. What an awful choice of words. [/QUOTE] No doubt it was stupid and should never have been said, true or not. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/6 "2008-05-08T16:58:06Z")
Well, that’s a bit impolitic, innit? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/7 "2008-05-08T17:04:43Z")
Then she will have to do her best to persuade those voters to support the Democratic nominee, namely Mr. Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Ocean\_Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8797f3/32.png) [@Ocean\_Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ocean_Annie)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/8 "2008-05-08T17:08:26Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Yeah, but she’s not lying- per the same article she’s winning over 60 percent of the white vote is the last few states, and last I checked, the white vote is the one you need to win… [/QUOTE] You also need the black vote to win if you’re a Democrat. As much as the black vote is taken for granted by Democrats, I don’t see the black community turning out to vote for Clinton, not after this nasty primary and especially not if it’s perceived that Clinton stole the nomination. I used to believe that either candidate could easily beat McCain, but I don’t think Clinton can win now. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/9 "2008-05-08T17:08:42Z")
> [@](#): > > No doubt it was stupid and should never have been said, true or not. 😕 Are you saying that “hard-working Americans” and “white Americans” _are_ synonymous terms? ---
**Author:** ![Li\_l\_Pluck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ee59a6/32.png) [@Li\_l\_Pluck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Li_l_Pluck)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/10 "2008-05-08T17:12:34Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene] Um…wow. That was an inartful way to phrase whatever the hell it was she was trying to say: From [here:](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/) Yikes. [/QUOTE] Yikes indeed! But surprising? Not really. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/11 "2008-05-08T17:16:38Z")
[QUOTE=Li’l Pluck] Yikes indeed! But surprising? Not really. ☹ [/QUOTE] So not surprising that she was unartful or are you assuming she meant white=hard working and are unsurprised by her blatant racism? It seems obvious to me she was talking about a specific demographic - working poor or blue collar caucasions. They are indeed out there, folks. In fact, more poor white people than black, last time I checked. ---
**Author:** ![Li\_l\_Pluck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ee59a6/32.png) [@Li\_l\_Pluck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Li_l_Pluck)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/12 "2008-05-08T17:29:51Z")
[QUOTE=CarnalK] So not surprising that she was unartful or are you assuming she meant white=hard working and are unsurprised by her blatant racism? [/QUOTE] Good question. I meant that, given how desperate she must be, I’m not all that surprised that she would say something like this. Mind you, I’m not saying that she’s a racist, but given prior statements by Bill along similar lines, and all that BS over Rev. Wright (which I’m not blaming on her, BTW)…well, I’m not diggin’ what I think could be coded language, yknow? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/13 "2008-05-08T17:39:34Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Yeah, but she’s not lying- per the same article she’s winning over 60 percent of the white vote is the last few states, and last I checked, the white vote is the one you need to win… [/QUOTE] So, do you believe that “hard-working” and “white” are synonymous? Also, while it’s true you need the white vote to win, your argument rests on the assumption that, if Obama is the Democratic candidate, white Democrats won’t vote for him. I think that is, in itself, a problematic assumption. In fact, the last poll i saw, a few weeks ago, suggested that if Obama wins the nomination, the vast majority of Clinton supporters will vote for him in the Presidential election. The same poll suggested that, if Clinton wins the nomination, a smaller percentage of Obama supporters would vote for her in the Presidential election. Now, i’m not sure if these figures have changed in the past few weeks, especially with the whole overblown attention being paid to the Reverend Wright issue. I haven’t seen a more recent poll. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/14 "2008-05-08T18:06:07Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene] 😕 Are you saying that “hard-working Americans” and “white Americans” _are_ synonymous terms? [/QUOTE] Sorry for not being clear, no, I meant white Americans are voting for her in larger numbers now than previously, I was not commenting at all on the white = hard working angle. When I read that I took it as she meant hard working Americans (of any color, i.e. not wealthy people) _and_ white Americans are on her side now, two groups. If I misread or misinterpreted, my apologies. But assuming most Democrat blacks would simply \*\*not vote at all \*\* insted of voting for her or McCain, she could absolutely beat McCain on the white and Hispanic democratic vote. I don’t see Democratic blacks voting for McCain in large numbers out of spite- they would in effect be taken out of the equation entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/15 "2008-05-08T18:10:34Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Sorry for not being clear, no, I meant white Americans are voting for her in larger numbers now than previously [/quote] I don’t think you’re right. That’s being discussed here and in a GD thread. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/16 "2008-05-08T18:11:10Z")
> [@](#): > > When I read that I took it as she meant hard working Americans (of any color, i.e. not wealthy people) and white Americans are on her side now, two groups. I don’t think either her language or the context of her remarks support this interpretation. I think she meant to say that working-class white voters support her (as opposed to “working-class voters of every color” and “white voters of every income level,” and as opposed to “hard-working Americans, which is the same thing as white Americans”). That’s _not_ how it came out. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/17 "2008-05-08T18:14:42Z")
And if Obama loving Democrats are so juvenile they wouldn’t vote for HRC if nominated, then they deserve the resulting four more years of Republican crap that they might get as a result, and shoudn’t say word one if it happens. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/18 "2008-05-08T18:16:25Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Sorry for not being clear, no, I meant white Americans are voting for her in larger numbers now than previously . . . [/QUOTE] I’m flashing on the Chris Rock comedy [_Head of State:_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_State_%28film%29) On e-day, when early returns from the East Coast are leaked, showing African-American candidate Rays Gilliam in the lead, formerly indifferent white voters on the West Coast stampede **screaming** to the polls! ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/19 "2008-05-08T18:16:47Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] I don’t think you’re right. That’s being discussed here and in a GD thread. [/QUOTE] I was just going by this in the article quoted in the OP- surely she wasn’t getting over 60 percent of the white vote per state when she was losing 11 states in a row? _Exit polls from Tuesday’s primaries in Indiana and North Carolina show Clinton won about 60 percent of the white vote in both states. That percentage is down from the Ohio primary on March 4, in which Clinton won upwards of 65 percent of the white vote. Meanwhile, Clinton garnered 63 percent of the white vote in Pennsylvania on April 22._ ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576/20 "2008-05-08T18:21:57Z")
> [@](#): > > And if Obama loving Democrats are so juvenile they wouldn’t vote for HRC if nominated, then they deserve the resulting four more years of Republican crap that they might get as a result, and shoudn’t say word one if it happens. Back atcha. I think it’s perfectly valid for a voter to abstain from making a selection if his or her preferred candidate is no longer on the ballot; more important, though, it doesn’t have to be a conscious choice to abstain: it can be merely a reflection of diminished impetus to get to the polling booth to begin with. And I think it’s crucial to nominate the Democrat who will be most likely to spur high voter turnout among Democratic voters – and, if possible, not encourage high voter turnout among Republican voters (_cough_allthepeoplewhoreallyhatetheClintons_cough_). But I’ve heard as many Hillary voters say they’d have to hold their nose to vote for Obama as the other way around, so let’s not use too narrow a brush here. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillary-obamas-losing-support-with-hard-working-americans-white-americans/448576.md?page=2)