Hillary Holds Private Conference Call With Her Super-Dels (TPM)

[chill_wind]

Hillary Holds Private Conference Call With Her Super-Dels: "I Know This Is Not Easy"
By Greg Sargent - May 10, 2008, 2:55PM

Hillary held a private rally-the-troops conference call with her super-delegate supporters this afternoon, urging them to believe that "this race is not over," vowing to them she'd promote Dem unity after the primary, and conceding that she knows what they and the party are going through "is not easy."

Somewhat tantalizingly, Hillary also claimed that there were back-channel talks of some kind going on between the two campaigns, possibly about how to maintain Democratic unity after the primary. Asked by a super-delegate whether there were discussions going on between the two camps about what would happen after the voting concluded, she said:

"There's a lot of communication between both of the campaigns all the time. I don't know how specific it is, but we have very open lines of communication...I know that both Senator Obama and I are committed, and the campaigns are as well, to making sure that when this is resolved" we will do everything we can to "unify the party." She didn't elaborate further.

(snip)

I was able to listen to the call in its entirety.

(see link)

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/ickes_on_conference_call.php

[VolcanoJen]

1. Hillary: "This is bigger than me."

Oh my goodness... this sounds like endgame.

From the link:

* Hillary sought to persuade supporters to hold the line by vowing to them that she would do everything she could to make sure the party unified behind the eventual nominee. "I know this is not easy," Hillary said. She added: "We will close ranks and I know we will be totally unified going forward."

"I just want to underscore my gratitude," she concluded. "This is bigger than me...it's about standing firm the values we share."

[Cooley Hurd]

2. There is NOTHING bigger than the Clintons...

...except us $95'ers...:D:hi:

[4themind]

3. I'll believe it, if this ends in june-nt

[kevinmc]

10. I don't believe anything she say's anymore ......

until she proves what she says with deeds it's just her yapping. For all I know this was a staged call.

[tridim]

4. I'd be much more comfortable if these campaign to campaign conversations..

were taking place in public view.

Why keep the conversation in the back rooms? We, as voters have the right to know exactly what's being discussed.

[Arrowhead2k1]

5. So friggin' desperate.

People that clamour for power this badly truly scare me.

[AZBlue]

6. Is it really a "conference call" with only 5 people on it?

Just asking.
:evilgrin:

[rocktivity]

7. How private could the conversation have been if the press found out about it?

"There's a lot of communication between both of the campaigns...I don't know how specific it is, but we have very open lines of communication..."

She doesn't know how specific it is? As in, she doesn't know what her campaign is saying? Such a tribute to her leadership skills!

:headbang:
rocknation

[PoliticalAmazon]

8. Notice how Clinton is trying to hang on to the coat-tails of Obama?....

Her comment that there would be back-channel talks between the two campaigns is a really poor strategy if she expects anything positive to come from it. She's using it as an excuse to tell the SDs "See, I'm important! Obama's campaign will be talking to me!"

So it's been reduced to this, Hillary?

[chill_wind]

9. This is the way the Billary ends

not with a bang, but a plea.

[Cha]

20. Not before going Orwell..

[riverdeep]

11. Unless she has the power to do some kind of zombie mind-control,

I don't see how she can guarantee that pissed of Hillary supporters are going to unify around Obama.

They keep moving the goalposts. First it was Super Tuesday, then Texas, then whatever. People thought she would end it this week.

[4themind]

12. Wonder if anyone asked her about carol's comments on Larry king last night

and her response? Or did anyone ask her if she wanted to clarify her comment from the USA today interview? Thanks

[chill_wind]

13. "By Hook or By Crook"- she's got problems.

She has people to try to soothe and to answer to:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5891894

[housewolf]

14. This is very curious... "s tanding firm [behind] the values we share."

"I just want to underscore my gratitude," she concluded. "This is bigger than me...it's about standing firm the values we share."

Just what are those values that are different from the values Obama & his supporters hold? Freedom? Choice? Religious tolerance? Separation of church & state? Doing what's best for the country as a whole over what's best for certain individuals? Values of education, health care, equal opportunity, equal rights, civil rights, voting rights, loyalty, friendship, generosity, defense of the nation?


Hmmm... there's only one thing I can think of, and that has to do with the value of "Clinton winning". Okay... two. Add truthfulness to that.

[mamalone]

15. OK... here's the part I don't understand...

Maybe someone can help me out and explain her reasoning here:

"There's a lot of communication between both of the campaigns all the time. I don't know how specific it is, but we have very open lines of communication...

If there is a "lot of communication between both of the campaigns all the time" and they have "very open lines of communication," then how can she possibly not know how specific those communications are?

[DogPoundPup]

17. It's the Bushwhaaa kinda talk, ya' know.?..we're just dummies

and they's got to explain all this stuff to us and they just get tired of explainin' this stuff cause this stuff is just way over our heads...cause they really think they know...we're just dummies...to dumb to to understand their DOUBLETALK!

[BklynChick]

16. just remember the debate when she kissed his ass and then starting throwing the kitchen sink the

next day. I don't believe a word she says about party unity. everything she has done up until this point contradicts that message.

[Zachstar]

18. Sounds like endgame but more likely she got word that a number of her supers are going to switch.

[Clear Blue Sky]

19. No wonder the super delegates weren't taking her calls...

[MagickMuffin]

21. Hillary top adviser Harold Ickes was on the call, too.

Some noteworthy tidbits from the call:

* Ickes claimed that there was no discussion internally on the campaign of the possibility that she would angle for a veep slot. "There's no talk within the Hillary campaign about that," Ickes said in response to a questioner.

* Ickes came under questioning from a super-delegate who said he would have "a problem" if she didn't win the pledged del count or the popular vote, and declined to say what she would do. Indeed, he repeatedly maintained that she would still be ahead in the popular vote at the end of the contest, Florida and Michigan included, and predicted flatly that she would be behind by less than 100 delegates at the end of the voting.


Are they talking about the DLC?.?.?

That seems to be the only part of the party they care about.

I don't really think they care about the Democratic Party and whether it unites or not.

[Catherina]

22. Waterloo