Hillary Clinton just barely secured the double-digit lead she needed in the Pennsylvania primary to justify staying in the race. But that victory has done nothing to resolve the stalemate between the two Democratic candidates, and, as Obama and Clinton supporters rallying in Philadelphia on primary night have shown, the divide between the two camps has grown into a political chasm.
Story Transcript
MATTHEW PALEVSKY, JOURNALIST, TRNN: I’m at Senator Clinton’s victory party here in Pennsylvania. People are saying she needed to win by double digits for this really to be a win for her. Hillary Clinton supporters behind me are chanting, “Victory, victory in double digits.” But people are wondering: is she hurting the Party by staying in it?
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PALEVSKY: How does Hillary come back? She’s down by over 100 delegates.
STREETER 1: Hillary’s a fighter. Hillary’s going to take it all the way. Hillary’s going to be the next president of the United States.
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STREETER 2: I don’t really think it’s a question of what she needs to do to come back; I think it’s a question of her being the best candidate. I’m not here because of the numbers or any of that; we’re all here because we know she’s the best candidate with the best experience and, really, just the best plans for America. So I don’t think that’s a question I can answer.
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STREETER 3: Even if she did win, but in November come, I’m not voting for her. I’m giving up everything. And, hopefully, future–Obama, you know–then we can make something happen.
PALEVSKY: Why wouldn’t you vote for her? She’s the Democratic candidate if she wins?
STREETER 3: Okay. Well, personally, I was going for Obama. And I don’t believe that a woman should basically run a country right now.
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STREETER 4: Just because Bill’s her husband or whatever, that don’t mean a thing. Hillary can’t go over to Iraq and talk some sense into the Muslims and say, “Look [inaudible],” What do they believe in? Women ain’t running this country.
STREETER 3: Right.
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STREETER 5: I would have been thrilled if she had a bigger win today. But the fact is that there are more states and territories to come. That’s what the Democratic process is. You know, if the Democratic process were, “Let’s have the first ten states decide who’s going to be the nominee,” then, you know, I don’t think the public would accept that. But that’s what the media’s been telling us should happen: if the first ten states go this way, then stop the whole thing.
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PALEVSKY: What if this comes down to the superdelegates? Do you think they *should decide it?
STREETER 6: *It is already down to superdelegates, my friend. They have already decided. There are about 800 super-delegates that are deciding this race. So if you don’t think they’re decided yet, you’re dreaming.
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PALEVSKY: Why wouldn’t you vote for Hillary?
STREETER 7: I think she’s too pro-war in her heart of hearts. I would vote for an antiwar candidate. She is closer to John McCain than to Obama.
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STREETER 8: For me, Obama does not need to win Pennsylvania. Anything less than 10 to 15 percent is a big win. Imagine, he had nothing here. The kind of people we Americans admire is the little guy who had nothing. That’s what America’s spirit, not somebody who has used her used her husband’s resources or somebody who has a rich wife like McCain. Obama, remember, he had nothing. Nothing. But now if he can close the gap by 10 percent, he’s a true American hero.
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STREETER 6: No matter who wins this nomination is going to win it only by 51, and it’s going to be the other person that’s losing it is going to lose by 49 percent. Now the Democratic Party has to figure out what it’s going to do with the 49 percent Obama people who are losing. That’s the question: what are we going to do with the 49 percent of Obama people who have lost and they’re not their nominee? Somehow we have to think about bringing people together. But at this point, I don’t know what we’re going to do, because it does not look good. And I’ll tell you one thing: from what I’ve seen from Senator Obama’s campaign, I will not vote for Senator Obama. After 20 years of voting Democratic all my adult life, I will not vote for Obama. I don’t care if Hillary tells me to.
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PALEVSKY: What has happened that this has gotten so divisive?
STREETER 5: I was standing over there, on the other side of the street, on that corner over there, having a civil conversation with Obama supporters, who were cheering rowdily for Obama. But this is America—they’re allowed to do that. I was having a conversation with one guy when another guy came up, pointed to my Hillary Clinton button, and said, “If she wins, I’m going to vote for her in November.” And I was about to say the same thing back to him, that I would vote for Obama in November to get a Democrat in the White House, when the cops came over and yanked me out of there and said I’m not allowed to stand on that side of the street and have a civil conversation with my fellow American about the most important decision that we have. I’m sick of the way everybody is separating everybody and segregating everybody. I’m not just a white man, or, you know, she’s not just a white woman; they’re not just black men. This is America. We’re all in this together.
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