In her concession speech on Saturday, Clinton asked her supporters to rally behind Obama. She drew attention to the historic battle they waged between the first serious female presidential candidate and possibly the first black president.
Most in the crowd roared their approval when Clinton mentioned Obama’s name, though there were boos and jeers from the third-level balcony that hung over the hall. Some of her supporters tried to drown out those boos by clapping louder.
So bitter are some of the former first lady's supporters to her defeat that in a CNN poll released Friday, while a 60 percent majority of Clinton supporters said they would vote for Obama, 17 percent said they would vote for McCain in November and 22 percent, said they would not vote at all.
Other polls showed that older white women, particularly old-line feminists such as former Representative Geraldine Ferraro (D-New York), were most resistant to supporting Obama. They formed the backbone of Clinton's support and are deeply angered by Clinton's loss, which many feminists blame on sexism and misogyny.
This group may prove the most difficult for Clinton to convince to vote for Obama in November. But would they actually vote for McCain -- especially if they knew that the Arizona senator, contrary to his maverick image, has a perfect Senate record opposing women's reproductive-freedom rights?
Only time will tell.
Volume III, Number 37
Copyright 2008, Skeeter Sanders. All rights reserved.
Most in the crowd roared their approval when Clinton mentioned Obama’s name, though there were boos and jeers from the third-level balcony that hung over the hall. Some of her supporters tried to drown out those boos by clapping louder.
So bitter are some of the former first lady's supporters to her defeat that in a CNN poll released Friday, while a 60 percent majority of Clinton supporters said they would vote for Obama, 17 percent said they would vote for McCain in November and 22 percent, said they would not vote at all.
Other polls showed that older white women, particularly old-line feminists such as former Representative Geraldine Ferraro (D-New York), were most resistant to supporting Obama. They formed the backbone of Clinton's support and are deeply angered by Clinton's loss, which many feminists blame on sexism and misogyny.
This group may prove the most difficult for Clinton to convince to vote for Obama in November. But would they actually vote for McCain -- especially if they knew that the Arizona senator, contrary to his maverick image, has a perfect Senate record opposing women's reproductive-freedom rights?
Only time will tell.
Volume III, Number 37
Copyright 2008, Skeeter Sanders. All rights reserved.
