Hillary as Al Gore?
Posted: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 3:48 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ’s Mike Memoli
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Hillary Clinton painted the delegate disputes in Florida and Michigan as the latest in a long history of fights for voting rights, and said that if Democrats fail to count these states’ votes, the party will “pay not only a moral cost but a political cost.”
Clinton referred to the nation’s founding, the abolitionist movement, suffragists and civil rights activists, and even the 2000 Florida recount in outlining how long people have fought for the principle that every person’s voice should be heard.
“Because of those who have come before, Sen. Obama and I and so many of you have this precious right today,” she said. “Because of all that has been done, we are in this historic presidential election, and I believe that both Sen. Obama and myself have an obligation as potential Democratic nominees, in fact, we all have an obligation as Democrats, to carry on this legacy and ensure that in our nominating contest, every voice is heard and every single vote is counted.”
Clinton came here to Palm Beach County -- the “epicenter” of the recount controversy -- and to this specific senior center where she appeared nine months ago, to argue that for Democrats to now stand in the way of voting rights would belie the party’s principles.
“To do so would undermine the very purpose of the nominating process: to ensure that as many Democrats as possible can cast their votes, to ensure that the party selects a nominee who truly represents the will of the voters, and to ensure that the Democrats take back the White House to rebuild America,” she said. “Now I’ve heard some say that counting Florida and Michigan would be changing the rules. I say that not counting Florida and Michigan is changing a central governing rule of this country, that whenever we can understand the clear intent of the voters, their vote should be counted.”
And specifically referring to the Florida recount, she said she remembered when people argued that votes “should be discounted over technicalities.”
And in a way, she compared her fate to that of Al Gore’s.
“We believe the popular vote is the truest expression of your will,” she said. “We believe it today just as we believed it back in 2000 when right here in Florida, you learned the hard way what happens when your votes aren’t counted, and the candidate with fewer votes is declared the winner. The lesson of 2000 here in Florida is crystal clear. If any votes aren’t counted, the will of the people isn’t realized and our democracy is diminished. That’s what I’ve always believed.”
Clinton urged those in the crowd to visit her Web site and add their names to a petition urging the DNC to move to count the delegates.
“I’m here today because I believe we should keep that faith, listen to your voices, and count every single one of your votes,” she said. “If we fail to do so I worry that we will pay not only a moral cost, but a political cost as well. We know the road to a Democratic White House runs right through Florida and Michigan. If we care about winning those states in November we need to count your votes now. If Democrats send a message that we don’t fully value your votes, we know that Senator McCain and the Republicans will be more than happy to have them.”
