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The XX Factor: Slate women blog about politics, etc...
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Dead Voter, Live Candidate
It was Zen Hillary who stepped to the podium tonight after her big win in West Virginia, where she spoke in modulated tones about money, death, and a campaign that may seem eternal but is "just an instant in time.'' Alas, a Clinton supporter named Florence Steen, who was born before women had the right to vote, and "asked that an absentee ballot be brought to her hospice bedside,'' did not live to see Election Day. "Florence passed on a few days ago,'' Hillary announced at her victory party, and the crowd responded, "Awwww ...'' But, she said, Steen's family gave her the parting gift of an "important milestone'' by helping Florence cast a ballot for her. Heavy, for a crowd that came to celebrate, a pitch to historians more than to voters. And the whole dying woman narrative an unexpected choice for someone who's trying to prove her campaign is not on a ventilator.
Even her fund-raising pitch was subdued, and she sounded like an easy-listening version of herself as she hit all the recent talking points, minus any negative mention of Barack Obama. Her supporters at Charleston's Civic Center were on the quiet side, too, and silent as—well, you know—at every mention of her Democratic rival; when she said she and Obama had "always stood together on what was most important'' no one clapped that I could hear. And in the bleachers waiting for the Hillster to arrive, there was considerable disagreement about whether it would be better to stay home on Election Day, or settle for Barack Obama in November if Clinton doesn't get the nomination.
"I won't vote period if she doesn't get it, and I've got a big family and none of them will vote for Obama, either,'' said Carroll Ramsey, who was with his 12-year-old grandson and cast himself as a reverse ageist: "I've been in this old world for 63 years and he doesn't have the experience." The hairdresser sitting in front of him agreed: "I didn't care for all that church stuff with his preacher,'' said Dorothy Chapman, "and really, I don't think he's got enough oomph. He could change my vote, I guess, but he'd have to do some high talkin'.''
"Well, I'm a lesbian,'' said another supporter, Nancy Toney, as heads swiveled, "and these Republicans are not homosexual friendly, so hell yes I would'' vote for Obama in the fall. "I had to go with the woman, but I like both of them.''
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