The Silence Was Deafening-From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

[Ichingcarpenter]

(CBS)
From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

AKRON, OHIO -- Hillary Clinton made a stop at the Lockheed Martin plant in Akron today, but about the only thing that was hot in the room were the reactors working in the plant. Clinton received an awkwardly chilly reception at the plant, so much so that upon taking the stage the music was cut short because the crowd was just standing there watching her and no longer clapping.

Clinton started her speech by offering her “prayers” to the family members of those who lost loved ones at the shooting at University of Northern Illinois. “I was deeply saddened by the terrible shooting that occurred,” said Clinton.

Clinton then began laying out her standard stump speech and when she reached key applause lines like wanting to build up America’s manufacturing plants or offering universal health care or even building America’s national defense programs, there was nothing but silence.

In fact, Clinton’s first applause came 11 minutes into a 12 minute speech when she said she would bring troops home from Iraq. Clinton quickly wrapped up her speech following the applause.

A campaign spokesman denied that she cut her remarks short and said that Clinton met with supporters and delivered her points of her speech.

Having been to more Clinton events than I care to remember, this was by far the shortest speech and most silent reception I can recall.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/02/15/politics/fromtheroad/entry3838333.shtml

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. LOL

I was listening to a clip of Bush talking today at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art. He was getting the same sort of reception.

[hogwyld]

18. kick! n/t

[Spider Jerusalem]

2. Ouch.

And these are the voters she's supposed to connect with, too.

No wonder she's writing off Ohio.

[WCGreen]

33. I don't think she is writing off Ohio...

She is far ahead in the local polling and she has a whole slew of prominent elected Dem's on her side...

The unions here in Ohio love her...

She is slipping and if she does lose Ohio, she will have to think seriously about giving up...

[Kittycat]

40. "The unions here in Ohio love her..."

:spray:

[JimGinPA]

3. Ouch

That must have been painful.

[liberalhistorian]

4. My family still lives in Ohio and my mom said

that a lot of people she's talked to, even older women, are going to be voting for Obama. I still think she might take Ohio, but it's going to be closer and more of a struggle than she would like. I was pleased to hear that.

[Cha]

5. Wonder what happened?

She's gonna bring home the troops she helped send there? That's nice of her. Isn't that like the bill that she voted for but glad it didn't pass only this one did with deadly repercussions?

[truedelphi]

51. It also doesn'thelp to be Mrs. NAFTA

The people in that plant had jobs, but I bet they know a lot of friends and family memebrs that now work at say, a convenience store rather than a Union job.

You can't support Globalization for eight years and then pretend you are for the workers of this country.

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. I was rather surprised by this considering her defense contractor contributions

My reaction was the same of many which was Yikes.....


Defense Industry Embraces Democrats, Hillary By Far The Favorite


Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop-Grumman, Raytheon and General Dynamics -- gave Democratic presidential candidates $103,900, with only $86,800 going to Republicans.

Senator Clinton took in $52,600, more than half of the total going to all Democrats, and a figure equaling 60 percent of the sum going to the entire GOP field. Her closest competitor for defense industry money is former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R.), who raised $32,000.

Insofar as defense workers making political donations reflect the interests of their employers, the contributions clearly suggest that the arms industry has reach the conclusion that Democratic prospects for 2008 are very good indeed. Since their profits are so heavily dependent on government contracts, companies in this field want to be sure they do not have hostile relations with the White House.

The strong support for Clinton indicates that a majority of defense industry executives currently believe Clinton is a favorite to win the Democratic nomination and, in November, 2008, the general election.

>>>>snip


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/17/defense-industry-embraces_n_68927.html

[sueragingroz]

30. I tell you... the MIC knows that she is their biggest threat

She is going to be a much more liberal president than she has been in her path to get there.

Every vote that she has taken, every thing that she has done in the last several years has been with a view to a General Election which is why she is having such a tough time these days in a "partisan" primary race.

They know what she has in store for them and they aren't happy about it.

I'm actually quite happy that the MIC didn't give her a warm reception.

[Ichingcarpenter]

31. So you are saying the MIC gave her the most money

out of all of the combined democratic or republican candidates
because she is a threat to their industries?

Let me think about that one for second.......

Nope, I really can't see the convoluted logic that can make that work.

[rox63]

35. It sounds to me like you're saying she's lying on the campaign trail

Painting herself as more conservative than she really is. Tell me how this is supposed to be a good thing, 'cause I can't see it. :shrug:

[Tatiana]

7. These are the celebrated, blue-collar, lower-to-middle income, bread and butter folks, right?

Looks like they might be ready for something DIFFERENT.

Like CHANGE.

Oh, and HOPE too :)

[Leopolds Ghost]

37. HOPE is a word.

HOPE is dead. Disco, however, is NOT dead. Disco is LIFE!

[VolcanoJen]

8. Her events in Cincinnati have been tiny...

... but that's probably because the two events (Chelsie at Sully's Bar downtown and Hillary at Skyline Chili) have been by-invitation-only.

I think it's a real mistake for her not to have public events in southern Ohio already. As I type this, Michelle Obama is at a public rally at Music Hall, for example!

[Yael]

9. By invitation only

You would think that by this point in the campaign the light bulb would click on.

Apparently not.

[VolcanoJen]

11. I find it troubling.

And more than a little Bush-in-2004 for my taste.

[Yael]

12. How can she not see that it is about the people?

That people want to be involved and they are GETTING involved?

There are like, what 12 states left and this still hasn't sunk in?

[Renew Deal]

34. I was thinking the same thing.

How can they have events "by invitation only" at this stage. Hillary's campaign does everything half wrong. She's going to Wisconsin late after doing unhelpful events in Ohio and Texas. Brilliant!

[Hepburn]

53. IMO, the "bright campaign" lightbulb burned out...

...a long time ago for Camp Clinton. So little time, so many mistakes.

JMHO

[stillcool]

32. Hey VolcanoJen...

just wanted to thank you again for your post on Wednesday. Every time I read something about Ohio, I think of it. :hi:

[Kittycat]

41. Invitation Only

Why would you invite people you already know are going to vote for you? Open to the public would mean that people who were actually interested in hearing her positions would have a chance to come out and make a judgment on it.

I wonder if she requires those invited to sign a loyalty card first? Because if this isn't bush-esque, I don't know what is.

[Yael]

10. Thats gotta hurt

[catagory5]

14. @ spider Jeruselum

"No wonder she's writing off Ohio."
You cant be serious? She is up by 20+ in the state. It is time to get off your parents computer and go to bed......

[sniffa]

17. It's time to change your diaper

See how that works? :hi:

[Spider Jerusalem]

20. Ahem:

"Sen. Hillary Clinton last night said she does not view Ohio as a must-win firewall to keep Sen. Barack Obama from winning the Democratic presidential nomination."

Looking for wins in Ohio and Texas on March 4 to regain momentum after eight consecutive primary and caucus losses to Obama, Clinton’s contention that Ohio is not a do-or-die state for her campaign seemed to counter an observation made earlier this week by her chief Ohio supporter, Gov. Ted Strickland. He said that it “would be very difficult for her to proceed to eventual victory without winning Ohio.”

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/02/14/hillaryvisit.html

[KittyWampus]

25. IMO, her internals for Ohio may be looking not-so-rosy.

[Spider Jerusalem]

26. I rather suspect so.

Not a surprise, given Obama's ground organisation in Ohio. And he's actually campaigning in Wisconsin, at the moment; he'll move on to OH after next Tuesday's primaries, and I expect there'll be a bit of movement in those numbers.

[Yael]

29. Breaking: Hillary Clinton said today that winning the nomination wasn't a must win

for winning the nomination.

[XemaSab]

13. Do not ask for whom the bell tolls...

:o

[hogwyld]

15. That's ok since Ohio won't matter either n/t

[LSK]

16. visiting defense contractors plants???

Way to win over the anti-war crowd.

How stupid can you get?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin

"Lockheed Martin is the world's largest defense contractor (by revenue).<1> As of 2005, 95% of Lockheed Martin's revenues came from the United States Department of Defense, other U.S. federal government agencies, and foreign military customers."

[femrap]

19. Wouldn't Lockheed want the war to continue?

They have big defense projects, right? At least they did in CA.

[Ichingcarpenter]

23. That's why the story surprised me

I'm sure the campaign thought the factory was a safe bet for support considering
the financial contributions her campaign had received from defense contractors. But maybe
that money came from upper management and not the workers at the plant.. I don't know. .

[Barack_America]

38. We don't know what they make at that particular plant.

I would doubt that it's anything being directly shipped to Iraq. That would've been foolish given her (current) Iraq stance.

So those workers' jobs may not be affected by the war. But I'm sure that most of them know someone who is serving, has served or has died in the war.

[Carolina]

21. K&R

[Nedsdag]

22. Whoops!

I guess she didn't expect that!

OUCH!

[Olney Blue]

27. Is Barack watching Tweety?

:D

[K Gardner]

24. Eowww.

[grantcart]

28. Houston we have a problem with the firewall

[loveangelc]

36. >:-p

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

39. thunderous rounds of silence

maybe the goal of the Clinton campaign is - to lose.

If Hillary had voted against the Iraq war, she probably would have the nomination.

But she still represents the politics of the past, something we are all very sick of.

[bigtree]

42. Not silence. Listening and speaking to them personally and directly. Not shouting from a podium.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., greets workers as she makes a campaign stop at the Lockheed Martin Plant in Akron, Ohio, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008.

[Araxen]

43. BREAKING NEWS

OHIO DOESN'T COUNT! FILM AT 11!!!

[Triana]

44. You expected different from Lockheed Martin?

I wouldn't have.

[Political Heretic]

45. Yes, I read that too.

Look, I want Obama to win, but I wouldn't expect anything but a chilly reception from Lockheed Martin for either Democrat.

[NMMatt]

47. I'm kind of surprised she would get applause concerning ending the war in Iraq...

Unless, of course, they see the war as competing for defense appropriations dollars.

[mahina]

46. I am sorry to see that it went badly, if that is so.

I actually like and respect Hillary very much.

[VotesForWomen]

48. clue: some people actually don't like the circus tent revival atmosphere favored by obama folks. nt

[CoffeeCat]

50. I see...

So, Hillary's morgue-generated ambiance, is planned---and is deliberately
orchestrated and offered up as an alternative to the lively, crowded Obama
events, filled with engaged supporters?

"I know Hillary! Let's really distinguish ourselves from Obama! Let's
be the exact the opposite of a political movement. We'll be the anti-movement!"

:rofl:

[CoffeeCat]

49. All I can say is.....

[I Vote In Pittsburgh]

52. If true, this is not so much a knock on Clinton as it is on her campaign

After all, it is the campaign managers that schedule these events. It is their responsibility to choose a location favorable for the candidate.