In Nevada, Clinton’s team shoots from stoic to jubilant

Even as New Hampshire looked bleak, they campaigned away

Tiffany Brown

Clinton communications staff checks New Hampshire primary results Tuesday from the “war room” at Las Vegas campaign headquarters.

By David McGrath Schwartz

Wed, Jan 9, 2008 (2 a.m.)

The scream heard throughout the office complex came as the vote in New Hampshire showed that Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign wasn’t dying.

After a day of stoicism and low expectations, Clinton’s Nevada campaign headquarters erupted into shouts, hugs and high-fives on Tuesday.

“The game is tied, baby,” one Nevada staff member shouted. “Bring it here.”

In the early evening, staff and volunteers at the Tropicana Avenue headquarters had been pessimistic about the New York senator’s chances in New Hampshire. They girded themselves for a last stand in Nevada they hoped would slow the surging candidacy of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

As the returns from New Hampshire trickled in, a few volunteers and staff members worked phones to shore up support among Clinton voters. That room had no television. The workers had no Internet access.

But they knew the early line against their candidate as the people they called asked whether Clinton would stay in the race.

“No matter what happens in New Hampshire, we’re still working hard here in Nevada,” staff member Agnes Terry said into a phone.

Then as televisions elsewhere in the complex showed New Hampshire tallies favoring Clinton, word quickly reached the telephone crew. “What are the voters doing?” one staffer asked when results from 10 percent of precincts showed Clinton with a slight lead over Obama.

As the trend continued, two workers high-fived.

Clinton’s senior staff bunkered behind closed doors as the returns came in. Only after news outlets declared Clinton the winner did they emerge, shouting into cell phones as they called Clinton supporters to share the sudden excitement.

“Reporters are going to have to rewrite all their stories,” Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, chairman of Clinton’s Nevada campaign, said with relish. “We’ll have the momentum in Nevada.”

Before that, Clinton and others had pointed to the differences between Nevada and the two earlier states that, even without momentum from New Hampshire, they thought could lead to a Clinton win.

Clinton’s team worked hard to secure endorsements in Nevada. They think their campaign strategy, focused on regular voters, is smarter than Obama’s strategy of reaching out to unproven voters. Nevada has a smaller share of registered independent voters, who have given Obama boosts elsewhere.

“There’s still a long way to go,” Clinton volunteer Liz Carrasco said.

Discussion: 25 comments so far…

By Maite

1/11/08 at 7:48 a.m.

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Clinton has taken $567,950 from lobbyists. Obama has taken $76,859. Who do you think will stand with the unions, Clinton, beholden to corporations, or Obama, who has walked picket lines with union members?
By efranklin

1/11/08 at 8:22 a.m.

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There goes that media spin, out to ruin those poor Clintons. Give me a break. Looks like a tie to me. Delgates won in New Hampshire:

Clinton - 9
Obama - 9

Obama has the momentum. Estimated pledged delegates:

Obama - 25
Clinton - 24
By Girly_Girl

1/11/08 at 8:33 a.m.

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Hillary Clinton is going to be our next President.

Viva Hillary!
By kindacurious

1/11/08 at 12:34 p.m.

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Hillary made the Judicial Watch's top of the most corrupt politician list for 2007. Let's hope we don't get more of the same old Bush-Clinton-Bush Clinton establishment. Hillary would be toxic for our country.
By NewYorker

1/11/08 at 1:07 p.m.

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Obama will be the next president. He is the change we need in this country. Our Healthcare system is broken, our energy policy is broken, our educational System is broken, our Economy is headed into a tail spin and, china is rapidly becoming the most powerful country in the world. Climate change and the environment are putting this country on a course for disaster. The next 3 to 5 years is terrifying. We need a new direction, we need new energy, we need to take strong action, Obama offers us that. Hilary will maintain the status quo, even while the world around us is collapsing.
By Salvador

1/11/08 at 1:24 p.m.

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If Obama had any kind of experience I would agree with you NewYorker, but since he has not set out any detailed plans on how he would bring about the change needed, he will not get my vote!

We do need someone like Hillary Clinton who has been bringing change for 35 years and has proven that she can bring change and not just talk about it. Under Bill Clinton's presidency we recovered from a week economy and he restored our education, he brought about more jobs and was able to bring unemployment to its lowest percentage in decades. So, I do want some more of the Clinton years. I want some of those accomplishment from the nineties back, our country was on the right track and then came Bush and ruined everything.

Hillary is the only person qualified to bring about change from day one! Don't get caught up the by the media hype surrounding Obama he is simply not ready to become President, he is an experiment that we can not afford!
By WorkingMommy3

1/11/08 at 1:53 p.m.

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Dear All

I want change all right. I want to change back to the Clinton days - strong economy, fiscal responsibility, pride in our place in the world.

No more Democrat Misses - No more Gore-Miss, No more Kerry-Miss. I want the Democrats to Win this time. My vote is with Clinton.
By lvdream

1/11/08 at 1:53 p.m.

(Removed by the site staff)
By onari

1/11/08 at 2:43 p.m.

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new Yorker,

You want another George Bush in White House? I dont think the US can afford another experiment after GW ... lets be smart about it...too many things to fix after GW's presidency that needs a lot of hard work and experience.
By coble1960

1/11/08 at 3:44 p.m.

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hillary has done more for us New Yorkers than any Bushes in the White House has did in the years they cheated to get in the White House, Hillary is good for this Country all you naysayers, please take a back seat and shut up REPUBLICANS and take this butt kicking.
By pareshsmruti

1/11/08 at 4:10 p.m.

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Agreed Coble1960. Also kindacurious, stop false advertizing.

Barak Obama has been exposed couple times but the blind media is ignoring it. Is media sexist? I didn't see anybody raising eye brow over edward, obama gangbanging on Hillary in the last debate. Also Edwards was sliding with Obama with not enough substance in his arguments. Is he trying to become vice president again?

When the developing countries like India, Pakistan, Sri lanka and Bangladesh can have female presidents / Prime ministers, why can't we - the oldest democracy? Why we still have people who shouts and displays "iron my shirts" in Hilary campaign? Things like this will make Hilary victorious as we saw in NH in the record turn out by women.

Also when clintons were popular during Bill's last term, there were many rumours and support for Hilary to nominate, but she chose the right course. She spent next 6-7 years being senator and proved herself and she earned her nomination.

Go Hilary.

Beware republics, Hillary is coming.
By UnionGRL

1/11/08 at 8:01 p.m.

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Seriously, How can anyone vote for this: http://www.xpress4me.com/images/08/01/09...
By rose

1/11/08 at 8:45 p.m.

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If Hillary and those other cowardly Democrats hadn't voted for the war,4000 families would not have lost their son,daughter,brother,sister,wife husband,etc,and thousands of soldiers would not be in the hospital,some without their limbs!!

Those billions of dollars that are spent on the war each month,could have been to fix schools,help people with their insurance,help kids with their college tuition and to help people to hold on to their home.
By larigraham

1/11/08 at 9:31 p.m.

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Clinton and Richardson in 2008. The unbeatable team!
By stanjz

1/11/08 at 9:47 p.m.

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What major legislation can Hillary claim to have passed? Even if we let her have experience; that doesn't equal ability.
The world is filled with experienced people. What the world is missing is rare people like Barack Obama. We are just getting done with a person who leveraged his name to get to be president. Why let that same thing happen again?
By ADR

1/11/08 at 11:14 p.m.

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Please be aware, paid Clinton shills are all over the web. They are called "Cloggers" They pretend to be ordinary folks backing Hillary or telling people not to abandon John Edwards. Here in Nevada their pretending to be hispanic or working moms. Hillary is one of the most corrupt politicians in Washington. Search for-- The Center for Responsive Government-- a non-partisan group-see how much money and favors Hillary gets from lobbyist.
By footballfan

1/12/08 at 7:23 a.m.

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I made a blog. I am a regular guy and i am not pretending when i post negative Obama facts. The media missed them so someone has to help get the facts out.
By rose

1/12/08 at 9:15 a.m.

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To All Hillary voters:

If Hillary wins,and you have a daughter,I hope she does NOT work as an intern in the whitehouse.
By Seattle

1/12/08 at 11:46 a.m.

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I mean seriously - do we want 24 years of presidents that recycle the old workings? The same corruption - the same problems and the same approach? Yes, Bill did a great job - I'm a huge fan. There's no doubt in my mind Hillary could do a great job too - however - isn't it a time for a change in American politics? This is a dirty business, politics. Lots of things will be said and challenged in the next couple months. When it comes down to it though It's time to start something fresh and different. Obama's plan is clear, concise, and well thought out. It's not a "Fairytale". It's real, concise, and well thought out.

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlue...
By Carolyn

1/12/08 at 1:07 p.m.

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Google voter fraud in New Hampshire.
By rose

1/12/08 at 5:43 p.m.

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She (Hillary)raised eyebrows in New Hampshire when she credited President Lyndon Baines Johnson, not the assassinated John F. Kennedy or King, for passing civil rights legislation.

Hillary said-Sen. Obama used President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to criticize me,” she said. “Basically compared himself to two of our greatest heroes. He basically said that President Kennedy and Dr. King had made great speeches and that speeches were important. Well, no one denies that. But if all there is (is) a speech, then it doesn’t change anything.”
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Hillary should hang her head in shame!!