Clinton plans stop in Atlanta
Hillary Clinton will be in Atlanta on Thursday for a closed-door morning fundraiser. No public appearances have been announced.
Hundreds of supporters snaked through security screenings for Hillary Clinton’s first appearance in the South on Wednesday. After the former secretary of state finished her remarks, which included a pledge to bring more pay equity to women, several TV photographers catapulted over tables to try to corner her.
About 120 reporters packed into a Marriott ballroom, dwarfing the contingent that follows Clinton’s rivals in either party, a symbol of a campaign rollout that already has all the trappings of a general election or incumbent president. For example: a rotating press pool because there is not enough room for all the national media.
The early stages of Clinton’s White House bid are marked by small round-table meetings, closed-door fundraisers and straightforward speeches before cozy crowds as Clinton tries to counter the criticism that she seemed withdrawn and aloof in 2008.
But with 10 aides already on the ground in South Carolina and sky-high expectations for next year, there’s nothing small about Clinton’s 2016 campaign.
Few specifics
Clinton’s South Carolina visit was marked by a few more policy specifics for her still-evolving campaign.
She vowed to support more transparency requirements for job openings and again endorsed the Paycheck Fairness Act, a stalled bill that would strengthen equal pay protections for women. Clinton also pledged to raise wages for the lowest-paid jobs in the nation, which she said tend to be held by women.
“We’re going to have to stand up to people who want to keep the deck stacked in favor of those at the top,” Clinton said, adding: “I think transparency when it comes to pay is our friend.”
Her trip was greeted by criticism from Republicans who say her appearances are dry and overly scripted. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Clinton is the candidate for Americans who “want someone who can read a poll-tested line without having to answer questions from real voters.”
The journey underscores the importance of South Carolina in Clinton’s election-year map for winning the Democratic nomination. The South Carolina vote is not only the first in the South, but it’s also the first contest with a large chunk of black voters. More than half of the Democratic electorate in 2008 was black.
A Clinton victory here next year could be a knockout punch to lesser-known rivals. But first she has to put to rest any lingering animosity from the vicious battle in 2008 with Barack Obama.
That primary fight got testy after Bill Clinton called Obama's stance on the Iraq war "the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen" and compared Obama's presidential campaign to Jesse Jackson's failed bid.
Some prominent black leaders saw the remarks as insulting to Obama, and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina’s most influential Democrat, advised the former president to tone down the rhetoric.
After Obama won the contest by nearly 29 percentage points, the former president responded with an angry call to Clyburn. (Clinton later apologized to Clyburn, who is staying neutral in this contest).
Racially tinged politics
At Wednesday’s event, Hillary Clinton didn’t speak of the racially fraught dynamic, but her campaign’s South Carolina strategy was telling.
She started her day here with a private meeting with minority business owners and then a talk with the House Women’s Democratic caucus, whose members are mostly black. And her in-state hires include former Obama aides, and several well-known black leaders dot the list of 3,700 volunteers in South Carolina who have pledged to support Clinton’s bid.
She may yet have plenty more fences to mend. Thelma Boozer, a 79-year-old retired educator who is black, said she was impressed by Clinton — she called the candidate “awesome” — but added that there’s still smoldering resentment to her in the black community.
“I don’t think all is forgotten. I think she may still struggle here,” Boozer said. “But being in her presence today reminds you that she’s human just like we are.”
South Carolina is the last of Clinton’s stops through early primary states, and it has been no stranger to visits by presidential hopefuls with at least 80 visits so far. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a native son, is expected to announce his candidacy next week in a move that could further scramble the contest.
On Wednesday alone, two Republican contenders crisscrossed the state: Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive.
Fiorina, who has earned plenty of media attention for attacking the Democrat, served as a reminder that the target remains squarely on Clinton’s back.
She showed up outside the Marriott Hotel before Clinton’s speech to urge 20 or so reporters to keep up the heat on the Democrat.
“I hope you will continue to be as aggressive with Mrs. Clinton, wherever she is.”
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