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On the Trail: Hillary Clinton hears "incredible personal stories"
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By TRENT SPINER
Union Leader Correspondent
Friday, Dec. 28, 2007
For New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, there is something energizing about shaking hands with hundreds of people each day on the campaign trail.
"I hear these incredible personal stories," she said in an interview. "Some of them are about the needs people face themselves and some of them are about the larger world, but it's like a snapshot."
With her daughter and mother in tow, Clinton spent last weekend on a barnstorming tour through the state, at some stops drawing more than 600 people.
"I always try to look people in the eye -- I always try to get a sense of them -- it is amazing what people will say in 30 seconds," she said. "If you could film it, it would be this quick-moving video of people's lives and them opening up their hearts to me. That gives me much more insight into what is going on with people's lives than anything I could read."
At stops in Manchester, Milford and Keene, Clinton said she looked to turn some of her own energy back around onto undecided voters. For days leading up to the senator's arrival, campaign workers arranged for mothers and their voting-age daughters to meet with Clinton in groups of a few dozen.
After waiting in line outside, the women were greeted by two mothers who talked about their own experiences dealing with health care bills for sick children.
Clinton is out to convince voters she will be the president who can bring affordable health care coverage to all Americans. At most campaign stops, health care is the first topic to come up. But for some voters, questions still exist about the viability of her plan: providing to everyone in the country the same level of coverage enjoyed by federal employees, including members of Congress like herself.
During an event earlier this month at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, a wheelchair-bound Linda Zarrella, 41, of Nashua, met Clinton for the first time while surrounded by a half-dozen Secret Service agents.
"I have experienced socialized medicine firsthand and it was disastrous," said Zarrella, who was diagnosed with lupus after she fell ill on a vacation with her husband in Italy. While in a hospital in Rome, she described the "nightmare of socialized medicine" where she went three days without care from a doctor and was forced to clean herself, although bedridden.
She wanted an assurance from Clinton that her plan to provide health care for every American would not create the same situation.
"I do not think socialized medicine, as it is understood, is what we want in our country," said Clinton. "We want a system that provides choices; Americans love choices."
She said her plan would not be government-run. Instead it would allow individuals to choose between 250 insurance providers.
Tim Judd, who also met Clinton for the first time last weekend at a diner in Milford, said health-care costs for his small business cost him more than 10 percent of his overall sales.
"Health-care costs have become a huge issue," he told Clinton. "It has become unbelievably expensive to do business, I spend almost $100,000 on health care every month for my employees."
He said he would support anything to bring the cost down.
With terrorism, the war in Iraq and economic issues on the minds of voters, Clinton will soon find out where health care ranks, with only six days to go before Iowa's caucuses and 11 days before New Hampshire's primary.
Until then, Clinton said she plans to stay away from junk food between campaign stops and try to get enough sleep while campaigning almost every day for the next few weeks.
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YOUR COMMENTS
after 92yrs and a half of this planets
existance
it is my humble opinion that no matter
who wins the white house ,be a dem or
a republican , if they do not have
enough representation in the house or
or the senate . they will and only sit on the throne for four
years accommplishing nothing.
- richard f odkin, manchester n.h.
I find it incredibly that at this late date there are people who still believe in the "toothfairy." Queen Hillary continues to promise something for everybody, which will cost at least another trillion dollars. Then again, she does say she won't be able to do evrything. Will the real Billary please stand up.
- Jim Balitsos, Norwalk, CT
Hillary clinton is the most qualified candidate in the democratic race. She is well respected throughout the world and can step into the job on day one. Her foreign policy experience far surpasses the other candidates and I plan to vote for her.
At this time in our country we do not need a candidate that does not have the experience to bring about change or does not know how to deal with our adversaries. I'm tired of the past 8 years in isolation.
Hillary Clinton has the most extensive healthcare plan of all the candidates, she will be the best at handling our troubled economy.
I hope NH does the right thing on Jan 8 and vote for the candidate with the best experience - HILLARY CLINTON.
- Dawn Holden, Manchester
There is a move in NH to draft Al Gore in that primary by writing his name in. If he were to win in NH he would likely sweep subsequent primaries and win the general election. He is a proven leader, respected around the world, and has tons of experience in the executive and legislative branches of government. Al leads with one eye on the future in order to initiate change while there is still time to head off a problem or create an opportunity. He could bring peace to the middle east, restore our nation's place among the nations of the world. Al has been around long enough to know enough talented managers and leaders to staff his White House and the executive offices with highly qualified and capable management teams. He can reach out to the Republicans as well as unite the Democrats. If Al were to recruit Obama as his VP the Democrats would have 16 years in the White House to fix what the Republicans have broken. There is no one else in the field that comes close to being as qualified for the job of President of the United States as Al Gore. If Al were to win without running he would enter the White House owing no one, big business, defense industry, fat cat, no one, but the American people. It is up to NH to put this man on the road to the White House.
- donald Moushegian, Alexandria, Virginia
You don't need a long memory to be a Democrat, you just need to read the headlines everyday and watch the Republican scandals unfold. It's time to vote for the best candidate for the job at hand, and that is Hillary Clinton.
- Sue Ellen Alexander, Manchester
Finally, Hilliary is trying like mad to show a personal warm side. Unfortunately, She doesn't have one. It took several months but it's my opinion and also the opinion of political experts that Hilliary is losing ground in the polls more and more as people get to know her better. She is known for flip flopping on the issues and specifically saying what people want to hear Vs. her real opinion. She has no foreign affairs experience whatsoever and thats a very needed quality right now. I think the time IS HERE for a Woman to win the White House, just not Hilliary Clinton.
- Bob Ahern, Derry
I find it most interesting that the (Billary) Clinton campaign has sworn off 'going negative' on the campaign trail. To the gullible, starry eyed and misinformed, this tack would seem most ladylike, noble and admirable.
The real reason she has sworn off overt, legtimately negative campaign tactictics is because her closet is full of negatives: healthcare reform failure as First Lady (a post she was not 'elected' to directly); TravelGate, Whitewater and other instances ad nauseum. Don't be fooled, she has a well oiled smear machine at work 24/7 in the bowels of some rented mill space not far from a downtown near you.
I find the Clinton's conniving and repulsive politically and ideologically. God will have to decide their morality.
I Think, therefore I Vote: Republican!
- Rick Lavallee, ManchTown
Obama and the Republicans sound the same trying to beat up on Hillary. Her record, and especially if you have met her in person would convince you that she would be our next best president. I am a former "Reagan Republican" now independent.
- Robert James, Clarksville
I fully agree with both Ed and Bud and believe more people need to have better memories. The Clintons are liars and will promise anything to get what they want, not what is in the best interest of the country. Unbelieveable acting! She failed before because of a lack of experiance and she lives with a someone who was almost impeached for lying under oath. What does this tell you?!
- Karen Williams, Newmarket, NH
Here's the problem that I see...
Obama, even though 'fresh' and lacking experience, I believe that with working with the right people, he can overcome many of the obstacles that Hillary is claiming he'd run into. However, with Obama there is most likely the opportunity for real change to happen.
With Hillary boasting about her 'experience' in the white house and in politics, is she referring to her ability to milk the system for her own benefit? Is she claiming that she'll also give the same number of presidential pardons as her husband did ON THE LAST DAY OF HIS PRESIDENCY? That was the largest in American History!
Hillary is corrupt and obviously the run for the White House is strictly to benefit her (and family / friends) financially ONLY.
Anyone who votes for Hillary doesn't really understand her history.
Obama 2008!! (Stop Hillary!)
- Bud Thomas, Manchester
Hilliary Clinton was smack in the middle of the Whitewater and Madison Guaranty scandal, but today's reporters and Democrats only seem interested in who said what today. Hilliary was in Filegate too, when they improperly obtained some 400 to 700 FBI reports on political operatives. Doesn't anyone remember Travelgate, when Hilliary made factually false statements in that situation where the Clintons fired long-time Travel Office employees so they could put in their own cronies? Who hasn't read accounts of how both Clintons mistreated their Marine Honor Guards and their own Secret Service agents? Doesn't Vince Foster, Webster Hubbell, and the Rose Law firm (where Hilliary became a partner) ring a bell? Who precisely looted the White House of furniture and silverware when they left, after abusing the Lincoln Bedroom like a Motel 6? Hilliary was involved to some extent in all the above scandals. Hilliary-care with all our tax money? Yes, we Republican Elephants have loooooong memories. Please re-defeat communism: Stop Hilliary.
- Ed Holdgate, Sandown, NH
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