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Hillary to 2,000 in West Palm Beach: 'Close the deal' for Obama
By GEORGE BENNETT
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 20, 2008
WEST PALM BEACH — Speaking to many of her Democratic primary supporters, Hillary Clinton this afternoon urged a crowd of nearly 2,000 retirees to work hard for Barack Obama's election.
"Now is the time to close the deal for Barack Obama and close the book on eight years of failed Republican leadership," Clinton said during a rally at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. The event was sponsored by the labor-backed Alliance for Retired Americans.
Presidential race
In Florida's Jan. 29 Democratic primary, Clinton got 61 percent of the vote in Palm Beach County to only 27 percent for Obama. Some of her backers have voiced doubts about Obama, and Republican John McCain's campaign has tried to woo former Clinton supporters.
"I know that some of you worked very hard for me and supported me," Clinton said. "I am here today to ask you to work just as hard for Barack Obama and Joe Biden for the next 15 days."
Clinton repeatedly lumped McCain with unpopular President Bush.
"John McCain may not be George Bush, but his policies are the Bush-Cheney policies," Clinton said.
Obama leads McCain in national polls and in many key states, including Florida.
"Just because the polls show us ahead don't pay any attention to that," Clinton said. "We need you to vote. We need you to early vote. We need you to bring your friends and your neighbors to vote."
Paula Gold Chalef, a retired attorney from Lantana who supported Clinton in the primary, brought a "Hillary for the Supreme Court" sign to the rally.
"I was very disappointed" when Clinton lost, she said. "But I was immediately ready to support Obama."
Retired teacher Sandy Raizin of Boynton Beach said she's also gotten behind Obama after supporting Clinton.
"I had to think about it. But then I felt that he was very qualified, very smart, his ideology was very similar to mine, especially pro-choice," Raizin said.
Marvin and Claire Herschaft, who live west of Delray Beach, said they both considered supporting McCain after it became clear Clinton wouldn't be the Democratic nominee.
The Herschafts, who are Jewish, said they consider McCain a stronger friend of Israel.
"I was and still am concerned about (Obama's) policy, what it would be toward Israel," said Claire Herschaft.
But, Marvin Herschaft concluded, "McCain is too much like Bush."