Fresh from getting trounced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the New Hampshire primary — 59.5 percent to 38.8 percent, with 77 percent reporting — Hillary Clinton insisted she is “going to win the nomination and then win this election together.”
Appearing with Bill and Chelsea Clinton, Hillary told a crowd of supporters that “people have every right to be angry, but they are also hungry — they’re hungry for solutions.”
“What is the best way to change people’s lives so we can all grow together? Who is the best change-maker?” she said. “I will work harder than anyone to actually make the changes that make your lives better.”
Clinton took stabs at issues that are key platforms of Sanders, such as campaign finance reform. She declared that the Citizens United case “was a right-wing attack on me and my campaign.”
She promised “human rights across the board for every single American” — gay rights, women’s rights, voting rights — and acknowledged, “I know I have some work to do, particularly with young people, but I will repeat again what I have said this week: Even if they are not supporting me now, I support them.”
Indeed, Sanders beat Hillary with every demographic in exit polls: women and men, voters with and without college degrees, moderates, liberals, gun owners and those without guns.
“I know I have had a blessed life but I also know what it’s like to stumble and fall. And so many people across America know that feeling,” she said. “And we’ve learned it’s not whether you get knocked down that matters, it’s whether you get back up.”
“…We have got to believe in the basic proposition of our country when all Americans have the chance to succeed, when each of us has the opportunity to live up to our own God-given potential. Then and only then can America live up to its potential as well.”
Sanders gave a full-length stump speech to a raucous crowd, noting at the opening that “shortly after polls closed Secretary Clinton called” to conceded.
“I thanked her for her call and congratulated her and her supporters for the vigorous campaign they ran here,” he said.
The senator said the primary results underscored that “the government of our great country belongs to all the people and not just a handful of wealthy campaign contributors and their super PACs.” He also stressed that “what appears to be a record-breaking voter turnout” propelled his victory.
“Because of a huge voter turnout — and I say yuuuge — we won,” Sanders said, a reference to his “Saturday Night Live” reference to Donald Trump. “Because we harnessed energy and excitement that the Democratic Party will need to succeed in November.”
He added that the “enthusiastic and aroused electorate” is “what will happen all over this country.”
“The people of New Hampshire have sent a message to the political establishment… and, by the way, the media establishment.”
As voters were going to the polls, Clinton’s campaign sent around an MSNBC story stating that Sanders has been a “regular presence,” as a 10-year senator, at “luxurious” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee retreats.
“They’re throwing everything at me but the kitchen sink — and I have a feeling that kitchen sink is coming pretty soon, as well,” Sanders said.
Right after Bernie finished, Trump greeted supporters to celebrate his victory.
With 70 percent of precincts reporting, Trump had 34.4 percent of the vote. Ohio Gov. John Kasich came in second with 16.3 percent, followed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) with 11.6 percent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with 11.2 percent, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) with 10.4 percent.
“We learned a lot about ground games in one week,” Trump said of his campaign team. Acknowledging his competitors, he noted “we have some real talent in the Republican Party.”
He attributed his win in part to his connections in New Hampshire. “I have so many friends up here and they are special special people… you started it, remember you started it.”
Trump said in caught the tail end of Sanders’ speech. “In all fairness we have to congratulate him… he wants to give away our country, folks.”
“I am going to be the greatest jobs president that God ever created,” he said.
Kasich got the final televised speech of the evening, declaring “there’s something that’s going on that I’m not sure anybody can understand– there’s magic in the air with this campaign.”
“Tens of millions spent against us with negative advertising — we never went negative because we had more good to sell than to spend our time getting critical of someone else,” Kasich said.
“Maybe, just maybe, we’re turning the page on a dark part of American politics, because tonight the light overcame the darkness of negative campaigning.”
Kasich stressed that his campaign going forward will be about solving problems “not by being extreme Americans” but by “shining up America… listening and healing and helping bring people together to fix our great country.”
“If you don’t have a seatbelt, go get one!” the governor added.
Always hate losing, but big thanks to our fantastic @HillaryforNH team and all of our supporters. Congrats @BernieSanders.
— John Podesta (@johnpodesta) February 10, 2016
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