Clinton’s college stories get different reaction
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- November
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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton rolled out her effort to recruit college students to volunteer for her presidential campaign Thursday with some stories about her college days that played differently at a state college in New Hampshore than they did at the exclusive all-women’s school she attended in an affluent Boston suburb.
At Wellesley College, where Clinton had the distinction of being the first student speaker at commencement, the audience greeted her with rock star shrieks.
“This all women’s college prepared me to compete in the all boys club of presidential politics,’’ Clinton told an overflowing crowd at the schools Alumnae Hall, generating vigorous applause and cheers.
Wellesley is known as one of the Seven Sisters, a group of exclusive women’s colleges that draws many of its students from the privileged and wealthy.
Maya Dolgin, president of Wellesley Students for Hillary identified with Clinton’s us-against-the-boys-club sentiment.
“There are a lot of students who feel that way, that coming to a women’s college prepares us in a different way than coed colleges,’’ said Dolgin, a resident of Huntington, N.Y. “We leave here very prepared to go into the world and fight the hard fights.’’
The mostly female audience of teachers and students also applauded strongly when Clinton told of how she chose between Harvard and Yale law schools after being accepted by both.
At a Harvard cocktail party that she attended as a prospective student, Clinton decided on Yale when a Harvard law professor—who she called “Professor Paper Chase’’ in reference to the Hollywood movie—told her that Harvard already had enough women law students.
When students at the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham heard about her predicament deciding on two elite law schools, most reacted with dead silence.
“We’re from UNH, not Harvard of Yale,’’ said Heather Day, a commuter student from Weare, N.H. who thought Clinton “went overboard about women’s rights.’’
Day was disappointed Clinton did not take questions from the audience because she would have asked about the genocide in the Sudan.
Clinton’s appearance at Wellesley was a major event. Some students cut class because their teachers said canceling class would be construed as an endorsement, while other professors and instructors decided to cancel them because Clinton is a distinguished alumna.
At the UNH campus, the walkways between buildings were filled with students changing classes during Clinton’s rally while only a few hundred students and community members were attending inside the field house.
James Finley, a graduate student from Hillsdale, N.Y. described UNH as “more mainstream’’ than some the liberal leaning liberal arts colleges such as Grinnell College in Iowa, which he attended as an undergraduate. “At Grinnell they burned dumpsters when Bush won the election in 2000,’’ said Finley. “They burned dumpsters here when the Red Sox won the World Series.’’
At both stops, Clinton reminisced about how she worked as a volunteer for Democratic presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy in 1968, driving up to Manchester, N.H. in a car with other Wellesley students.
Her reference to McCarthy, who pledged to end the Vietnam War, received loud approval at both colleges. Clinton noted that if President Bush doesn’t end the war in Iraq, she would end it when she becomes president.
The loudest disapproval to that remark came from off campus.
Republican presidential candidate and Arizona Sen. John McCain issued a statement calling Clinton’s comments about Eugene McCarthy and the Iraq war “a campaign promise of conceding defeat.’’
But the Clinton campaign took the attack in stride, with spokeswoman Jamie Smith pointing out that McCain and Clinton “have an honest disagreement.’
“He supports the Bush policy and wants to escalate the war in Iraq,’’ Smith said. “Sen. Clinton knows we need to end the war and bring our troops home.’’
This entry was posted
on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 at 9:50 pm by Brian Tumulty.
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She is an alumna, not an alumnus. Whether or not she is “distinguished” is the argument yet to be decided.
Red Sox not Red Socks
She did not have the “distinction of being the first student speaker at commencement.” She may have had the distinction of being the first alumna speaker at commencement.
I am still confused about “electibility” issue. Atleast we know that clinton machinery can trounce right wing conspiracy’s, attacks and spins. Edwards lost a debate to dick cheney for crying out loud. He came out as snarly and two faced especially when he took cheap shots at dick cheneys daughter.
Obama has not even been battle tested. I was reading that he had overwhelming 80+ % of positive press coverage in initial stages (which is 49% now with remaining “neutral”) and Hillary has had 29% positive coverage. Thats only because all the republican machinery is working against her. Wait till how it will respond once Mr. Obama is the nominee. George Bush was a much bigger rock star and fund raiser than Obama can ever dream to be, yet was he the best choice? What has Mr. Obama run? What is his resume? Other than hope, which is like an olive branch too high to catch, what does he offer? He has yet to explain to me if he will be firs president to authorize nuclear war with Pakistan as he claims he would do. What next? Will he play kid gloves with iran and call all middle east leaders conference to tackle iran? How many has bush called. To the record, Bush has called6 till date, and Iran hasnt gone undiscussed in every one of those, besides in meetings with other foriegn leaders. What else would Obama do? Arguably, sanctions were the reason which kept saddam from developing weapons of mass destruction, sanctions caused libya to espouse nuclear dreams, north korea has come close to giving up its nuclear ambitions primarily because of sanctions.. What is Mr. Obama’s policy to deal with iran besides calling a conference. What is his policy on dealing with Darfur. What is his policy on Healthcare. Can he deflect republican machinery ads like “Call me harrol” which resonate in deep country. Its nasty in politics out there and I believe, Hillary can do a better job than frontrunners out there if she keeps it going.
Most of what I’ve seen reported about this
day, on several broadcasts, concerned Hillary
trying to play the “gender
card” and turn herself into a female victim after
the fallout from the illegals-licensing
mess she created.
But that news has not been reported on this blog,
which could be known as “Hillary on the Hudson.”
WHRE DOES ANDREA STAND ON SPITZER’S REVISED PLAN? THE JOURNAL NEWS CALLED HER EARLY IN THE WEEK BUT SHE NEVER RESPONDED TO THEM.
Mrs. Clinton will say anything to win. The irony of her campaign is that if she were Hillary Rodham, she would be a nonentity. Contrast that with her hostility toward “the boys’ club.”
Watch out for those whose thirst for the presidency overrides any semblance of sincerety or good judgment.
The presidency “chose” Harry S Truman and Gerald R. Ford, who proved themselves to be competent and above petty politics. The nation “chose” Ronald W. Reagan—- and, later, William J. Clinton. All four men were capable chief executives of a polyglot, diverse nation, at challenging times.
Hunger for the presidency is something voters should beware when looking at a candidate. Hunger to do what’s right for our country, at the expense of one’s ego, is a much more admirable quality, as Abraham Lincoln proved.
Mr. Tumulty: Despite my (admittedly) minor objections to some of the prose, this is an interesting blog article, juxtaposing the different attitudes at UNH and Wellesley. The UNH students seem to be generally more practical. open, and reasonable in viewpoint than the ideologues at the Seven Sisters school. I don’t know exactly what that tells us, but it makes one think.
Somehow, it’s appropriate that Hillary
is part of the Seven Sisters.
No, not THAT meaning. I’m referring to
the way-out-there-in-space constellation.