CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday tried to shore up her appeal to middle-class voters, some of whom appear to be leaning toward new Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama, by proposing restrictions on big corporations she said would save ordinary Americans $55 billion.
The former first lady, widely considered the Democratic front-runner just a few weeks ago, has now lost eight straight contests with her defeats this weeks in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
As she turned her attention to must-win March 4 races in Texas and Ohio, she focused on the economy, a topic she hoped would help her in states struggling with lagging industry and a nationwide mortgage crisis.
Clinton, who has been criticized for taking corporate special interest contributions, proposed new restrictions Thursday on oil, insurance, credit card, student loan and Wall Street investment companies. ''For seven long years, we've had a government of, by, and for the special interests, and we've had enough,'' the New York senator told an audience at an Ohio General Motors plant. ''It's time to level the playing field against the special interests and deliver 21st century solutions to rebuild the middle class.''
Her rival, Barack Obama, announced Wednesday that as president he would spend $210 billion to create jobs in construction and environmental industries. He painted Clinton and the presumed Republican nominee John McCain as Washington insiders whose votes on the Iraq war have had stark economic consequences.
A big win in Ohio would be a major boost for Clinton, who is struggling in her historic race with Obama and hopes to become the first female U.S. president. Obama is seeking to be the first black American president.
A poll released Thursday shows Clinton leading Obama in Ohio 55% to 34%, with an almost 2-to-1 lead in the state among white voters, and almost as big an advantage with women and voters age 45 and older. In Pennsylvania, which holds its contest April 22, Clinton polled 52% to Obama's 36%.
The Quinnipiac University polls in both states were conducted February 6-12 and have a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1%.
Both Ohio and Pennsylvania are industrial states that have been battered by a lagging economy, and voters there might be receptive to Clinton's economic push.
On the Republican side, McCain sought to convince conservatives that the party must unite if it hopes to match the enthusiasm generated by the two Democrats. Democrats have turned out to vote in significantly higher numbers than Republicans in recent races.
Obama's wins Tuesday in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., give him the edge in the delegate count but hardly assure him of the nomination. A total of 2,025 delegates are needed to clinch the Democratic nomination, and Obama now leads Clinton by just 55 delegates. He has 1,275 to her 1,220.
But those wins, on top of five over the weekend, give him an undeniable advantage. He has a good opportunity to extend his streak with weekend primaries in Wisconsin and Hawaii, his native state, as Americans focus on how his campaign is soaring and Clinton's is flagging.
But by the time Ohio and Texas vote -- if she does not win Wisconsin or Hawaii -- four weeks would have passed without a victory, and Obama's momentum could be hard to overcome.
Obama has pulled ahead in fund-raising, leaving Clinton to lend money to her own campaign to try to stay close. Her campaign advisers said Wednesday that her fundraising was rebounding at a rate of $1 million a day online.
The outcome of the contests last Tuesday indicated that Obama is tapping into Clinton's political base, with stronger support from the elderly, the middle class, and white voters _ including women.
Obama got another boost Thursday when former Rhode Island Republican senator Lincoln Chafee endorsed him as the best presidential candidate to restore the nation's credibility. Rhode Island also holds its Democratic and Republican primaries on March 4.
McCain appealed to Republican House members on Wednesday for help rallying conservatives, who so far have been lukewarm at best in their support of the Arizona senator. He said they had pledged to work with him.
McCain is considered a maverick who has broken with some conservative Republican stances on immigration, gay rights, and campaign finance reform. The veteran senator's victories Tuesday in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., allowed him to save face after embarrassing losses to rival Mike Huckabee last weekend. McCain has, however, been a staunch supporter of the Iraq War and recently praised former Bush adviser Karl Rove.
McCain leads the overall race for the nomination with 843 delegates, to 242 for Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and ordained Baptist minister who is a favorite among Christian conservatives.
It takes 1,191 delegates to clinch the Republican nomination at the party's convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, and McCain appears to be on track to reach the target by late April. (AP)
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Biden will hammer Trump over abortion bans in Florida speech
April 23 2024 5:00 AM
Tristan Snell, who brought down Trump University, sees conviction in hush money case
April 22 2024 7:36 PM
Joe Biden admin marks Earth Day with major environmental initiatives
April 22 2024 4:18 PM
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: 'We want to end' trans and gender nonconforming teachers
April 22 2024 4:13 PM
Nonbinary 17-year-old killed two years after being reported missing
April 22 2024 3:46 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedIndulge in luxury and sensuality with The Pride Store’s Taurus gift guide
April 22 2024 11:46 AM
The gay man leading the Earth Day Initiative offers hope for the future
April 22 2024 9:00 AM
Pattie Gonia takes drag and fierceness to Capitol Hill to voice environmental concerns
April 22 2024 8:23 AM
Jodie Foster leaves her mark in cement at L.A.'s Chinese Theatre
April 22 2024 7:55 AM
Climate change has a bigger impact on LGBTQ+ couples than straight couples. Here's how
April 22 2024 7:42 AM
Iraq postpones vote on bill punishing gay sex with death
April 20 2024 1:31 PM
Russian poetry contest bans entries from transgender poets
April 20 2024 1:25 PM
Here's who won 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 16
April 20 2024 1:01 PM