Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged a crowd Friday at the Women’s Leadership Forum to get out the vote this year, saying that the midterm elections are “crucial” and “there is so much at stake.”
“Voters have a choice in November — a choice between those who blocked paycheck fairness, who applauded Hobby Lobby, who tried to stop the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, or leaders who will fight for women and girls to have opportunities and rights they deserve,” she said at the forum hosted by the Democratic National Committee. “Leaders who will fight for families and for all of us.”
She name-checked some of the Democratic female candidates running this year for Congress and in gubernatorial races, as well as candidates for U.S. Senate like Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky, Michelle Nunn in Georgia, Natalie Tennant in West Virginia and incumbent Sens. Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.
“They all give me hope,” she said. “But you know, we’re in the home stretch and it all comes out to who makes the effort to show up and vote.”
The major focus this year is on the U.S. Senate, where Democrats are trying to hold off Republicans and preserve their tenuous 55-45 majority.
Mrs. Clinton, a possible 2016 presidential contender, said she’s been thinking a lot about family because she’s on “grandbaby watch.”
“I want every one of our children to feel that they are inheriting the best of America,” she said. “Based on everything I’ve done over my long career of fighting for women and children and fairness and equality and justice, I believe with all my heart that this midterm election is a crucial one. There is so much at stake.”
She said she hoped members of the audience would get on the phone and encourage friends, family, neighbors, and people they’ve never even met to turn out and vote.
“Tell them that Democrats are fighting for them and their families,” she said. “Because when women succeed, families succeed. And when families succeed, our country succeeds.”
“This is the great unfinished business of the 21st century,” she continued. “Let’s make sure we do everything we can to keep America on the path toward that better future that so many of you have worked so long to support leaders like President Obama, like Bill Clinton, like others, who have kept pushing those boulders up the hill, taking on the special interests, taking on those who claim that they [climbed] the ladder and there’s no reason to leave it behind for anybody else, and get out the vote for these midterm elections.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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