Two Actual Everyday Americans Walk Into A Hillary Clinton Event…
and get crushed. The challenges of the everyday campaign.
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HAMPTON, N.H. When they heard Hillary Clinton would be here on Friday in Hampton a small coastal town just south of the Maine border Lenore and Gary Patton contacted the campaign. They wanted to lend a hand as volunteers. The morning of the event a roundtable discussion about small businesses at the locally owned Smuttynose Brewing Company the Pattons arrived early, help set up, and secured the best spot in the house: front row, first two seats.
Lenore, 78, and Gary, 77, had a perfect view of the candidate. Had this been a typical event, the Pattons may not have been able to attend.
Clinton aides emphasize in every email, memo, and press release that this campaign is about everyday Americans. But as a result of efforts to keep each gathering intimate allowing Clinton to best get the input of everyday Americans few Americans of that particular stripe actually end up in the room. Clintons campaign functions are typically so small that there is barely an audience, just a handful of invited guests, often local Democratic officials.
Last month, before her first event in New Hampshire, a group of young supporters stood outside the venue in the rain, hoping to catch a glimpse of the candidate. Clinton never materialized. But every now and then, one could be seen at the window, face pressed to the glass, hands cupped on either side for a better view.
The roundtable in Hampton was Clintons largest yet. About 60 people came including the Pattons, who described themselves as local activists who fervently supported Barack Obama in 2008 and now fervently support Clinton. The rest of the group was a mix: some invited by the campaign, some invited by the brewery, and others whod simply asked to come. According to a Clinton aide, the campaign was able to accommodate nearly every request to attend that they received.
Read What Happened Next.