Former Wisconsin delegate to the Democratic National Convention Debra Bartoshevich was interviewed by Shephard Smith on FOX News. She's become a role model to some Dems and a traitor to others.
As a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter, she explained why she doesn't plan to support Barack Obama.
About the ad that Bartoshevich made for the McCain campaign--
SMITH: Why did you do that?
BARTOSHEVICH: Well, I wanted for people to understand that there are a lot of Hillary Clinton supporters that are out there that are undecided that will support McCain in the fall...
SMITH: Why?
BARTOSHEVICH: ...and I just wanted people to come out to say, you know what, it's OK to support John McCain.
SMITH: Why would you support John McCain in the fall? I mean, the reason I ask is, the positions really of McCain, I mean, of Obama and Clinton... pretty close together.
BARTOSHEVICH: Yeah, some of them are close together, but I'm not a one issue voter. I take a look at several things but mostly I take a look at who has the experience and the judgment to lead. And even when Hillary Clinton in her campaign and during the primary said, "Let's compare the resumes." And we have to look at the resumes to see who best fits this job.
SMITH: Is it, you know, the Clinton campaign got together with the McCain, the Obama campaign and their big leaders sent out a memo this morning saying, 'We are all united.' And the campaigns, I don't know, maybe they are, but it doesn't seem like the followers of Hillary Clinton are happy.
BARTOSHEVICH: I think there are several followers that are still not supportive of Sen. Obama. And I think that it was a hard and tough contest, and I think, again, you have to look at who you believe is going to lead this country...
SMITH: So it wasn't about the fact that you think she was disrespected by the process.
BARTOSHEVICH: Well, I think there were some things that went along during the primary, things that should have been done a little differently. But, um, I'm not... I'm here just to say that I'm basically taking a look at both of the candidates. And if Hillary is not the nominee I will support Sen. McCain.
SMITH: Hmm. Do you know a lot of people who are doing that, or is it your sense that most Democrats who were pro-Hillary will now go Obama?
BARTOSHEVICH: Um, I have received a lot of support. I've received e-mails, voice mails, and phone calls who are basically in the same camp as I am. There are some that decide that they won't vote at all. There are some that are still undecided, but there are several that will support Sen. McCain.
SMITH: Who paid your way out here and who's sponsoring you?
BARTOSHEVICH: Um, I, um, the Republican Party paid for my plane fare.
SMITH: The Republican Party did. Fair enough.
No matter what Hillary Clinton says tonight in her address to the convention, whatever response she receives, I think it's going to be a very tough sell for Democrats to claim that they're united as a party.
From the Times Online:
Tonight on stage in Denver Hillary Clinton, one of the most accomplished practitioners of the fine art of political deception, will pull off the biggest stunt of her career so far.
In her speech to the Democratic convention Mrs Clinton will have warm words for Barack Obama. She will pledge herself to work for his election in November. She will urge her campaign supporters and the millions who voted for her in the primary to bury their differences and throw their support behind the nominee. She will, no doubt, describe herself as humbled.
Don’t believe a word of it. There may be strenuous efforts to keep the tensions between the Clinton and Obama camps below the surface here in Denver, but they are as raw and powerful as they have ever been.
There has been loud grumbling among the Clinton team about the way that Mr Obama went about picking his vice-presidential nominee last weekend. They think that it was disrespectful of him not to have considered Mrs Clinton more seriously for the job. They are furious that he failed to consult Bill Clinton, the man who ran twice successfully for the presidency, for advice on the pick.
But most of all, many of them still have not come to terms with the arithmetical reality that they lost.
To be fair, it is not simply naked personal ambition that lies behind the rancour. The Clinton people have armfuls of polling evidence now that Mr Obama is failing to appeal to many of the voters that Mrs Clinton won in the primary campaign.
A CNN poll conducted at the weekend indicated that 27 per cent of Mrs Clinton’s supporters in the primary would vote not for Mr Obama in November but for John McCain, the Republican candidate. That figure is up from 16 per cent a month ago.
This number is causing alarm within the Obama camp. They know that it is almost impossible for him to win the presidency without those voters. That explains why the candidate’s team have swallowed their fears of turning the convention into a Clinton show and agreed to such a prominent role for the First Family of the Democratic Party.
There's a weird vibe at this convention.
We're not united. We just play united on TV.
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