Newsweek Reports "Top Hillary Supporter Switches to McCain"

[LisaK in VA]

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/tamcam/archive/2008/09/01/top-hillary-supporter-switches-to-mccain.aspx

That's the link to the interview, here's a quick summary:

Newsweek Exclusive: Top Clinton Supporter John Coale Endorses McCain

John Coale, a prominent Washington lawyer, husband of Fox TV host Greta Van Susteren and a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, announced today that he was supporting John McCain for president. Coale, who traveled with Sen. Clinton, President Clinton and her family through out the primary season, complained of sexism, and said the Democratic Party is "being taken over by the moveon.org types" in an exclusive interview with Newsweek.com's Tammy Haddad. He said he tried to prevent Clinton's brother, Tony Rodham, from attending an August 18th meeting in Scranton, Pa. with McCain campaign surrogate Carly Fiorina. "I urged him not to go and told him it would embarrass his sister, but he has a mind of his own." Coale says Mr. Rodham asked Ms. Fiorina "about McCain's Supreme Court picks."


This campaign just keeps getting more and more interesting. I feel like I'm glued to the newsmedia (and I haven't watched the news like this in YEARS -- just the occassional paper, on-line blurbs and major headlines, really, other things I tuned in quite a lot for were 9/11 and the '92 election).

[Laura in VA]

:lurk5:

[elizabeth]

Well I find it very hard to believe that he was seriously supporting Hillary Clinton in the first place as these two women are divergent on almost every issue that is important to voters. There is no overlap on any position whatsoever. If you look at the issues there is no reason that a person who would vote for Hillary Clintonwould vote for Sarah Palin as it makes no sense to hold two contradictory belief systems at the same time unless you are operating on the most cynical sort of identity politics.BTW I am a Dem. in the interest of full disclosure here.

[LisaK in VA]

There's lots of spin & speculation about this -- "he burned his bridges w/ Obama and had no where else to go" to "his wife made him do it." :D And all sorts of rhetoric in between.

I agree, though elizabeth, anyone who was voting for Clinton based upon ideals and positions wouldn't vote for McCain -- at least not with Palin on the ticket. It's such a huge difference between the two.

I just found it interesting -- something else that made me "go hmmm."

Hoping for an exciting next 60+ days (rather than the same-old, same-old I was prepared for.)

[Ferdie]

Wow! That is big.

Thanks for the link. I can not get enough of this campaign.

[Erica in PA]

Well I find it very hard to believe that he was seriously supporting Hillary Clinton in the first place as these two women are divergent on almost every issue that is important to voters. There is no overlap on any position whatsoever. If you look at the issues there is no reason that a person who would vote for Hillary Clintonwould vote for Sarah Palin as it makes no sense to hold two contradictory belief systems at the same time unless you are operating on the most cynical sort of identity politics.BTW I am a Dem. in the interest of full disclosure here.

There may be a huge difference between Palin and Clinton, but not nearly as much between Clinton and McCain. I can see where a moderate Clinton supporter might support McCain over Obama, for a variety of reasons. I think McCain and Clinton are both more moderate than Obama, and Palin, for that matter. I can also see where some Clinton supporters could feel quite burnt by the DNC, and want to put their support elsewhere.

Erica

[Crissy]

Wow! That is big.


I don't follow cable celebrities and their spouses, so I don't think I'm seeing this from the common point of view.

How is on man's vote any bigger than the next? There are a great number of undecided voters (I count myself among them), so one guy changing teams seems pretty insignificant to me.

Who is this guy, and why is his opinion so important?

[Jami]

I don't follow cable celebrities and their spouses, so I don't think I'm seeing this from the common point of view.

How is on man's vote any bigger than the next? There are a great number of undecided voters (I count myself among them), so one guy changing teams seems pretty insignificant to me.

Who is this guy, and why is his opinion so important?


I ask that question often, Crissy. In my head of course, and sometimes to the talking heads on television, "who are you and why should I care???"

;)

[Ferdie]

I don't follow cable celebrities and their spouses, so I don't think I'm seeing this from the common point of view.

How is on man's vote any bigger than the next? There are a great number of undecided voters (I count myself among them), so one guy changing teams seems pretty insignificant to me.

Who is this guy, and why is his opinion so important?

He is a Washington attorney, married to TV correspondent, Greta Van Susteren, and a big democratic fundraiser. He campaigned for Bill and Hillary. I said it was big because of the money he can raise for the Rep. campaign and the other democrats he will influence to vote for McCain.

This campaign is getting so interesting.

[Parabola]

OK, so one dude switched..... I imagine several others have too. Whoopdeedodah. Thats just my response. :D I think its a non-issue.

[Jackie in AR]

It's going to be an interesting fall season. :D

[Mom to Aly]

There's lots of spin & speculation about this -- "he burned his bridges w/ Obama and had no where else to go" to "his wife made him do it." :D And all sorts of rhetoric in between.

I agree, though elizabeth, anyone who was voting for Clinton based upon ideals and positions wouldn't vote for McCain -- at least not with Palin on the ticket. It's such a huge difference between the two.

I just found it interesting -- something else that made me "go hmmm."

Hoping for an exciting next 60+ days (rather than the same-old, same-old I was prepared for.)
:iagree: Very well put.

[Laurie4b]

That's the way I see it, too. Clinton was more moderate than Obama, by far. McCain is more moderate than most Republicans. If abortion isn't a Holy Grail issue one way or the other, a switch from Clinton to McCain doesn't seem like a huge jump.

[Sis]

He is a Washington attorney, married to TV correspondent, Greta Van Susteren, and a big democratic fundraiser. He campaigned for Bill and Hillary. I said it was big because of the money he can raise for the Rep. campaign and the other democrats he will influence to vote for McCain.

This campaign is getting so interesting.

His wife is a correspondent on Fox.

Her father, Urban Van Susteren, was a longtime friend of Joe McCarthy's, having studied law alongside him and serving as his campaign strategist in his successful 1946 U.S. Senate campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Robert LaFollette Jr. During his Senate career, McCarthy lived in the Van Susterens' Appleton home when he was not in Washington.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,42016,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Van_Susteren