Hillary Clinton tested in Texas, where it all began in '72

[bigtree]

An undated photograph of Hillary Rodham, center, during her days as a student at Wellesley College, from 1965 to 1969.


AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) -- Garry Mauro will never forget that night in 1972 when he says Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham (then unmarried) ignored the post-election party surrounding them, instead preferring to huddle in a corner and talk about changing the future.

The three were among a group of Young Turk Democrats working that summer to register voters in Texas. The Clintons had just started dating, said Mauro, who years later became Texas land commissioner. "They obviously had a lot of respect for each other, and they would spend hours talking to each other."

More than 35 years on, Hillary Clinton has returned to Texas -- running a hard-fought campaign of her own and telling voters about her days there in the '70s. Mauro recalls the night it was all over in 1972, after Democrat George McGovern lost to Republican Richard Nixon. He says he and the Clintons decided to let loose in lively Austin, paying $1.50 to see a Texas singer by the name of Willie Nelson before rambling back to a colleague's tiny apartment.

"It was 2 o'clock in the morning, and everybody else had probably had too much to drink, except for Bill and Hillary -- who were drinking and having this intense discussion about the issues," said Mauro. "I'm absolutely certain that 99 percent of what they were talking about was changing things in the future."


Ms. Rodham in 1969, the year she graduated.

Mauro underscored the historic importance of the '08 election. "We couldn't have conceived of a woman running for president in 1972," said Mauro. "It never would have occurred to people that you'd have a presidential race between a woman and an African-American."

Mauro and the Clintons cut their political teeth in Texas during the 1972 election, knocking on doors and registering people -- many of them minorities -- to vote.

Texas election workers often looked with suspicion at the so-called "out-of-staters." "Most of them had a funny accent and really didn't know how to talk to people," Mauro said. "That was not the case with Hillary Clinton. She always established a rapport with the local officials she was working with -- even the ones that started out being aggressively negative. And she would always seem to move the ball forward."

In general, said Mauro, a national election campaign is grueling. "Most people only have a few good elections in them," said Mauro. "It's really hard work. It's grunt work." For that reason, he said, "That's a pretty remarkable person to keep that enthusiasm and drive and continue to have that grit 30 years later."


Hemisfair Park, at the Arch, in San Antonio,Texas, Friday, Feb. 29

[babylonsister]

1. I'm bookmarking this one. Your passion is noted, bigtree. nt

[bigtree]

babylonsister = O8)

[anonymous171]

3. I'd forgotten what non-negative support of a candidate looked like.

[bigtree]

4. it's good for the head

best of luck to your candidate

[rodeodance]

15. it sure is;-)

[Recursion]

5. Great photos and a great story

Sadly the fashions of the 1970's eventually left no-one unscathed, but they don't seem to have hit by the time these photos were taken.

Thanks for supporting your candidate so constructively!

[bigtree]

11. she's got a wild one circulating with striped jeans

(I actually had a pair, my favorite until I outgrew them) The fashions have come full circle with my children's generation adopting many of the styles we had back when.

. . . anyway, best of luck to your candidate.

[Recursion]

18. There's one photo I'm thinking of of the two of them

It's the combination of very, very, very wide lapels on Bill, some unfortunate rims on Hillary, and both of their haircuts. It's not that they look bad, which neither of them ever really do, it's just that it screams "It's 1977 and none of us realize how we look with these outfits".

[bigtree]

21. what's wrong with 1977?

I know, I know! *cringe*

[Recursion]

25. Heh

A) Who thought vertical striped pants were a good idea?
B) Who thought a brown suit on a man was a good idea? (Honestly: white men look good in blue and black. Period.)
C) The lapels... sweet God... the lapels... they're trying to choke Rumsfeld!
D) Rummy's tie... words fail me

It's like late 1970's fashion was created on a dare

[emilyg]

6. Thank you.

[cali]

7. Love those pics

great story. it's good to be reminded of Clinton's history and involvement.

[rodeodance]

17. i have seen them before but they got lost--save this time.

[Beacool]

8. Thank you!!!

Great article on Hillary, it always saddens me to see how undervalued she is in our country. She would make a terrific president, if only she were given the opportunity.

BTW, she looks lovely in that 1969 photo.


:thumbsup:

[gateley]

9. Yes - that photo is beautiful.

You can see Chelsea in her - or vice versa, or something.

And the sweater vest goes well with the sweater vest Obama was wearing in a pic posted a few days ago!

I think Hillary has always had good intentions and a good heart, and worked hard for the betterment of our country and the system.

[Andromeda]

10. Thank you for this.

Great pictures and interesting history on the Clintons.

[rodeodance]

12. That is a lovely photo of her at the bottom.

[bigtree]

22. she looks very happy and energized.

so do the folks in her crowds.

[rodeodance]

13. Give it some RECS please

[rodeodance]

14. and a kicky

[indimuse]

24. k&r

for positve post.:hi:
:dem:
:kick:

[rodeodance]

28. and a poo

[rodeodance]

16. "She always established a rapport with the local officials she was working with" She is

fine at crossing over to get support. Always has been. Obama does not own it like he/his campaign trumpet every day.


......Mauro and the Clintons cut their political teeth in Texas during the 1972 election, knocking on doors and registering people -- many of them minorities -- to vote.

Texas election workers often looked with suspicion at the so-called "out-of-staters." "Most of them had a funny accent and really didn't know how to talk to people," Mauro said. "That was not the case with Hillary Clinton. She always established a rapport with the local officials she was working with -- even the ones that started out being aggressively negative. And she would always seem to move the ball forward."

In general, said Mauro, a national election campaign is grueling. "Most people only have a few good elections in them," said Mauro. "It's really hard work. It's grunt work." For that reason, he said, "That's a pretty remarkable person to keep that enthusiasm and drive and continue to have that grit 30 years later."

[UndertheOcean]

19. One thing comes to mind

Youth fades , and time flies.

Thats two things , or maybe the same

[bigtree]

20. oh, definitely

but, I wouldn't go back a day, if I could. I see too much progress, despite the setbacks and difficulties.

[indimuse]

23. thanks for the post.

have never seen the 1969 pic..she's stunning!

[bigtree]

26. ‘72 McGovern Team Rallies for One of Its Own: Hillary Clinton

March 2, 2008



AUSTIN, Tex. — In fighting for a crucial victory in the Texas contest, the Clintons are drawing from a deep network of friendships that was formed 36 years ago, when they were in their mid-20s, not yet married and working around the clock as volunteers for Mr. McGovern’s campaign.

Many of their allies from 1972 have stayed involved in Texas politics, amassing wide networks of friends and political connections. Mr. Truan has tapped into a list of 850 friends and associates and lobbied them to support Mrs. Clinton. (Mr. Clinton, who was a state coordinator for the McGovern campaign, paid back Mr. Truan for his recent help by introducing him at a rally last month as “my good friend.”)

On the campaign trail in Texas recently, Mrs. Clinton has played up her long-ago ties to the state. “Nearly 36 years ago, I came to Austin for my very first political job,” she said during the Democratic debate here last month. “And that was registering voters in South Texas. And I had the great privilege of living for a while in both San Antonio and Austin.”

In her memoir, “Living History,” Mrs. Clinton recalled her time spent in Texas as idyllic, an idealistic “rite of political passage.” It was also an introduction to the challenges of campaigning. “We would sit outside at the end of 18- or 20-hour days trying to figure out what else we could do in the face of ever-worsening poll numbers,” she wrote.

Most of Mrs. Clinton’s time was devoted to the registering of voters in small towns in South Texas, where they were wary of the “blonde girl from Chicago who didn’t speak a word of Spanish,” she wrote. She clung to Franklin Garcia, a prominent local organizer who escorted her to places she would not have ventured alone.

“Honky-tonks and back streets,” said Arnold Flores, a community organizer who worked with Mrs. Clinton during that campaign.

Friends and acquaintances who knew her then recall a quiet, intense 24-year-old, dressed in bell-bottoms and headbands, who was utterly absorbed in her work.

During her time on the McGovern campaign, Mrs. Clinton was also carefully developing a rapport with Hispanic voters, a voting bloc that she is counting on to win in Tuesday’s primary, even as Mr. Obama intensifies his appeal to them. Some of her longtime supporters cite the high value many Hispanics place on loyalty as a reason for hope.

“She’s got a long history here in Texas,” Mr. Barrientos said. “We just don’t give up on friends because somebody has got more money or promises the world. We dance with those who brung us.”

full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/us/politics/02texas.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&adxnnlx=1204398719-qUCaEnQHJ5q/2LBBBxtqtw

[jlpohio69]

27. Great story!!!

Shows that what passion Hillary has to stick with politics for 35 years. A great woman we can all be proud of!

[rainbow4321]

29. "The average Latino voter in the state is under 40. The average Latino is age 26."

This stat blows HRC's people claim that she has a "36-year head start on Obama in Texas". And to the "Democratic money" in Dallas....Obama has gotten the more donations from the richest donor area in Dallas than HRC-- the Park Cities neighborhood.

In one of my other posts here today, I included an article that said that even Huckabee has raised MORE money in TX than HRC.


http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_8293981


In Texas, Obama cannot replicate Clinton's affinity overnight. His advisers believe they can overcome many of her built-in advantages, enough at least to emerge with a close split in delegates under the state's convoluted primary-caucus system, by tapping into a new generation of Texans who have no connections to the Clintons and by arguing that the senator from Illinois would be the stronger general-election candidate. But as was the case in the run-up to Super Tuesday, his advisers say he will be in a race against the clock.

"My guess is, in Texas" Clinton's "base in the Democratic Party is broader than in any other state that I can think of," said Henry Cisneros, who accompanied Clinton on that trip to McAllen in 1992 and later served as housing secretary in her husband's administration. Referring to a former Texas governor, he said: "They have good ties to the Ann Richards liberals. They have good ties to labor in Houston. Good ties to some of the Democratic money in Dallas. Good ties traditionally to the African-American community - though it won't be as helpful - and good ties to the Latino community."


Mauro argues that Clinton has a 36-year head start on Obama in Texas. "She cut her teeth on doing community organizing in Texas," Mauro said. "So she has real roots here. . . . And she has come back continuously since then."

Juan Garcia, a Harvard Law School classmate of Obama's and now a first-term legislator in Texas, does not underestimate Clinton's advantages in the state. But he argues that Texas has changed dramatically since the Clintons got to know it and that a new generation of voters will be more receptive to Obama.

[bigtree]

30. good for you and your candidate

best of luck to you both.