On Tuesday January 8th Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton relished her victory saying: Let's give America the kind of comeback New Hampshire just gave me."
The echoes of Monday's come-from-behind victories in New Hampshire have become a rallying cry to their camps across the country. Republican Senator John McCain was also relishing his win: "We sure as heck showed 'em what a comeback looks like last night"
With the comeback kids headed to the midwest, McCain to Michigan and Clinton to Illinois, their loyal supporters here in the valley started gearing up for the February 5th California primary.
Senator Clinton's faithful, led by Fresno council member and Fresno County Clinton campaign co-chair - Cynthia Sterling, were cell phone banking in the Tower District Across town in north Fresno senator McCain's state campaign chair and former California secretary of state bill Jones was on the phone talking strategy with McCain's co-chairs in the golden state: "I made a commitment on all your behalf's that I hope we can live up to and he appreciated that."
Both Jones and Sterling say New Hampshire was a good bounce for their candidates to become their party's nominee. Jones told us Republicans will embrace McCain: "I believe he will be the nominee because in that environment his basic strengths show: integrity, honesty, a strong history of working on national defense issues."
Sterling thinks Clinton will prevail in the Democratic primary voters here and there's no time to waste in recruiting every voice that wants to be heard: "As her voices we're gong to have to stay on point with her message and we're gong to have to engage people the way she did in New Hampshire." Jones contends that for the first time in decades it will not be the leadership of either party who chooses the presidential nominees. The voters, he says, are in charge in 2008 and Sterling agrees.
"Cynthia Sterling, Fresno County Clinton Campaign Co-Chair: When we first started out this election wasn't just a state by state, this is a national campaign and we're gonna be taking it all the way."
"Bill Jones, McCain - Calif. State Campaign Chair: We will make a difference, in my opinion, possibly in both the Democrat and Republican cycle and that's what California has always wanted to try and do."
Call it 'Tsunami Tuesday" or "Super-Duper Tuesday" but on February 5th California is one of twenty two states voting in a whopper of a primary that will keep every candidate running for President on the move between now and then. But wait, before that? There's Michigan then Nevada then South Carolina, Florida and Maine.
It's a marathon!
