With the Illinois Democratic primary next week, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) isn’t favored in her state of birth. Although Clinton was born and raised in Park Ridge, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Tribune/WGN-TV polls from December showe Sen. Barack Obama leading his home state with support from 50 percent of Illinois Democrats compared with Clinton’s 25 percent.
But Valerie Alexander, spokesperson for the Clinton campaign in Illinois, said she is confident Clinton has strong support in the state.
“There are people doing groundwork – phone banks, passing out literature at train stations and going door-to-door telling people to vote for Clinton,” she said. “I think she will do remarkably well.”
Clinton supporters organize events, such as minority endorsement sessions, to reach out to registered voters. This upcoming weekend, the supporters’ main focus will be to work on tightening field organizations in the area before Tuesday’s primaries, Alexander said.
But Alexander acknowledges that Obama will be tough to beat.
“It’s very competitive since Obama is the state’s senator, so he naturally has a strong base of support,” Alexander said. “But Clinton was born in (the suburbs of) Chicago so she has many friends and supporters. Both candidates have ties here.”
Support for Obama can be seen throughout Evanston. A man selling Streetwise outside of Burger King and wearing an Obama pin, said the senator will help veterans like him. Some Evanston pedestrians and shoppers said Obama would be a change from the status quo.
“I want a woman president,” Evanston resident Anne Heinz said. “But I think Hillary has no imagination or ability to create. I am concerned that she will try too hard to show that she is strong.”
Evanston resident Ron Foreman said he sees more positive qualities in Obama than in Clinton.
“Even though I’m of Hillary’s generation, I think right now is a transitional time where we need a big change,” Foreman said. “It’s like 1992 when Bill Clinton became president; it’s time to pass the torch. I want someone with a non-Cold War mentality.”
Although the Democratic Party of Evanston endorsed Obama with an 80 percent majority in June, the party’s vice president is a Clinton supporter. Elaine Weiss, Medill ’81, is a longtime friend of Clinton and currently serves on Clinton’s Illinois steering committee.
“I think she has the experience we need,” Weiss said. “She is very intelligent and very informed about domestic and foreign issues. She has the toughness to take on the Republican party and fix failed policies.”
Although Obama’s campaign is based on calls for “change,” Alexander said Clinton has already proved she can improve the system.
“She has been an agent of change for the past 30 years,” Alexander said. “She has specific ideas and has told voters how she plans to move the country in a new direction.”
Weiss said she understands that she is the minority in her group however, she too has hope for Clinton in Evanston.
“I think that is not a surprise that the Democratic Party of Evanston chose to endorse Obama because he is a favorite son around here,” Weiss said. “But I think people in Evanston are well-informed so they can make up their own mind. They won’t vote based on endorsements.”
Reach Angela Lu at [email protected].
