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Pulling Away From Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton Is Turning to the Fall Pulling Away From Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton Is Turning to the Fall
(35 minutes later)
PHILADELPHIA — After months of trying to sideline an unexpectedly deft and well-financed primary opponent, Hillary Clinton on Tuesday got the results she needed to declare a de facto victory against Senator Bernie Sanders and shift her attention decisively toward the November election. PHILADELPHIA — Join us for live updates on the five states voting on Tuesday.
Now all but certain to clinch the Democratic nomination, Mrs. Clinton is expected to move swiftly to claim an early advantage against the leading Republican candidate, Donald J. Trump. Her advisers and allies say she will spend the coming weeks honing her message for the general election and stepping up fund-raising efforts that have lagged in the face of Mr. Sanders’s challenge. After months of trying to sideline an unexpectedly deft and well-financed liberal opponent, Hillary Clinton on Tuesday won a series of primaries that freed her to present herself as the de facto victor of the Democratic nomination fight and gave her the impetus to shift focus decisively toward the November election.
After a landslide win in New York last week, Mrs. Clinton had already begun to treat Mr. Sanders as a greatly diminished threat, concentrating her fire on Mr. Trump and, to a lesser degree, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. A powerful showing in the states that voted Tuesday will only accelerate that shift. Now all but certain to clinch the Democratic nomination, Mrs. Clinton will continue to face Mr. Sanders’s criticism, but is expected to move swiftly to claim an early advantage against the leading Republican candidate, Donald J. Trump. Her advisers and allies say she will spend the coming weeks honing her message for the general election, and ramping up fund-raising efforts that have lagged in the face of Mr. Sanders’s challenge.
In recent days, she sharpened her pitch about the general election’s stakes, heading off Republican attacks on her record as secretary of state under President Obama and delivering a more forceful message about the economy and the need to create jobs and lift wages. “With your help, we’re going to come back to Philadelphia for the Democratic National Committee, with the most votes and the most pledged delegates,” Mrs. Clinton told a crowd of 1,300 here after she took the stage to “Eye of the Tiger.” “And we will unify our party to win this election and build an America where we can all rise together.”
“Donald Trump actually says wages are too high in America,” Mrs. Clinton said at a rally in Central Falls, R.I., on Saturday. “Honestly, I don’t know who he spends his time talking to, but I recommend he get out of one of those towers and actually go down and talk to some of the folks who are working as hard as they can.” After a landslide win in New York last week, Mrs. Clinton had already begun to treat Mr. Sanders as a greatly diminished threat, concentrating her fire on Mr. Trump and, to a lesser degree, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.
Mrs. Clinton is not expected to publicly pressure Mr. Sanders to quit the race. Clinton advisers say that any efforts to muscle him out could backfire, angering his supporters and making it harder to unite the party for the fall. Her commanding victories in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware on Tuesday night will only accelerate that shift.
In recent days, she has sharpened her pitch about the general election’s stakes, heading off Republican attacks on her record as secretary of state under President Obama and delivering a more forceful message about the economy and the need to create jobs and lift wages.
“Donald Trump actually says wages are too high in America,” Mrs. Clinton said at a rally in Central Falls, R.I., on Saturday. “Honestly, I don’t know who he spends his time talking to, but I recommend he get out of one of those towers and actually go down and talk to some folks who are working as hard as they can.”
Mrs. Clinton is not expected to publicly pressure Mr. Sanders to quit the race. Clinton advisers say any efforts to muscle him out could backfire, angering his supporters, whom Mrs. Clinton applauded on Tuesday, and making it harder to unite the party for the fall.
But a “super PAC” supporting Mrs. Clinton’s candidacy, Priorities USA Action, may start running general election ads even before the nominating contest ends.But a “super PAC” supporting Mrs. Clinton’s candidacy, Priorities USA Action, may start running general election ads even before the nominating contest ends.
Guy Cecil, the group’s chief strategist, said the group might run ads against Mr. Trump or Mr. Cruz, “depending on how the Republican primary develops and whether they decide to launch attacks against Hillary.”Guy Cecil, the group’s chief strategist, said the group might run ads against Mr. Trump or Mr. Cruz, “depending on how the Republican primary develops and whether they decide to launch attacks against Hillary.”
In coming weeks, Mrs. Clinton will campaign in states with looming primaries, but she will also recharge and spend time in New York plotting a general-election strategy with advisers. “She needs to be smart and calculated and prepare herself for a tough general election, and knowing her she will be” said Thomas R. Nides, a friend and adviser who worked for Mrs. Clinton at the State Department. In coming weeks, Mrs. Clinton will campaign in states with looming primaries, but she will also recharge and spend time in New York plotting a general-election strategy with advisers.
After months of focusing on the 2,383 delegates needed for the Democratic nomination, her campaign has begun to analyze the Electoral College, working out potential races against Mr. Trump and Mr. Cruz. “She needs to be smart and calculated and prepare herself for a tough general election,” said Thomas R. Nides, a friend and adviser who worked for Mrs. Clinton at the State Department.
The Clinton campaign will begin polling in traditional battleground states like Ohio and Florida. But it will also pore over data in traditionally Republican states like Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia that could be in play, particularly if Mr. Trump is the nominee, and focus on demographics beyond the Democratic primary electorate. After months of focus on the 2,383 delegates needed for the Democratic Party nomination, her campaign has begun to analyze the Electoral College, working out potential races against Mr. Trump and Mr. Cruz
The Clinton campaign will begin polling in traditional battleground states like Ohio and Florida.
But it will also pore over data in traditionally Republican states like Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia that could be in play, particularly if Mr. Trump is the nominee, and focus on demographics beyond the Democratic primary electorate.
“Realistically, the most important part in all of this are white working-class women,” said Geoff Garin, a pollster and strategist on Mrs. Clinton’s 2008 campaign, citing Mrs. Clinton’s emphasis on issues like equal pay for women and an increase in the minimum wage.“Realistically, the most important part in all of this are white working-class women,” said Geoff Garin, a pollster and strategist on Mrs. Clinton’s 2008 campaign, citing Mrs. Clinton’s emphasis on issues like equal pay for women and an increase in the minimum wage.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who campaigned alongside Mrs. Clinton in his state, said she must focus on how best to connect to a broader electorate that is in what he called a “revolutionary mood,” alluding to how Mr. Sanders has energized his supporters.Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who campaigned alongside Mrs. Clinton in his state, said she must focus on how best to connect to a broader electorate that is in what he called a “revolutionary mood,” alluding to how Mr. Sanders has energized his supporters.
“You are not going to win this general election by proposing incremental changes,” Mr. Murphy said, adding that he hoped Mrs. Clinton “doesn’t shy away from proposing some big ideas to try to reorder the country, to the benefit of those that are hurting.” “You are not going to win this general election by proposing incremental changes,” Mr. Murphy said, adding that he hoped Mrs. Clinton “ doesn’t shy away from proposing some big ideas to try to reorder the country, to the benefit of those that are hurting.”
Mr. Sanders’s campaign vowed Tuesday to remain in the fight through the California primary on June 7, and perhaps until the party’s convention in July. Mr. Sanders’s campaign vowed Tuesday to remain in the fight through the California primary on June 7, and perhaps until the party’s convention in July. As word of Mrs. Clinton’s victories rolled in on Tuesday night, he gave a defiant speech in West Virginia, predicting he would win the state when it votes on May 10.
Mrs. Clinton, who remained in the 2008 primary contest against Barack Obama until June despite his insurmountable delegate lead and calls to bow out, has said she will not call on Mr. Sanders to withdraw, but she has bristled at the implication that he could overcome her big leads in both pledged delegates and the popular vote. Mrs. Clinton, who doggedly remained in the 2008 primary contest against Barack Obama until June despite his insurmountable delegate lead and Democratic calls for her to bow out, has said she will not call on Mr. Sanders to withdraw, but she has bristled at the implication that he could overcome her big leads in both pledged delegates and the popular vote.
Mrs. Clinton’s aides and allies are pressuring Mr. Sanders to run on issues rather than continuing to attack Mrs. Clinton’s ties to Wall Street or her previous support for global trade deals — attacks that Republicans are likely to use in the fall.Mrs. Clinton’s aides and allies are pressuring Mr. Sanders to run on issues rather than continuing to attack Mrs. Clinton’s ties to Wall Street or her previous support for global trade deals — attacks that Republicans are likely to use in the fall.
“If he tones down the rhetoric and continues to fight, he’ll go out on a very high note with a lot of people, including me, thinking he did a great service to American democracy,” said Edward G. Rendell, a former Pennsylvania governor, who supports Mrs. Clinton. “But if he keeps it up, it could be brutal.”“If he tones down the rhetoric and continues to fight, he’ll go out on a very high note with a lot of people, including me, thinking he did a great service to American democracy,” said Edward G. Rendell, a former Pennsylvania governor, who supports Mrs. Clinton. “But if he keeps it up, it could be brutal.”
It is a message Mr. Sanders’s campaign has thus far resisted. As voters went to the polls on Tuesday, the campaign blasted out a fund-raising email. It contained an image of Bill and Hillary Clinton at the 2005 wedding of Mr. Trump to the Slovenian model Melania Knauss, and accused Mrs. Clinton’s allies of being “traitors” in their treatment of Mr. Sanders. Mr. Sanders did not attack Mrs. Clinton directly in his remarks on Tuesday night, but argued insistently that he would be a superior general-election candidate. As voters went to the polls earlier in the day, the Sanders campaign sent out a fund-raising email with an image of Mrs. Clinton and her husband, Bill Clinton, at Mr. Trump’s 2005 wedding, and accused Clinton allies of being “traitors” in their treatment of Mr. Sanders.
Tad Devine, a senior adviser to Mr. Sanders, on Tuesday played down the possibility of Mr. Sanders’s withdrawal, but said the campaign would not mislead voters about his chances of winning the nomination. Still, Tad Devine, a senior adviser to Mr. Sanders, on Tuesday said that the campaign would not mislead voters about his chances at winning the nomination.
“If we are sitting here and there’s no sort of mathematical way to do it, we will be up front about that,” Mr. Devine said. “If we are sitting here and there’s no sort of mathematical way to do it, we will be upfront about that,” he said.
Democrats supporting Mrs. Clinton have pointed to Senators Harry Reid of Nevada, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Chuck Schumer of New York as potential peacemakers, should the Sanders campaign keep up its pointed attacks on Mrs. Clinton. Democrats supporting Mrs. Clinton have pointed to Senators Harry Reid of Nevada, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Charles E. Schumer of New York as potential peacemakers, should the Sanders campaign keep up its pointed attacks on Mrs. Clinton.
“I’m going to be optimistic and say it won’t be necessary, but all of us are friends with Bernie and we’d pick up the phone and talk to him at any time,” said Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri who is supporting Mrs. Clinton.“I’m going to be optimistic and say it won’t be necessary, but all of us are friends with Bernie and we’d pick up the phone and talk to him at any time,” said Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri who is supporting Mrs. Clinton.
But Mrs. Clinton would do well to begin “building bridges” to Mr. Sanders, said David Axelrod, a former senior Obama adviser. But Mrs. Clinton would do well to begin “building bridges” to Mr. Sanders, said David Axelrod, a former senior strategist for the Obama campaign.
“It seems certain Bernie will run through the last primaries, which is inconvenient and costly,” Mr. Axelrod said. “Still, when you’re the winner, you can afford to be big, and Hillary should.” “It seems certain Bernie will run through the last primaries, which is inconvenient and costly,” he said. “Still, when you’re the winner, you can afford to be big and Hillary should.”
The prolonged nominating fight has forced the Clinton campaign to continue raising money for the primary campaign, a practice it must continue as the Sanders campaign pours resources into California. The Clinton campaign had raised only $4.5 million toward the general election as of the end of March, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Donors have found other means to contribute, including giving $61 million for a joint fund-raising effort with the Democratic National Committee and many state Democratic organizations. By the end of April, Priorities USA Action expects to have raised roughly $80 million, the same amount the group raised in the entire 2012 campaign to re-elect Mr. Obama.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump appeared determined to undermine Democratic efforts at achieving unity. “Bernie Sanders has been treated terribly by the Democrats — both with delegates & otherwise,” he wrote on Twitter. “He should show them, and run as an Independent!”