Clinton tour draws crowd -- even in GOP country (FREE REPUBLIC GETS MENTIONED!!)

The Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | 6/12/03

[areafiftyone]

FAIRFAX, Va. -- The record-setting book tour of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) lost no steam Wednesday night even in this Republican enclave in northern Virginia.

More than 1,000 people lined up at the local Wal-Mart to get the former first lady's signature on a copy of her best-selling memoir, "Living History." It was her second major promotional appearance since the book went on sale this week.

A dozen protesters with anti-Clinton signs showed up, but Clinton entered the store from the rear and did not see the demonstrators in the parking lot.

At one point, hundreds of book purchasers who spilled out into the lot began chanting "Go home!" at the protesters, drowning out their shouts labeling the senator a "hypocrite" and "liar."

"You just can't believe anything she says," said Jeff Becker, an organizer of the protest. Becker is with the conservative Internet site FreeRepublic.com, which has spent much of this week urging people to protest Clinton's "fictitious" autobiography.

Among the signs the protesters carried was one that said "I Believe Juanita" -- a reference to Juanita Broaddrick, who accused former President Bill Clinton of raping her when he lived in Arkansas. That allegation is not addressed in the memoir.

But the overwhelming sentiment on display in the Wal-Mart parking lot Wednesday night favored Clinton, many of the book buyers having spent the entire day waiting for her evening arrival.

"I think this is wonderful, especially in an area this conservative," said Libby Scott, a middle-aged retail worker from nearby Vienna. "And I think she's wonderful, dignified and strong -- you'd have to be strong to be married to a man like that." Scott, recently divorced, boasted that her 19-year-old daughter, Maggie, was 10th in line for the senator's autograph.

Stephen Ciccarelli, a federal employee from nearby Annandale, said he was amazed at the size of the crowd. "I don't think [Democratic presidential nominee] Al Gore drew this big a crowd anytime during the 2000 campaign," Ciccarelli said. "She's become a political phenomenon in just a couple of days."

Inside the store, the line of book buyers and autograph seekers snaked along two walls. Clinton sat at a table, signing books and speaking briefly to some, spending the most time with the children. The area was roped off under tight security.

Shoppers not in line climbed up on product displays to get a better view of Clinton -- or to snap photographs with disposable cameras purchased at the nearby photo department.

Although Clinton has emphasized in television interviews all week that she has no intention of running for president, many on hand here Wednesday night said she should run now instead of waiting until 2008, as many professional political analysts expect her to do.

"I'm not old enough yet to vote for her for president," said 17-year-old Marijke Armstrong, a senior at a local high school. "But I will be voting for her for president someday."

Clinton's memoirs set a Barnes & Noble sales record for nonfiction on their first day on the shelf. The company said her account of her White House years sold over 40,000 copies in the first 24 hours it was available, instantly making it an in-house best seller.

Nationwide sales figures were not available.

[areafiftyone]

Of course the media spun this in favor of the Clinton lovers.

[Tax-chick]

Congrats to our FReepers on making the news, and it's interesting to note how many idiots lurk in a so-called "conservative" area! Of course, they could have been from out of town ...

[justanotherfreeper]

Northern Virginia ain't that conservative. A huge number of folks are government workers that commute into DC. Fortunately, they are outnumbered by more sensible types in the rest of the state.

[Puppage]

"I'm not old enough yet to vote for her for president," said 17-year-old Marijke Armstrong, a senior at a local high school. "But I will be voting for her for president someday."

Ah........nevermind.

[prognostigaator]

Most book buyers [whether out of town,or not] thought there was a chapter on how to turn a $1000 into a $100,000 bonanza.....

and or how to make documents such as billing records magically appear..

[randog]

I'd buy her book and get in line to have her sign it. I'd then promptly put it on e-bay and sell it to the highest-bidding liberal idiot.

[Fred Mertz]

DC Chapter ping!

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

HILLARY BOOK SALES ARE A FARCE!

[jmc813]

What is Jeff Becker's FR name?

[areafiftyone]

I have no idea!

[hapy]

Not to worry about the 17 year voting demorat. They do grow up and see the light. Maybe not at 18, but soon after. Unless of course they become a professor, then they never grow up and continue to destroy this country

[PhiKapMom]

Noticed they went from hundreds to more than a 1,000 with the stroke of the keyboard! Even that is a far cry from selling a million books in the US!

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927364/posts


Details from the home team.

[lilylangtree]

Congrats to the FReepers! Boy oh boy, Clintoon sure has these fools dazzled. Remember the old adage: You can fool some people all of the time but not all the people all of the time. (or something to that effect)

[Grampa Dave]

Didn't Fairfax County vote for the Goron in 2000?

We lived there in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Even then it was loaded with federal, state and county employees and retirees. It was quite liberal even then.

[areafiftyone]

Wonderful post! Freepers are the greatest!

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

bump!!!

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

Ciccarelli said. "She's become a political phenomenon in just a couple of days."

Excellent. Keep thinking that. Run Hillary.

"I'm not old enough yet to vote for her for president," said 17-year-old Marijke Armstrong, a senior at a local high school. "But I will be voting for her for president someday."

Someday? Oh no dear, you'll be voting for her in 04. In fact, you'll be voting Democrate 100 years from now, so don't worry, you vote counts. and counts, and counts.

[Grampa Dave]

This whole article sounds like Jayson Blair is now writing for the Atlanta Urinal.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927647/posts

Trade Tidbits from the Mendacity Trail [Exec Admits Not Printing 1 Million Copies of Living History]
Short Cuts ^ | June 12, 2003 8:00AM EST | Morning staff report


Posted on 06/12/2003 6:39 AM PDT by ewing


The Washington Prowler, always on the move at the Amercian Spectator Magazine, drops a news nugget in todays offering-an internal memo from Hillary's publishing house virtually admitting that they produced the 'leak' (about her gasping reaction to the Monica Lewinsky lying) to jump start the book.

We are adding this to a statement we recieved from deep inside the mighty publishing house from an executive in a position to know (always trust the working bees in life):

'No way we would publish 1,000,000 copies of anything. It's only necessary to say that we did. Besides where would we put them?'

Asked about the 'astounding' 200,000 copies Hillary sold on the first day of publication. There is no possible way for us to know that.'