Jan 7, 2008 11:03 pm US/Central
Clinton Gives Rare Glimpse Of Emotion
New Polls Put Obama, McCain Ahead Of Pack
NASHUA, N.H. (CBS) ―
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Hillary Clinton's eyes welled up and her voice broke repeatedly as she talked with voters in a Portsmouth restaurant.
CBS
On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, former Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton broke down in tears while the latest polls show Barack Obama and John McCain ahead of the pack.
CBS 2's Rob Johnson reports from Nashua on the final hours before the voters head to the polls.
According to a new CBS News poll, among likely Democratic primary voters, Obama leads Clinton 35 percent to 28 percent with John Edwards getting 19 percent in the poll.
A USA Today/Gallup poll of likely Republican voters shows McCain with 34 percent, Mitt Romney with 30 percent and Mike Huckabee trailing far behind with 13 percent.
Meanwhile, Clinton's roundtable discussion with undecided voters at a cafe in Portsmouth touched on the usual themes like the economy, health care and education, but it was a question about her personal appearance that could turn out to be the defining moment in a now flagging campaign because it elicited an emotional response from a candidate whose hard charging, business-like approach is what people have come to expect.
"How do you do it? How do you keep upbeat?" Marianne Pernold Young asked.
"You know I have so many opportunities for this country. I just don't want to see us fall backwards," Clinton said as her voice cracked and tears welled up in her eyes. "Some people think elections are a game. They think it's like who's up or who's down? It's about our country. It's about kids' futures," she said.
For Young who, during, this campaign, has already hugged Edwards and was captured just feet away from Obama in a newspaper photo, this newsworthy contribution seemed to catch her off guard.
"She has emotion. She's here for us. She really cares about us," Young said.
All day Monday, Internet reports coming from purported Clinton campaign leaks indicated that the New York senator might abandon her bid for the nomination if she fared poorly in Tuesday's primary.
Late Monday afternoon her campaign denied that notion, vowing that her campaign will continue no matter what the outcome in New Hampshire.
Just blocks away from Hillary Clinton's campaign stop in Portsmouth, we stumbled across Clinton Street. So we were wondering just how Hillary Clinton would do on Clinton Street.
There were numerous campaign signs, not just those for Clinton, but also for Edwards and Obama, and the residents CBS 2 spoke to had various responses to question about whether the New York senator had it easy on Clinton Street.
"We have a big problem with Hillary taking all the money that she's been taking from special interest groups, tobacco companies, oil companies, pharmaceutical companies," Kate Harris said.
When asked if he was undecided, Ernest Perkins said, "I knew from the start who I was going to vote for… and it's not Hillary."
But Chicagoan J.B. Pritzker, co-chairman of the Clinton campaign, believes Clinton's best days are ahead of her regardless of Tuesday's outcome.
"Barack Obama has done a find job campaigning, but Hillary Clinton is surging," Pritzker said. "I think the glow of winning in Iowa can only last so long, and that Hillary is going to do extraordinarily well in the coming races."
Of course, all of the politicking and rhetoric are coming to an end. Starting at midnight it's time to vote.
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