"Happy Hour for Hillary"

Salon travels, video camera in tow, to an event the McCain campaign organized in hopes of winning over some die-hard Clinton supporters.

Published August 26, 2008 10:36PM (EDT)

DENVER -- The young men in the McCain T-shirts who had spent the afternoon passing out fliers for last night's RNC-hosted "Happy Hour for Hillary" didn't seem too interested in mingling with pin-wearing PUMAs when it came time for the event. But friendships were being formed between local Republicans (one was invited earlier while picking up a McCain bumper sticker) and supporters of Hillary Clinton. "It's very buddy-buddy" said Tom Kise, a McCain staffer working the party.

Clinton supporters admitted that their candidate probably would have asked them not to attend, but some think they know her mind, even if their perception contrasts with her many public statements. "Publicly, Hillary has a career to protect ... she has a career to look forward to in the future," said Lanelle Anderson. "But privately ... I'm 65, she's 60. I bet we think a lot alike."

Video I shot at the event can be viewed below.


By Caitlin Shamberg

Caitlin Shamberg is a former multimedia editor at Salon.

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