Bill Clinton tells Oregonians their votes count, race is still on

PORTLAND – Stumping through Oregon on behalf of his wife’s candidacy, former President Bill Clinton promised the state’s voters Monday that the contest would continue through their May 20 primary.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign managers said she will visit Portland and Eugene on Saturday, but released no further details.

“The way Oregon votes may determine who the Democratic nominee is going to be,” Bill Clinton told about 150 cheering senior citizens at a community center on Portland’s fringes. “It’s a big test for Democrats this year, whether everyone will get a chance to vote, and every vote will be counted.”

Clinton’s two-day visit included stops in Medford, Salem and Bend and followed a sweep down the Willamette Valley by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is challenging New York Sen. Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination.

In recent days, calls for Hillary Clinton to drop out have intensified, as prominent Democrats worry that the Clinton-Obama contest could go all the way to the party’s convention in August, leaving the nominee only nine weeks to focus on the general election and Republican Sen. John McCain.

But the voters who swarmed the former president after his Oregon speeches, asking him to autograph everything from their driver’s licenses to yellowing posters from a 1992 appearance he made in Portland, said such calls are premature.

“Just try to take the voters away from her,” sniffed Norma Schacher, 85, a retiree who came to the East Portland Community Center to hear Bill Clinton. “It will never work.”

Clinton picked up the theme again at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, urging the crowd to ignore those who claim Obama has the nomination sewn up

“Don’t you believe she can’t win the nomination … because she will,” Clinton said. Then, in a thinly-veiled reference to his wife’s competitor, he added: “Some people do great talks, some people take action. That’s what you want a president to do: make something good happen for America.”

In Bend, Clinton drew more than 2,500 people to the Bend Senior High School gym.

“This is an amazing race,” he said before his stump speech.

“Don’t you believe it when all those people in Washington say your votes don’t count and this race is over. If this race was over, they wouldn’t tell you that.

“Hillary believes this is a great thing. Every state ought to be able to vote.”

Clinton pointed out local superdelegate Wayne Kinney, asking people who know him to ask him to vote for Hillary Clinton.

“It’s just disgusting the way we’re fawning over these superdelegates,” Clinton joked. “I did offer to wash his car windows.”

Kinney said he remained uncommitted to a candidate.

While in Oregon, Clinton did no fundraising, but met with several of Oregon’s uncommitted superdelegates Monday in Portland.

They are party leaders or elected officials who can vote for whomever they’d like, and whose votes may end up deciding the nomination.

“He was full of facts and figures, and how she could win, and why it would work,” said superdelegate Jenny Greenleaf of Portland. “But he didn’t ask specifically (for our votes). He understands, as party officers, we don’t want to be seen as favoring one campaign over the other.”

Greenleaf said the Clinton campaign plans to open offices in Gresham and Beaverton in addition to downtown Portland, signaling that the campaign hopes for a heavy suburban vote to counter what’s expected to be strong support for Obama from Portland’s core.

Only three of Oregon’s 12 superdelegates are committed. Gov. Ted Kulongoski and U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley have declared for Clinton, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer for Obama.