Barack Obama can't rest easy just yet. Having fought Hillary Rodham Clinton across some 56 contests, he now faces the unenviable task of winning over her most ardent supporters. In addition to the demographic blocs that have provided her an enduring base from primary to primary, Clinton has been able to draw on support from political organizations and wealthy donors, who have continued buying pro-Clinton ads well into the final contests.
Even as late as Tuesday, her allies were still investing in last-minute advertising on her behalf. The day of the final primary votes, WomenCount Political Action Committee published a new print advertisement [PDF] in response to the Democratic National Committee's decision Saturday to reinstate Florida and Michigan delegates with half-votes.
The ad, which ran in USA Today and the New York Times, takes issue with those who would overlook Clinton's support and suggests the resistance that Obama might face as he tries to unite an emotionally raw party. "You're still not listening," reads the ad. "Our votes are our voice." Clinton would make much the same point in her speech later that night, when she said, "I want the nearly 18 million Americans who voted for me to be respected, to be heard and no longer to be invisible."
The ad goes on to note the record turnout among women this year, and claims that more people voted for Clinton than for any other primary candidate in history -- a figure that Clinton's campaign used in a recent ad, but one that has been disputed.
This is the third wave of print advertising from WomenCount since the group was formed in May by high-powered Clinton supporters who want to ensure women's values and votes are acknowledged in the political process. WomenCount has raised nearly $500,000 for ad buys urging the DNC to count women's votes in Florida and Michigan.
Similarly, an Ohio-based group called "Clinton Supporters Count Too" has promised to campaign against Obama in the fall. And a recent Pew poll showed that nearly half of white women have a negative opinion of Obama, and that his favorability among all women, particularly Democrats and independents, has been declining.