By Mike Dorning
Clearly anxious to generate more attention for the Florida primary despite Democratic party sanctions stripping the state of its delegates, Hillary Clinton announced today that she would go to Florida on primary night to thank her supporters there.
All the major Democratic candidates promised not to campaign in Florida to avoid a backlash in the crucial party-sanctioned early primaries and caucuses in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Florida violated party rules by moving its primary ahead of Feb. 5.
Clinton said on CBS’s Face the Nation this morning that she would be in Florida “Tuesday night” when the results are counted for the state’s primary. This afternoon, her campaign put out put out a statement explaining that she would time her visit to avoid breaking her pledge against campaigning there.
Clinton “will visit the state after all polls are closed in the Florida primary, in accordance with her pledge not to campaign in the state before its primary,” the campaign said in its statement.
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A Clinton appearance at a campaign party in-state would provide video that draws more attention to the results in Florida. And since she is expected to win, a victory in speech in Florida clearly would provide better momentum for the campaign leading up to the Super Tuesday Feb. 5 primary than her 2-to-1 loss in South Carolina.
Polls have shown Clinton leading in Florida throughout the campaign. And none of the major Democratic candidates have campaigned in the state.