Clinton Pitches Herself to New Hampshire as Sanders Maintains Double-Digit Lead

Clinton's pulling out the stops in New Hampshire despite preparing for a loss.

ByABC News
February 3, 2016, 5:42 PM

DERRY, NH -- Hillary Clinton's campaign appears to be pulling out all the stops in New Hampshire, despite repeatedly acknowledging that the chances of a win are little to none.

At a campaign event in Derry this morning, the Democratic presidential candidate charged against critics who questioned why she is spending time in the state.

“I come here well aware of the fact that a lot of political pundits have been opining, as political pundits do, that I should have just skipped coming to New Hampshire,” Clinton told the crowd inside here at a Boys & Girls club.

“I have to tell you, I could not ever skip New Hampshire,” she added, “So I’m gonna be out here, making my case.”

Clinton’s comments come two days after she eked out a victory in the Iowa Caucus, and less than one week before the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday.

As part of the last-minute push here, the campaign is sending more than 100 staff from its Brooklyn, NY headquarters to New Hampshire as back-up. They’re also increasing appearances by surrogates. In these first two days here, Gabby Giffords and husband Mark Kelly have already campaigned twice with Clinton — a sign the campaign is also making an effort to draw differences with Sanders on guns.

This morning, Clinton did not hold back from contrasting herself with her challenger, responding directly to a remark he made yesterday that Clinton is only a progressive on “some days.”

“I was a little disappointed, to be honest, yesterday. It was a kind of a blow,” she said today.

Last night, at at event in Hampton, Clinton also went after Sanders on electability. “I know that people here have a choice," she said, "And I hope that you will choose with both your heart and your mind."