Hillary Clinton took the stage in Denver and took America to church.She did everything she needed to do to salvage the Clinton legacy and set herself up for a possible future bid for the Oval Office. This is the finest address I’ve heard in a very long time. She was strong, poised and inspirational without seeming preachy. This is how you unify a party, something the GOP may need to take notes on when trying to court the conservatives.
She addressed the faction of her supporters who are bitter and considering sitting out this election cycle. She reminded them that they can not afford to sit back idly and let history happen without them. If the Democrats want the White House, they've got to get those voters on board.
“Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to
unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none
of us can sit on the sidelines.” “I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving
on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel
invisible?”
She hit every necessary key message and answered most lingering questions. She artfully pushed voters to Obama, supported the Biden VP pick and took several shots at John McCain. The senator also made a point to be complementary of her colleague, John McCain’s, years of service and dedication -- classy and deserved.
Her finest moment of the night came from a Harriet Tubman quote.
"By following the example of a brave New Yorker, a woman who risked
her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad. And on that path to
freedom, Harriet Tubman had one piece of advice. If you hear the dogs, keep
going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If they're shouting
after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of
freedom, keep going. Even in the darkest of moments, ordinary Americans have
found the faith to keep going. I've seen it in you. I've seen it in our teachers
and firefighters, nurses and police officers, small business owners and union
workers, the men and women of our military — you always keep going. We are
Americans. We're not big on quitting.”
Now that is powerful!
I could tell that this run really meant the world to her. She talked about her mother; who was born before women could vote. I think she really did this for the right reason, she wanted to be a catalyst of change.
I’ve seen both Clintons speak several times and they are both skilled orators, but this was what they call a "moment." Well done Senator Clinton.
The next real question… will hardcore Clinton backers still vote for Barack Obama or will the resentment win out? Take a look at this CNN interview moments after the speech. It is quite telling.
1 comment:
I'd rather been looking forward to this convention as my opportunity to take a deep breath, reinvigorate, "get off the sidelines" and really hop on the Obama bus. However, after last night, rather than being swept up in the Obama-rama, I'm left with less "Yes, we can.." and more "Oops, we should have..."
I imagine that more than a couple of Barack Obama supporters have got to be feeling at least a twinge of buyer's remorse after Tuesday night at the DNC. Hillary's performance explained beyond a shadow of a doubt what I'd pondered as one of the most peculiar political moves I've seen--Barack Obama passing over Hillary Clinton for Veep. On the surface, it seems like she would be the obvious choice...for strength of the ticket, for party unity, to add much-needed experience and any number of other reasons. And yet, Joe Biden. Don't get me wrong, it's unendingly more intelligent than choosing say, Kathleen Sub-stitute-elious, but it certainly left me scratching my head...until last night.
It would be utterly impossible for Obama to share the stage with this pantsuited political pioneer who, quite clearly upstages him any time they share the same space. Hillary as VP would be like Tiger Woods holding the bag while his caddy takes the swing. I will try to stay optimistic as this train rolls down the track, resisting the sometimes overwhelming sense that we, as a nation, have once again screwed the proverbial pooch.
I will, come election day, begrudgingly plod into the voting booth and pull that "D" lever like a good foot soldier if for no other reason than I love to sleep at night and doing anything else would certainly interfere with my nocturnal agenda. Here's to 'Biden'ing our time to see if Joe will actually write his own speech this time around.
Sour grapes? Maybe, but that's how I feel, and after all, isn't that what this whole blogosphere bit is all about?
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