Clinton Concession Speech Reaction

Hillary Clinton formally suspended her campaign and enthusiastically endorsed Barack Obama in Washington D.C. today. Below is reaction to her speech. Read the transcript of her speech here.

Andrew Sullivan says of Clinton, "Yes She Did"

Senator Clinton did all she needed to do: thanked everyone and unequivocally endorsed and supported Barack Obama. One theme stuck out to me: she essentially said that even though she was careful to avoid ever saying that she was running because she was a woman and that people should vote for her because she is a woman, that's what she believes in private. That's the theme she spoke of most compellingly.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza observes that:

Hillary Rodham Clinton today offered a full-throated endorsement of Barack Obama's presidential campaign in a speech that mixed the historic nature of the protracted Democratic nomination fight with intimate personal reflections about her time on the campaign trail and an unwavering promise to remain in the political process moving forward.

David Kurtz at Talking Points Memo noted the graciousness of Clinton's speech:

The only thing harder than delivering a concession speech must be writing one. But Hillary's speech is striking all the right notes, while still letting her hit her familiar campaign themes in a way that makes the speech sincere and authentic, without seeming to be forced.[...] Judged against other concession speeches, I think she did it just right.

The Obama campaign called the speech "very generous" and that it "appreciates how hard it is."
Obama's statement:

"Obviously, I am thrilled and honored to have Senator Clinton's support...I know she will continue to be in the forefront of that battle this fall and for years to come."

Comments

[lunadove]

I was not pleased with many of the choices Hill made in her campaign.

However, I still feel the wave of sadness from her and her campaign and voters, and all they idealized.

I hope we can sincerely come together, and not use anger. Anger, unless used as a catalyst for moving forward, is very destructive. We have a nation, a world, to think of.
Whatever her intentions, she made history. She is recklessly tough. Every curse is blessing and every blessing is a curse, especially when it comes to personality.

I hope her talents manifest in a way both grand and unique, and I hope she finds a comfortable place in history yet to come.

As for the dems - lets get busy! Let's put petty differences aside and get these f@*#ing thugs out of business once and for all! Let's concentrate our anger on the people who deserve it the MOST!

PEACE...
lg

[MyGuyO]

Aha! But Hillary will still be waiting in the wings for something drastic to happen to Senator Obama.

[robjh1]

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

by: Langston Hughes
________________

[GaryWolf]

Brilliant!

[ImmanuelKant]

Do political junkies not listen. Yea, she backed Obama in that long winded rant. But one awful story she told was not paid any attention to and I thought well yes, that would describe her ethic. She spoke of a young child in Kentucky that had saved his money for a trip to Disneyworld. Instead he took the money and helped pay for he and his mom to campaign for her. How could she accept this money? Hillary and her family can pick up and go to Disneyworld whenever they choose and have time. This boy was saving for the experience of a lifetime that he may never have, and she stopped it without remorse and bragging about it too. What a git.

[go4thegold]

Sorry, Andrew.. .Your favoroite witch didn't do a great service to either her party or herself. The self-serving, back patting, egotistical speech was weak. She backhandedly gave a light endorsement to Obama... while still telling her "base" that she's their candidate and don't desert her... She'll be back, and maybe even if something happens to Obama... hint, hint. She's a bitch and I'm glad she's gone. Now we can concentrate on issues, not ego. D.

[priusdriver]

wow, i LOVE how much you concentrate on the issues. you're a really big person.

p-a-t-h-e-t-i-c

at least i can rest in the knowledge that you'll never do anything nearly as impressive as sen. clinton or sen. obama.

[priusdriver]

your concentration on issues is amazing!!!

[EGNY]

What purpose does it serve to rant about this stuff? OK, there were aspects of her primary campaign that angered a lot of people, me included. But, Hill-*ry has been a good public servant and a decent person (from what I've seen/heard/read -- I obviously don't have first hand knowledge) for the vast majority of her political career.

I frankly think she got a bit of whiplash going from "inevitable" to "long shot" in the political equivalent of 17.4 seconds. I think she flailed a bit and it caused her to take some bad advice and follow her own worst instincts. Anybody -- you, me & Mother Ther-*sa -- can get knocked off of our normal judgment in an extreme situation. And not one of us knows what it's like to be in the situation she just finished. These primaries looked to me like a tornado sealed in a pressure cooker.

We need to start thinking about this differently than we did during the primaries. Hill-*ry’s not “them.” She’s “us.” Like it or not, as of right now, McSame is the only “them” worth fighting. Trying to take the proverbial “pound of flesh” from Hill-*ry is insane because, at this point, it’s a wound we’d be inflicting on ourselves.

Hill-*ry gave a great speech. We should be reaching out to welcome her supporters, and acknowledging the positive qualities Hill-*ry has, which attracted so many loyal supporters to her.

[drzoon]

ANYONE who would vote for a republican at this point is just flat out stupid.

or.. don't care if they ruin all that ever been good about this country

[PioneerKing]

One can only imagine why any woman is willing to ignore the comments made by McCain, the republicans and the republican media and bloggers, who have been the primary people spewing sexist remarks about Hillary and women in general.
It makes one wonder if these women would rather gouge their eyes out, cut off their noses, cut out their tongues and have their ear drums blown out rather than vote for Obama who is supportive of their needs, unlike the republicans and McCain who aren't supportive.
McCain stands against nearly everything that Hillary and Obama are for, so to hear women say that they would vote for McCain or stay home rather than vote for Obama is incredulous.
Why are not these Hillary supporters angry with the republicans? McCain sat back silently while his supporters made some of the worse sexist comments about Hillary. McCain has even projected profanity onto his wife in public, and has thrown his adopted brown skinned adopted daughter under the bus in his effort to court "agents of intolerance." Why would any woman want to vote for someone who would be so disrespectful towards women?
McCain has made numerous sexist jokes about Chelsea and Hillary - yet the women who support Hillary claim they would rather vote for McCain; what type of warped, misguided, spiteful logic is this?
It all seems irrational and/or racist to support the party and their nominee who has been the most scornful of Hillary, Chelsea and all women.

[kappa08]

In my opinion this election is a slam dunk..period. Seriously what does it take. Dick and "W" caught eating kentucky fried bald eagle wiping their greasy mugs with the constitution?
Am I the only one that points and laughs at "idiot" with a McCain bumper sticker or the dillweed still brazen enough to have a "W '04" on his gas guzzling suv. I mean why don't you (stupid American) just drill out your frontal lobe and spare us the personality as well.

[reddogdee]

Prism, are you aware that the rethugs are on this board creating mischief amoung Democrats?
Please don't make any harsh decision, don't you think that we've had enough of of eight years of this incompetent administration? Come on now, we have to put a Democrat into the White House. If McBush gets in we all can kiss the Supreme Court goodbye.

[Dr. Sam]

I APPLAUD HILLARY'S CONCESSION SPEECH (belated as it was); but disdain her cynical attempt to rewrite history in her favor. In one stroke, she summed up her lost as "because I am a woman." Some of her supporters may believe that, but not dispassionate analysts of contemporary political events--and certainly not Presidential historians. The woman who started out wanting to be like Marg. Thatcher, ended up shouting in our ears about her femininity, and about sexism in American politics. Neither the Clintons nor her stalwart supporters and key operators remembered to give any credence to their own awful misdeeds. No word about a doomed sense of entitlement, Clinton fatigue, the Iraq vote, the underestimation of the Obama candidacy, the negative ads (that included the red phone scare), the lies (e.g., the Bosnia fire), the lack of a consistent message, the racism, the kitchen sink strategy, the class warfare, and more. Not even any word about McCain! Only honesty and a thirst for sincere ideals by political leaders can bring real hole for us all. On those, we look to Obama for real change!

[MeLuvHillary]

Oh brother, even as she gives Barry the endorsement that he needs, she is still belittled at every turn. Obama supporters make you not even want to vote for the man (which I will, sigh). She did not frame her loss as b/c she was a women. She said that we can be proud of the the fact that we were closer than ever to electing a woman. New flash! There are still biases and prejudices out there on both sides. (women and AA). It just so happens that concept of sexism took a back seat to that of racism. Spare me. I'm black. Personally, I don't think she thought she was entitled. I think she thought it was going to be a walk, and she paid a heavy price for poor planning. Plus, she was the chief attack dog for her own campaign (never a good thing), while Barry was smart and had other people do it for him.

[miles120]

Just consider the source. Frankly, it's time to roll up our sleeves and spank the GOP for being such poor stewards of the public trust (and when we've accomplished that, we can hold the Democrats' feet to the fire.)

We now have a common goal, and everyone who will work toward achieving it is welcomed.

[Axolotl]

Ping and a few other commenters are right. Hillary's Saturday speech was superficially adequate for the purpose--if you just read it. But watching her deliver it, it was obvious where she had little spirit and was forcing herself--the part supporting Obama. Much too much time was spent glorifying her valiant run.

She will do as little as possible in the campaign. She still believes she has the Dem establishment--and Barack--intimidated and she probably does. She is waiting for something bad to happen and would cause it if she could. Never trust this lying, vile, vulgar person.

Every post ends with this: NO FREE PASS FOR MCCAINE.

[Dr. Sam]

I APPLAUD HILLARY'S CONCESSION SPEECH (belated as it was); but disdain her cynical attempt to rewrite history in her favor. In one stroke, she summed up her lost as "because I am a woman." Some of her frenzied supporters may believe that, but not sober dispassionate analysts of contemporary political events--and certainly not Presidential historians. The woman who started out wanting to be like Marg. Thatcher, ended up shouting in our ears about her femininity, and about sexism in American politics. Neither the Clintons nor her stalwart supporters and key operators remembered to give any credence to their own awful misdeeds. No word about a doomed sense of entitlement, Clinton fatigue, the Iraq vote, the underestimation of the Obama candidacy, the negative ads (that included the red phone scare), the lies (e.g., the Bosnia fire), the lack of a consistent message, the racism, the kitchen sink strategy, the class warfare, and more. Not even any word about McCain! Only honesty and a thirst for sincere ideals by political leaders can bring real hole for us all. On those, we look to Obama for real change!

[Bronxcutie]

I think Barack should ask Hillary if she would rather be Attorney General or on the Supreme Court. I think she could put Scalia and his cronies in their places! They are ruining America!

[gvidal]

President McCain

[priusdriver]

president of fantasy-land maybe... but not this country.

[gvidal]

She is a Patriot and would have made a MUCH better President han Obama - NO QUESTION. But since he has won the nomination by playing the race card, we need to rally behind him. I'm not there yet because of the nasty Obama voters and bloggers - but we'll see how many goof things they say about her - If she is not VP than most likely I will vote for Nader - and/ or stay home - Mc Cain is a viable option for his service to this nation - I totally disagree with his policies, but I rather not have another very weak inexperienced young guy elected (like Shrub) who is not tested - maybe with some experience we can move forward.

[politicalgenius]

I fail to realize when Obama played the race card. And please, spare us all the "McCain's a veteran and his service makes him viable" people said something eerily similar about Reagan and his acting and thought that it made him likable and electable. Bring some substance other than POW experience - which shouldn't be discredited, not should it be over-stated as grounds to be President. There's not way that McCain would be a better President.

And for the record, Hill*ry and Obama are the same candidate - in terms of policies - with minor nuanced differences in Health Care.

[haydude]

supreme court nominee and former first lady, senator h.r. clinton said today, FLUSH THE 'P' G-O-BAMA!

[OhioJan]

OK, everyone, I just want this to be on record (especially after some of my harsher words over the past few days) that I appreciated HRC's speech yesterday acknowledging Sen. Obama on his win & trying to rally her troops around the Obama camp to help us beat McShame in November.

HOWEVER, I stand firm on my dissaproval of her negative words & actions against Obama , for wasting 4 days instead of just doing it Tuesday - thus, stealing Obama's moment to shine - and, I STILL don't trust her to not try something ELSE shady.

I WILL work on forgiving, just can't promise that I'll forget any time soon. I'll try my damnedest to give her the benefit of the doubt, & allow her to redeem herself through selfLESSness toward Barack Obama, his staff, his supporters and those we will need from HER camp to join us. Put another way, I'll lay off her...for the moment.

[iluvsam]

I love Hillary Clinton and always will. She's a fabulous and incredible person of whom I will always respect and admire.

Thank you Sen. Clinton for all your hard work and dedication to the American people.