Anne Fleming: Clinton Held Back In Praise Of Obama

Washington Independent:

This night was Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's. Eyes welled up as she appeared, luminous, still so strangely lit up with loss. There in the stands, gazing at her with adoration, was her husband -- her complex, clearly emotional and, we are assured, still angry, ex-president of a husband -- mouthing "I love you, I love you," as she spoke. Their long, marital dance is just an inextricable part of our national political drama, as it was again this night, with those strange, mumbled endearments.

...

What's clear is that there is still a bruised and restless positioning going on with her, as was evident in that speech. (For Kennedy, his 1980 run signaled a hard and irrefutable end of his presidential quest; too much stuff had come up.) Yes, she endorsed Obama--mentioning him at least a dozen times. But what she endorsed was the candidate -- not the man. He had no flesh on him. He was the Democratic candidate, and that was enough for her.

There was no talk of Obama's passions, his career, their shared goals and ideals. Of course, she reaffirmed the big "D" democratic values. We're for the forgotten, the working class not the upper class. We're for energy independence and a restitution of the respect America used to garner around the world, so squandered in the last eight years. We're for health care and hope and change. That's why I ran, she said--underscore "I." She never said that's why Barack Obama is running. It was a passionate but strangely impersonal--almost totally impersonal --endorsement.

Read the whole story: Washington Independent

Comments

[MM5]

Give it a rest. Hillary did fine. Move on.

[HoooooooHah]

yawn.

[hudsuckerproxy]

If Clinton had praised Obama effusively, she would have alienated the holdouts who aren't ready to embrace him (yet) as fully they embrace her. Moreover, the Republican operatives who are furiously peddling the "Dems Are Divided" theme would now be accusing her of being insincere.

Her issues-based argument was resoundingly authentic. More important, it was the most effective strategy she could possibly have used to sway the holdouts.

[the964kid]

Anne Flemming wrote one of the worst critiques of Hillary's speech Ive seen.

Ms Flemming please gimme a break. I'm sure that was a heart-breaking loss for Hillary, one that she may never be over. What she did do last night was put her own feelings aside and fully endorse Obama for president. I can't believe writers like Flemming expect so much out of one speech. I mean, what else do you want?? You want Hillary to solve world peace?? Find a cure for cancer???

Ridiculous article.

[mediamarv]

"It was a passionate but strangely impersonal--almost totally impersonal --endorsement."

I get the feeling you are very qualified in the strange dept. Perhaps veteran reporters (euphemistically speaking) just don't get it. Retirement ring a bell, dear??

[sandiaview]

She lost the primary, she's human, she'll get over it some day. The important thing is that she knows that this election is crucial to America's future. Thank you Hillary! We are headed into the 2nd World Nation status. Our children are receiving an inferior education; jobs are being shipped out of the country and cheap labor is being imported; the infrastructure is crumbling; we are outsourcing to private profiteers our government; big oil is running our government, stealing trillions of dollars in public resources, getting billions in tax breaks and robbing us at the pump; cronies are stealing the Treasury; phony wars, false intelligence and fear mongering propaganda fool the America public into blindly jumping of the cliff of self destruction; the news media is no longer accountable for what they broadcast over our publicly-owned air ways; our Democracy is being challenged while criminals in the White House fake the export of Democracy at the barrel of a gun (by private, crony profiteers); big corporations are privatizing their profits and socializing their losses with tax payer bail outs; student loan extortion rates...more, more. Hillary knows that we have big problems!

[Daisy1111]

Jeeze!

You bloggers won't stop the Hill hate.

What else do you want from her?

Should she iron his shirt for him Shine his shoes?

Oh - I know - she should stand in for him at the debates so he can umm-umm-ummm sit back and relax.

[Mack1124]

Well said!!!

[vsign]

Perfectly said.

[Lemeritus]

"But what she endorsed was the candidate -- not the man. He had no flesh on him. He was the Democratic candidate, and that was enough for her."

Sadly, after weeks of seeing his primary stances "refined", many people now feel the same. He's the candidate, but he has no flesh on him. I hope to see that change.

[schicklett3]

Thank you Senator Hillary Clinton for your support and for helping bring the party together!
We are the United Democrats of America!
God Bless the United States of America!

Vote Smart - Obama-Biden '08!

[ShamusNYC]

Perhaps you have a point, but it is hard for anyone to watch that speech not come away with the central message: "if you supported me, support this ticket"

And it was well done.

[mediamarv]

What you said!

[mooph]

Another note in this same vein: Clinton said of Biden, he's "a strong leader, a good man ... he's pragmatic, he's tough, and he's wise." Yet she had no similar praise of Obama as a person, merely pointing out the policy objectives they share.

[mooph]

Then again, at least she didn't say 'he's likable enough'!

[JayHorus]

I wish people would stop, take a breath and give it a rest. The only way for people to get over this stuff is for the Obama people and supporters to stop pouring salt into a healing wound and the Hillary people and supporters need to stop acting like Obama didn't win. You know peace first starts with oneself. If a person really wishes for a positive outcome to a conflict they will do everything in their power to achieve that goal. Their starting point is going to be: "How can I achieve peace (Unity in this case)?" "What steps do I take to reach my goal?" and they will continue down that road until they reach their objective. If a person is always approaching things with a critical mind and negative view point nothing anyone else says will make any difference to them. Let me be clear, I don't like Hillary Clinton, never have, and I was a Edwards supporter before, but her speech last night got me thinking of her in a different light. I am Independent and she did what she needed to do for me to get past the primary's. That is just my opinion, your millage may vary.

PS Stop listening to the Main Stream Media. They have become used car sales men, selling their product to their particular demographic. GOD...I miss Tim Russert!!!

[notthistime]

JayHorus - most Obama supporters think Hillary did great. Check my posts from today - I was anti Hillary since February but I let that go after her speech last night as did many others. Anyone that falls for this hype are probably not democrats. Instead they are probably McCain supporters trying to stoke the fires of dissent within our campaign.

I would let it go. It won't work . . . not this time. no way . . . . no how . . . . .no mccain.

[SheriChardonnay]

AND ITS SAD SHE DID THAT! Im watching C-span and this mexican lady is some saying clinton worked hard and Obama did not (not directly)...LET ME TELL YOU THIS....BLACK KIDS (BLACK MEN AND BLACK WOMEN) ARE TOLD EVEN BY THEIR WHITE MOTHER U HAVE TO WORK 2X AS HARD AS THE WHITE MAN TO SUCCED....OBAMA DID THAT! HE WON!

HE WORKED HARD AS HELL TO GET THIS NOD....HE PLAYED BY THE DEMONcratic RULES AND HE WON...HE WORKED HARD...HE CAME FROM 30 POINT LOSS TO WINNING...AND TO INSINUATE HE DID NOT IS AN INSULT AND ANTI-AMERICAN...THIS MUST ME THE "AVERAGE AMERICAN" CITIZEN!

[GayIthacan]

Are you actually paid to write this drivel?

Funny - I always thought the person to define Obama's personal beliefs and positions is Obama - not one of the Arkansas HillBillys....

Do you really have nothing of substance to write about?

[gditty]

Playing devils advocate:

There's nothing wrong with her feeling that she was the best candidate for the position. Many people, everyday are passed over for positons that they felt they were more qualified than the recipient. Hillary has nothing to be ashamed of, millions of people felt the same way. The MSM & pundits will assume her underlining thoughts & reasoning, parsing her speech by every word in a attempt to minimize its worth, therefore her speech / feelings can not be sincere. Anne Fleming blog is a empty assertion, based on assumption, by HER perceived personal validation, but nevertheless is void of substantive fact, that only Hillary Clinton can reveal.