Gratitude for Hillary

Hillary Clinton gave the speech of her life today and as she endorsed her primary opponent, she cemented her place in history. As importantly, she also shone a path for herself as a national leader for years to come.

She said: "The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama, the next president of the United States."

I was tough on Hillary earlier in the week. I shared the disappointment of her losing a hard fought and terribly close campaign. I thought we needed her to provide us with a bridge to move past the primary and into the General Election by acknowledging Obama's victory. Instead on election night, she announced would take her time. It doesn't matter now whether that was the right decision.

What is clear, is that she couldn't have given the speech she gave today on Tuesday night. Today, her voice was strong, her mind was certain and her back was straight. She wanted us to know she would be an unequivocal supporter for Obama. But she also wanted to say something else.

Yes, it is true she not so silently admitted, in the beginning she was trying to avoid running as a "woman." She thought she needed to prove she was Commander in Chief material instead. But in the last five months, she changed her message because she realized that people accepted her a a national leader, what they wanted was to connect with someone who understood their daily lives. She is filled with the stories of women along the campaign trail. They saw in her a woman who understands the complexities of life as a mother, a daughter, a wife and a worker all at the same time. The glue in other people's lives. Whether it was about health care, education or knowing a soldier in the war, women needed to tell her their stories. She would nod knowingly because she understood them. And she also understood that all too often a woman's dreams take a back seat to someone else's or they are filtered through a thin film of sexism that men don't see.

Hillary found a bold new public voice during this campaign. For those of us who have know her a long time, it was the Hillary we knew. The compassion, the humor and the grit.

She said: "But I am a woman and, like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious, and I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us. I ran as a daughter who benefited from opportunities my mother never dreamed of. I ran as a mother who worries about my daughter's future and a mother who wants to leave all children brighter tomorrows."

She didn't talk about being a wife. Yet as she spoke, I couldn't help but think that among the legacies of this campaign is the certain re-branding of the "Clinton" name. It is now Hillary Clinton who is the contemporary political leader. The one whose future in the Senate and place on the national stage is more important than ever. For instance, when Barack Obama's first presidential priority is universal healthcare, it will be because of Hillary that we will understand its possibilities. What was once dubbed derisively as "Hillarycare" will now carry that moniker as a brand of honor.

We have a lot of work to do in the next several months to win back the White House. But today was Hillary's day in the sun.

"So today I'm going to count my blessings and keep on going," she said. "I will do it with a heart filled with gratitude, with a deep and abiding love for our country, and with nothing but optimism and confidence for the days ahead."

Like so many today, my heart is filled with gratitude for Hillary Clinton.

Follow Hilary Rosen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hilaryr

Comments

[rubyrubyruby]

Despite Hillary's pleas...America won't elect Barrack Obama...because he is not qualified to be president of the United States...it really doesn't matter what Hillary says or what the Dems say or what Drudge says or CNN or Fox...the electorate is not going to roll the dice in these difficult times...when $5.00 (and up) gas hits nobody is going to give a rats ass about the soaring rhetoric of change or Obama's tax the rich stratagey solutions...it's going to be drill Alaska...drill off the coast of California...drill Iraq. Change is coming all right but not the kind of change envisioned...

[Apache6]

The proper analogy, I think, is to family. There's few ruffled feathers, people are still a little pissed on both sides. 2 months ago, I was beyond furious at the Clintons. Today i want to personally thank Hillary Clinton and her supporters. It's over. Ugly, bitter family fight over.

I don't know about the rest of you, but growing up with 4 brothers taught me that 10 minutes the bloody death match was over, it was way the f*** over and I would have taken a bullet for any of them. I can say anything I want to my brothers but God forbid someone outside the family does.

Making the speech yesterday means it's done. Your family doesn't make you eat doodoo or beg forgiveness when there's beef. Just show up and it's all over. The threats to vote for McCain are like a threat to move in with neighbors when you're 14.

Welcome home.

[davenav]

I agree, and yes there are ruffled feathers. But I think that will subside, given time and a better look at our presumptive nominee.

I can relate to your family story. My family is all republican. We fight like cats and dogs, but I too would take a bullet for any of them. Oddly, because Limbaugh told them to vote for Hillary, they took a long look at her for the first time in their lives. They of course voted for McCain, but they all said to me that they were surprised at how much new respect they had for Hillary. The right-wing loves a fighter who won't admit defeat. It's a very American trait, and something that all of Barack's people who were insisting for months that she lay down and die don't seem to understand at all.

[Apache6]

Thank you Dave.

[uhappytoo]

As a Barack Obama supporter I can only say that had Ms Clinton chosen to be as inspiring to all as she was in that speech, I wonder what could have happened. But the Mark Penn model of trying to make "microcosms" out of the electorate, to separate and divide, never allowed her campaign to enter the world of "all."

Still that was her choice of models to campaign on.

[justobserve]

Exactly! She found out that she could hang on to the race by separating and dividing, the biggest of all is the women group. Unfortunately she was blinded to think the race was not over when a candidate got the number and behaved in such a way that showed even more clearly that Hillary is all about Hillary.

[davenav]

I agree about Mark Penn, but you are wrong on your other points. Laying down and admitting defeat, when you are winning big elections and the vote is so close would have been far from admirable, except to Barack's zealots for whom passion has replaced logic.

[MissKaren]

Mark Penn was doing what Karl Rove did with the same disastrous results. Yeah we have differences but Obama, by going the other way, not only dealt with those differences but made a path for us to talk to one another. Mark Penn should be taken out and tossed into the scrap heap so that other campaigns are not tempted.

[OmegaPhoenix]

I'm an Obama supporter, and I haven't heard Hillary's concession speech. But one thing that I want to ask is when Hillary talks about endorsing Obama, how is she going to undo the damage from her "McCain has experience" comments... comments that the RNC is now putting into regular rotation in their campaign for McCain?

[thankulord13]

It doesn't matter... Now the question is what are you doing to undo the damage and help get Obama elected?

[patmancando]

Sorry OP, she was running a campaign based upon her "experience" which is vast, and part of the campaign was to prove that she had the experience to be a leader in domestic and foreign affairs and Obama didn't, That is a true statement. Once McCain was the GOP candidate, it was pretty evident that he would run on his experience, and knowing Obama didn't have it, Hillary's campaign
was not incorrect to make that point. Now that Obama is the candidate, McCain will use that experience as a campaign issue. Obama was always vulnerable on that issue. To blame Hillary for his deficiencies is rather lame of the Obama supporters. The DNC did not think his lack of experience was a deterrent to his leadership; so they elected him in spite of it. Now he has to make his own case in the GE. The GOP will no doubt play her statements saying he has lacks the experience, but it is up to Obama to defend himself, just as he did in the primary race. I don't think you can blame Hillary if he can't defend his record....

[davenav]

Easy. Experience is only a good thing if you're on the right side of the issues. She will hammer this point very effectively.

[suzyhein]

very good point.

[WFV]

She will utilize a trusted Clinton tactic: Just say something over and over and eventually your supporters believe it. She's 'so inspiring', she should have no trouble with this one.

[davenav]

Every politician says the same things over and over. Obama says change every two seconds. So what?

[BeeOplentee]

Heartfelt congratulations from this Obama supporter to Hillary's speechwriter. That unsung hero was splendid; Hillary certainly couldn't have summoned the wit and grace to pen those sentiments herself.

Good for you Hillary!

Obama/Webb '08

[sufi66]

I was moved when Hillary talked about the woman who had to work three jobs and STILL couldn't afford health insurance.

I was sickened when I thought about eight years of the Clinton presidency which failed to help all Americans with their health insurance.

I'm glad she didn't win.

Why reward failure?

[limelight]

I I'm glad you're grateful, but I'll believe the whole "I'll work my heart out..." thing when I see it. She'll have to do that just to repair the damage she has done. The Republicans have already put out a (3 Page!) press release with all of the negative things she said about the good Senator from Illinois. Maybe she can start by putting out a three page press release explaining why she never really meant any of those things. She reminds me of someone just placed in a hospital for the mentally ill, saying: "I'm better now, really. You can take this jacket off me now." The one thing that I think we can be sure about her "going forward" is that she will do so with her "demented narcissism" intact. I just hope it has not been, and will not be, damaging enough for the Democrats to lose in the fall. Then I’ll be grateful, but not to her.

[Jazzcomedian]

Good job.

[celticjag]

Hilary would you please write a column listing all the accomplishments of Sen. Clinton, while First Lady and as Senator? She failed with Hillarycare, due to her arrogance and the secretive way that hearings were held! She has been in Washington for sixteeen years and I don't know of any legislation that she has written or any programs that she has initiated. Thank you in advance.

[anfractuous]

Hey c'mon, how about that bill to make flag burning illegal, that didn't pass BTW?

[davenav]

The reason 'Hillarycare' as you call it did not succeed was because it was not debated on it's merits. It was defeated by Republican subterfuge and a campaign of innuendo led by the whole Whitewater box of lies. Learn from history before you cite it.

And arrogance? Has there ever been a person in public life that wasnt' arrogant. It's practically a requirement. Your arguments are specious and oddly republican sounding.

[celticjag]

Hillary alienated many groups, including Democrats, due to the secretive meetings she held. Lawsuits were filed and even compromise legislation was not acceptable because of the level of vitriol that had developed. Would you like me to recommend some source material, so that you may learn from history?

[dawlishgal]

If one can believe the Bernstein bio, Hillary --an appointee--threatened well-regarded elected officials like Bill Bradley and Pat Moynihan with career destruction if they tried to change even a hair of her plan, and when Republicans led by Bob Dole offered a workable compromise she refused to listen. And here we are almost a decade and a half later, and we still don't have health insurance for all Amercans. Why? Because the Clintons lost congress and failed to campaign for the two men who ought to have followed them into the White House.

Besides that, the Clintons rammed NAFTA through congress after campaigning on a PROMISE not to. The result of that: outsourcing of our jobs, more left without health insurance, and at a disadvantage on the world labor market because everybody but us has government sponsored healthcare and doesn't depend on the grace or generosity of employers.

[ZenNonna]

It was a speech that was more about her than anything else. Each time she mentioned Obama her face went stiff and she looked down. She was only animated when she talked about herself. But oh Well.

I have been waiting for that speech since the 11 straight victories then I thought it would come after Indiana. Better late than never.

[dct1999]

Obama supporters will better serve him by taking their cue from him. Hillary lost, it's done, give HRC her props and move on to finding ways to beat McCain in November.

[s9999]

Should Clinton be VP?

Consider this:

1. The overall democratic voter turnout was the largest in history (over 36 million).

2. These voters were almost evenly divided between the two candidates

3. The roughly 18 million that voted for Obama probably would vote for Obama in the general, not vote for McCain, no matter who Obama picks for VP.

4. As to the 18 million that voted for Clinton, they are more likely to vote for Obama in the general election if he picks her (not all of them will vote for him, even if he picks her, but they are more likely to do so, compared to if he were to pick someone else).

Therefore, for Obama to get the highest percentage of voters in the general election, of those that voted in the primaries, he almost has to pick Clinton.

There are those who say that he doesn't have to pick Clinton to get the same effect. They argue that he could pick a Clinton supporter, or perhaps another prominent Democratic female politician. That is absurd. Would that argument have worked in reverse. If Clinton had won, would Obama supporters have felt satisfied if Clinton had picked another black politician, instead of Obama. Would Charlie Rangel or Harold Ford mollified these voters? People cannot be substituted like that.

Can you imagine a VP debate with Clinton and whoever the Republicans put up?

[davenav]

Both Hillary and Obama are very strong candidates and it's hard to imagine either of them as VP. Plus the Obama camp, and their misplace outrage might convince Barack to look elsewhere. I agree that she would slaughter in any debate against whoever McCain trots out as his VP.

[StillIRise]

I've read your previous posts and have agreed with all of them, but I do take issue with your characterization of Obama's camp's "misplaced outrage." I'm assuming that you're not talking about his camp of supporters on blogsites like this, because we will have no influence on selection of a VP running mate. Therefore, if you're talking about those within his campaign who advise him, I can certainly understand their concerns about Senator Clinton that might convince them to look elsewhere, and I don't think these concerns are misplaced.

Senator Clinton did not give any consideration to Senator Obama in the things she did and said that would inevitably be used against him in the general. She didn't care, and her only consideration was for her own interest in winning the nomination. She and her surrogates used the color of Senator Obama's skin to discredit his electability and to divide the electorate, solely to garner votes. She went so far as to boast about the hard working white Americans who support her, and then resorted to reminding us of RFK's assassination in June, forty years ago. Both she and President Clinton have questioned his character, his patriotism and his faith. Why would Senator Obama now trust her to hold the second most important office in his administration?

Senator Clinton could indeed be an asset to Senator Obama, but her selfish ambition overshadows the good that she could bring to his campaign and to his administration.

[usabroad]

Well, I believe it was "abiding" and not "dividing" love (hope that wasn't a freudian slip Ms. Rosen) ...

But I agree, it was a fine and moving speech. I admit feeling a bit apprehensive before Clinton began, unsure where she might go, but very quickly felt the power and the passion and commitment behind the speech. I am grateful for her language and unequivocal call for Democratic success in November. And I am impressed by how she wove her way through the speech, and appreciate the overwhelming support from the crowd--while one could discern a smattering of dissent here and there, the essence of support for unity was expressed loud and clear.

This is a great moment in our history, but it is, more importantly, the great moment for how we want to manifest in the political realm now. Unity, compassion and genuine exchange (including when we disagree to "disagree without being disagreeable" as Obama said) can infuse the how of our problem solving and shape the rewards of our future. Yes, we can, and even more significantly, yes, we are.

Barack Obama 44th President of the United States of America.

[furryone]

"But I am a woman and, like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious, and I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us."

Substitute "person of color" with "woman" and you understand why Obama's win was ALSO historical and paradigm shifting.
It would have been nice if she had at least acknowledged this truth.
But in the end, she did say what needed to be said, and as an American I am satisfied and ready to finally get another Democrat in the White House!

[davenav]

Uh, she DID make that point.

[brwnizofmine]

I thought Peggy Noonan's piece was interesting.