I Am Not a Bargaining Chip, I Am a Democrat
Senator Clinton's speech last night was a justifiably proud recitation of her accomplishments over the course of this campaign, but it did not end right. She didn't do what she should have done. As hard and as painful as it might have been, she should have conceded, congratulated, endorsed and committed to Barack Obama. Therefore the next 48 hours are now as important to the future reputation of Hillary Clinton as the last year and a half have been.
I am so disappointed that she lost. As a long time Hillary Clinton supporter and more importantly, an admirer, I am sad that this historic effort has ended with such a narrow loss for her. The issues she raised and the people she touched have not been affected this way by any recent presidential candidate. And we were counting on her victory to change so much in this country. There will be the appropriate "if onlys" for a long time to come. If only the staff shakeup happened earlier; if only the effort in the caucus states had more resources; if only Hillary had let loose with the authentic female, connecting voice she found in the last three months of the campaign. If only. If only. I have written many times on this site about the talents of Hillary Clinton and why I thought she'd make a great President.
After last night's final primary, she was only about pledged 100 delegates behind him. Ironic that after not wanting to make the decision for so long, it was in fact, the superdelegates who made the decision. But I guess they did so for another reason. It just isn't her time. It is his time. It's a new day that offers a freshness to our party that many have longed for. We felt the rush of new voices and a new energy in the Congressional sweep of 2006 and the sweep continues. It has been an organic shift.
The life's work of Bill and Hillary Clinton in partnering with so many African Americans uniting our purpose and promoting our mutual issues is as responsible for Barack Obama's success as our first African American nominee as anyone. And yet, that joy is being denied for them by themselves. It is so sad.
So, I am also so very disappointed at how she has handled this last week. I know she is exhausted and she had pledged to finish the primaries and let every state vote before any final action. But by the time she got on that podium last night, she knew it was over and that she had lost. I am sure I was not alone in privately urging the campaign over the last two weeks to use the moment to take her due, pass the torch and cement her grace. She had an opportunity to soar and unite. She had a chance to surprise her party and the nation after the day-long denials about expecting any concession and send Obama off on the campaign trail of the general election with the best possible platform. I wrote before how she had a chance for her "Al Gore moment." And if she had done so, the whole country ALL would be talking today about how great she is and give her her due.
Instead she left her supporters empty, Obama's angry, and party leaders trashing her. She said she was stepping back to think about her options. She is waiting to figure out how she would "use" her 18 million voters.
But not my vote. I will enthusiastically support Barack Obama's campaign. Because I am not a bargaining chip. I am a Democrat.
Follow Hilary Rosen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hilaryr
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Thank you for this introspective article about Hillary's June 7th concession speech. I was equally disappointed in Hillary's concession speech. Far from being a "full-throated" endorsement of Senator Obama’s nomination, I found her strident delivery "combative, defiant, passive aggressive, shrill and confrontational speech last night (a speech devoid of even a scintilla of conciliation or genuine charity)." I also sensed she was still fighting for the nomination by attempting to rally her 18 million supporters in an attempt to " bully Obama into choosing her as his running mate."
Hillary's "speech was all about her and what she has done and the 18 million who voted for her (Is she planning to hold these voters out as pawns in order to negotiate some political position for herself? Shame on you, Hillary!).”
June 3 was a special and historic night the historicity of which, you and I agree, Hillary should have been able to share, but for reasons completely her own on June 7th, she chose not to.
I agree again that Hillary by the time she gave that speech, was indeed exhausted. She’s the only woman in our nation’s history who has ever campaigned this hard and for this long. Even Shirley Chisholm didn’t have to last this long.
Fierce competition sometimes strengthens character; at times it may even build it. More often than not, though, it simply just reveals it.
killinmesoftly.wordpress.com 6/8, 6/4, 5/30 and 5/27 dated posts.
Even though I am a very passionate Obama supporter and contributor, and would easily describe myself as "anti-Hillary," I have become a real fan of Hilary Rosen. Whenever Ms. Rosen appeared on television to defend Senator Clinton, she did so with a level of grace and integrity that forced me to listen with a (somewhat) open mind. I hope Senator Clinton appreciates Ms. Rosen, because Hilary with one L is without a doubt the best surrogate the junior senator from New York had. By FAR. As for the speech that the Senator gave on Saturday the 7th, even I have to admit it was REAL good. It was the most honest I have seen Hillary Clinton since her off the cuff "stay home baking cookies remark." I always admired her back then. One thing I hope Senator Clinton doesn't do is pursue any position (such as VP) that would give Bill any official spouse position. I have always suspected that Bill Clinton was a selfish narcissist who would passive aggressively sabotage her so he wouldn't have to share the Clinton legacy. And I think he proved me right. She should shake him loose and just DIVE into Senate work. She could rule the Senate for the next 30 years. Good luck to her.
HRC has 18 million voters...she's holding them for ransom. Oh wait, I think she's releasing some of the hostages at a rally today.
I am also not a bargaining chip. Obama and supporters believe they are morally, educationally, and intellectually superior to us "older, white women, with low incomes and no college education" Clinton supporters. Well, here is a message to all you latte drinkers- Obama is your baby, so don't count on us uneducated lowlives to help you drag him across the finish line. I may not vote for McCain, but I sure as hell am not going to vote for Obama, no matter how much you may compare him to JFK, MLK, Mahatma Gandi and Jesus.
The fact that Obama and Clinton have virtually no distinguishable policy differences is apparently the last thing on your mind when deciding who to vote for. Damn those latte drinkers!
You are truly a person of great thought and everyone should bow to the power you bring to this discussion. Run along now and vote for McCain. When the shit hits the fan don't blame others. I can't believe any true Democrat would think or talk the way you do. NubianFirethorn? Does that mean like newbie? It surely doesn't mean = I've given this great thought.
"Obama and supporters believe they are morally, educationally, and intellectually superior to us "older, white women, with low incomes and no college education" Clinton supporters."
Nubian, you DO realize that it was Hillary herself who described her supporters this way right? Over and over again throughout the campaign. Please do research before accusing Obama of his supporters of something which YOUR candidate did.
queotic-- YOU need to do your research, please. It was BO's surrogates who continually disparaged these groups of people -- the Uppity Elites that they are.
One thing missing from this conversation: Hillary supporters who are thinking about not voting AT ALL, please, please, please don't sit down while the GOP threatens to continue the war, invade Iran, invade our privacy, overturn a woman's right to choose, do practically nothing about climate change, maintain the influence of lobbyists, do nothing about the health care crisis, nothing to change the education system, in essence, don't sit back and let this country be co-opted by more of the McSame. VOTE OBAMA
This talk of Unity is a farce, intolerant radical left wing will not take the White House in November.
Mc Cain Democrat.
And I thank all of you for the lost opportunity.
McCain Republican, you mean; there's no such thing as a McCain Democrat. And you certainly were never any Clinton Democrat, since McCain, the 8th most conservative Senator, stands against everything -- EVERYTHING -- that she stands for.
You cannot reason with them. Let them make the mistake of voting for McWar. Hopefully there will be plenty of dissaffected republicans plus high turnout among the youth and AA's to cover these angry dems.
To the Clinton supporters planning to vote McCain:
If Obama loses in 2008, remember more than half the Democratic party is made up of Obama supporters. Who do you think we'll vote for if Hillary runs in 2012? Or if Obama wins in 2008, but the polls show you voted against him, and she runs in 2016?
How do you like them apples?
Obama 2008, or Clinton never.
Right on Karen. Hillary supporters should think long and hard about what they say they're going to do. They say they will remember. They won't forget how Hillary was supposedly battered and beaten unfairly. Guess what? If you double cross this country and vote for McCain, neither will we forget in 2012. Hillary will not get the White House in 2012 without us Obama supporters.
And the disaffected, former-Obama supporters who feel betrayed by Clinton will even be classier--we wouldn't wait until she got the nomination to sink her. If Obama loses in '08, Clinton is unlikely to ever make it to the stage of "nominee," much less a general election.
Hopefully by then the Democrats would have another female to run, anyway. One with more experience.
Clinton won't get Obama supporters to vote for her if he loses.
For the hillary dead enders to say that blacks are voting for Obama because he is black is such a cop out. We been voting for whites in the same numbers for DECADES and up until July of 07 she had 57 percent of the black vote. Then she allowed her husband and mouth to degrade blacks (who love and adored the clintons) . They went on through out the campaign treating blacks the same way they claimed sexism was treating them. Had she won I would have voted for her despite my anger, but she didnt. She lost fair and sqaure.
She is not the queen of the US she is simply a women who thought that she could stir up things by playing the race card and sexist card with a loaded deck. So please do not be so bold to say that blacks voted for Obama because he is black, because had she been respectful of us during her battle she might have gotten more of the black vote. Im tierd of folks using that soundbite as if there are a bizllion blacks in the US and no other group voted for him. Her biggest mistake was clearly pulling the race card. Where was all the outrage from the women voters then??? So we had to sit there and take it.
For the record, I am a 45 year old Asian woman and I voted for Obama. It's not just because of black votes that he got the nomination.
I'm a 34 year old white woman and I vote, contributed and campaigned for him. Here's hoping this voting block discussion ends at some point - Good lord if someone gets 55% of a group everyone in is voting a certain way. It's like being in a restaurant with 10 people at a table 5 order the steak, 4 order the chicken and 1 is happy with either - The waiter says they all want the steak - it's lazy pundit talking points- if they actually polled on the issues I would be interest - you know X% think universal heath care is a good idea etc.
Here is my answer to Hillary's claim that she brings 18 million voters with her if she is chosen as VP.
I Am Not a Bargaining Chip, I Am a Democrat -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hilary-rosen/i-am-not-a-bargaining-chi_b_105133.html
Hillary has intelligence, strength and work ethic for sure, but instead of gumption make that gall: as in "the gall to fail to congratulate the winner but instead make the speech mostly about what Hillary wants." All her excellent characteristics are used to promote "me, me, me." She says she wants her policies to have a hearing. Most people note how close the policies of the two are--so, what is her point ? -- Just let ME tell you what our policies will be while Barack sits quietly in the background agreeing with me.
I have always loved Hillary Rosen. She's so maternal.
xoxoxox
You forgot the most important "if only". If only H.illary had not morphed into H.illary R.ove C.linton and conducted a scorched earth campaign. I truly believe that H.illary would have won this race if she could have kept it clean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA6rgCqoNMU&eurl
Anyone thinking of voting for McCain out of spite, please take a look at this video link. McCain is not change you can believe in. He did not even say a word against that type of language when a woman referred to Hillary as a b***h.
The joke he made previously about Chelsea was unforgivable. http://www.salon.com/news/1998/06/25newsb.html
You can really say a lot about Hillary that she did forgive him.
It has been reported that McCain referred to his wife using a term which I will not even allude to.
Check out McCain's voting record regarding women.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6246064
Obama supporters are waiting with open arms. Ask the Hillary supporters who were at the Minnesota speech.
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/06/04/2100/ clinton_supporters_wowed_with_warm_reception_at_obama_rally
Punishing our soldiers with more time in Iraq will not live up to our obligations to them. My wife and I have two sons 6 and 15 and I fear for their future if McCain gets elected. I do not want to see 4 more years of this. Please do not do this loyal Americans.
"Obama supporters are waiting with open arms."
Oh, bushwah! Those who called her supporters "a waste of space?"
Well, those open arms are one space I won't occupy.
Using a dollop of Minnesota "nice" is not enough to blind people to the months of exposure to the vicious, brutal little bamas all over the net—whether paid or volunteering their vitriol.
Someone basing their vote on what an internet troll said...
It is refreshing to hear somebody complain about vitriol who is totally without vitriol.
I agree ! I too thought she got "down to earth" during the last of the campaign and I liked her attitude and presentation.......but, was that the REAL Hillary ?? She changes her personality with her pants suits and this turned me off. I just don´t know which Hillary to hang on to ! So, I will go with Obama
and hope to hell Mc(whatever) fades away........be advised its going to be very, very nasty in the days to come.
The Al Gore moment was despicable because it was undemocratic. Just because the Democratic good ol' boys have played their gender politics in forcing her to concede and, even, they hope, give her delegates to him, does not mean that Obama is the democratic victor. They tied, and if she were a man, people would applaud her for fighting on (as Ted Kennedy, among others, did). Instead, we have a retro gender politics in which we all worry about how much it will emasculate Barry if she continues to represent her voters and expect -- as the Demcorats should do -- that she is made V.P. Since it is a tie and since neither has won the requisite amount to get the nomination, both should be on the ticket. It is only the rabid Obama supporters, who insist that Obama should not "pick" her; Hillary supporters are willing to accept her as number 2. Shame on the Democratic Party for acting so undemocratically.
Well, first you need to know that it was *Hillary* supporters in the House and Senate that pushed her to concede. As for Ted and Carter in 1980, don't you think we can learn from that disaster, regardless of gender issues today? A floor fight will doom our party.
One more thing...it was NOT a tie. Obama won the delegate count, even surpassing Hillary's high number count projection, including full MI and FL. I think Hillary is now realizing that its time to pull the party together. If you're concerned about women's rights and issues, where do you think those will stand with McCain as president. Just think Supreme court for starters and McCain's stated desire to take down Roe v. Wade.
Wrong. See Real Clear Politics. Hillary won the popular vote.
Obama won the machine...some outsider. Well, ok, puppet.
A tie? Seriously? That's what you're going with, it was a TIE? Meaning they got the same amount of delegates? Wow.
Lying to yourself is no way to go through life.
"They tied"
no, they didn't.
Candidates are not picked because they think they are "the best" choice. They are voted in. And Hillary made it clear early on that she'd get the super delegates, if not the popular vote. Hillary Clinton's campaign manager vowed last year that we would have a Democratic nominee by February 5th, and it would be Hillary. That's because the Clinton camp did not expect serious opposition. They didn't care if the votes from the two early primaries counted, until they mattered. It's a shame that so many voters are brining up sexism. Hillary Clinton vowed to nuke and obliterate, labeled herself as the choice of hard working white people, and reminded us that Obama might be assassinated the way RFK was. She's one of the first democratic candidates to completely alienate the African American vote, the majority of whom will never show up at the poles for her, and women like me who don't admire women who ride in on their husband's horse. Hillary chose her fate by being the woman who stood behind her man, no matter how many humiliations and betrayals. When she walked out of Bill's shadow, she waded into the murky waters they both created. After all her talk about Obama not being able to stand the heat, I suggest she drink more water.
benne,
go take a chill pill.He doesn't owe her anymore than Bush gave Gore.
It was Bush/Chaney,not Bush/Gore.
Better late than never.
Hillary knew what she was doing, or rather, not doing! She says that she will come out for Obama on Saturday. I hope not! With or without Hillary, I will absolutely, positively, not vote for Obama! It would be nice to vote for the false image that he & the media have created of Obama but if we vote for the image of Obama, we will get the real Obama, not the good, false image of him. The real Obama is a liar, an arrogant self promoter, a duplicitous person who makes decisions & acts for political expediency only! His fans should remember that he was hand picked as a candidate by the corrupt Chicago political club, after their 1st choice, the ex-gov of Illinois, was destined to go to jail. This plus the 360 favors he owes to his big donor bundlers & lobbyists, yes, lobbyists, will bankrupt our nation.
[ McCain owes 473 bundlers & lobbyists] The nation is in deep trouble! Our salvation would be an Independent Hillary run.
Pay attention to Hillary's speech on Saturday. There will be no independent run. Your attitude towards Obama is not one of supporting women's issues and rights, but one of the spoiled child who didn't get her way. How is that going to elevate the stature of women in our society and politics? If you truly believe in and support Hillary, you will follow the advice she will be giving in her Saturday speech.
Actually, it's the attitude of one who has never trusted Obama. Of course, I never trusted or respected Bush either, etc., etc., etc.
Now it's also the attitude of one who has seem the Democratic Party behave at its worst.
Obaminable.
McCain's only salvation is his right wing supporters posing as Hillary supporters and rallying the bitters to sabotage Obama's campaign. It won't work. Sorry. Thanks for playing.
Nothing like Republicans stirring up trouble. Would you like a bigger spoon?
Here is a hint... real supporters of Sen. Clinton are smarter and more pragmatic. They would at least try a little honesty with each other rather than reciting the lies of Rush Limbaugh as their own talking points... but nice try.
Remember FRANK RICH?Or that chinese guy who went to jail after bundeling for the clintons?Grow up!They ALL have nefarious people in their lives partly because we dont have public financing of campains.WE the DEMOCRATS have an incredable opprotunity to not only have the house and senate but the next president will get to choose at least 3 SUPREME court judges in the next few years.This is our time and if you dont take it shame on you!
So if what you claim is true regarding Senator Obama, why would voting for him give you pause? Sounds like he has more in common with Senator Clinton than just policy.
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