Hillary the Healer

Throughout the primary, she has been under attack for her divisiveness, comments, and behavior. Saturday, she put that behind her with what Pat Buchanan qualified as the "model of a concession speech, which said goodbye but embraced her opponent."

There was a lot to contend with. Clinton's expectations had been big. When Katie Couric had asked her in an interview, "What if it's not you?" -- Clinton couldn't imagine that as a possibility. Neither could her strategists. Maybe because it was a close race, it was harder for Hillary and her supporters to let go. But now she has. In front of a crowd of between 8-10,000 with her mother, daughter, and husband by her side, she delivered the goods. In the aftermath of defeat, her contribution to the dialogue will be long remembered.

Clinton opened with, "Well this isn't exactly the party I planned, but I sure do like the company." She thanked and acknowledged her supporters and their accomplishments telling them, "The dreams we shared are worth fighting for." Clinton then transitioned into her endorsement saying, "The way to continue our fight now is to help elect Barack Obama the President of the United States." In urging her followers to work for Obama and put a Democrat back in The White House, she emphasized how important it was "to win in November, and turn around our country" because so much was at stake. In the sentence that said it all she pronounced, "Today I am standing with Senator Obama to say, 'Yes we can.' "

Clinton acknowledged that both she and Obama had achieved milestones, and invoked the historical precedents of the suffragettes, the abolitionists, and civil rights workers. There can
be no complaints that she was not clear in her intent. She stressed, "I want to say to my supporters...every moment wasted looking back, keeps us from going forward. We have to
work together for what can still be. I hope and pray that you will join me in that effort."

Perhaps now that the dust is beginning to settle, a new examination of sexism in our society will be given the attention it warrants and deserves. If so, Clinton's candidacy will have a deeper, richer implication. Appearing on The Larry King Show, Hillary Clinton biographer Gail Sheehy observed, "Her advisors served her badly by running her as a man."

Obama will need to reach out to the women who feel disenfranchised by Clinton's defeat. Maybe Hillary the healer will turn out to be even more potent than Hillary the fighter.

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Comments

[PSD827]

People!

We all need to get over ourselves and stop arguing about the same nonsense ad nauseam, and move on if we are going to beat McCain in the fall.

At this point, I don't really care who the VP is anymore as long as we don't have 4 more years of Bush philosophy with tax cuts for Exxon, 100 more years in Iraq, and a potential new war in Iran.

[MyThought]

All you Obama supporters that want him to win and want unity should cut out the attacks - they are not warranted and believe you me - they will hurt him.

Grow up

[limocro]

Am I to understand that if he doesn't select Hillary as his vice president you will accept it - and move on?

[strangelet]

Well, you didn't ask me, but yes. In fact, I am a former Clinton supporter who thinks that -- regrettably -- Obama should not pick her for VP. (Little danger of that, I suspect).

This is for tactical reasons, not because I have been converted to view her as the Wicked Witch. He needs a Southerner, and ideally someone a little more comfortable with the military.

This is, of course, assuming that we are to have a political campaign rather than a religious experience. Luckily, Obama is a politician, even if many of his adherents don't seem to realize that.

Can you move on?

[MyThought]

Get off her back folks - because Obama is turning out to be quite a piece of work......Elizabeth Edwards didn't like Obama's health care plan - she like Clinton's plan.......ba boom - Edwards endorses Obama and va voom - now Obama is going to partner with Elizabeth Edwards on a health care plan? This smells really bad - Obama unifying the Party??? I don't think so.

Bingo, bang - Hillary is on vacation and Obama's commitee (controlled by the Kennedy Dynasty) to pick a Veep moved in for action on it today, while Hillary is on vacation..­...unifyin­g the Party?? I don't think so.

Hillary supporters may not be amused - and I wouldn't blame them.

[AlwaysforHillary]

Hillary was literally FORCED to make that speech. I learned today from ClintonDem­ocrats.com that the DNC strong-armed Hillary into dropping out of the race! Obama supporters and the DNC made a pact NOT to support Hillary at the convention. I believe if they did not issue this threat, she would have fought for this nomination which she WON and DESERVED!!!! It was NOT the people who nominated Obama; it was THE DNC!!!

It seems they KNOW OBAMA WILL LOSE and don't care! He supposedly brings in the money for their congressional and senate races and they are willing to "roll the dice" on him. I could not understand WHY the superdelegates chose the WEAK, UNQUALIFIED, INEXPERIENCED CANDIDATE! Now I know why! Pelosi, Reid and Dean FORCED the superdelegates to go with Obama!

Bad enough they took 600,000 people's votes for Hillary and GAVE THEM TO OBAMA, but they did not even give Hillary the chance to fight for her rightful nomination! This is the Democratic Party??? This is democracy? I don't think so!

Obama WILL LOSE!!! No one will vote for him! I am writing-in Hillary's name!! She WON this nomination and she is who I will be voting for!

[limocro]

Angry delusion subverts democracy. Failed dreams die hard.

[Heika]

She didn't win the delegate count so nobody took anything away from her. She lost it fair and square. His campaign was smarter, infinitely more savvy, and more disciplined than hers. I also suspect that ClintonDem­ocrats.com might have a slight bias so you might want to calm down a bit and go easy on the exclamation points and caps, especially since the current polls do not support your furious claim that he will lose.

[smoo]

Now I don't understand the fuss. Do the math. Hillary was only getting 57% of the female vote and most of this advantages was because the 60+ voting bloc. He held his one with younger women. As for the concern that 23% of HRC voters saying that they plan to switch. Remember, 20+ percent of her voters said that race was a factor. So really Obama may not have a problem at all with HRC voters. This sounds manufactured to me.

[Boadicea]

Very nice piece, thanks.

I agree with Sheehy, Hillary's advisors served her badly, very, very badly. Mark Penn should be banished, and he should take Wolfson and Ickes and McAuliffe with him. This quartet doesn't have a clue about winning in today's world.

[Samson1]

I am astounded by the continuing venom of Obama supporters. Lighten up, you won phase one! If you want to win the election you need those Clinton supporters. You also should prepare yourself for Obama moving to the center and away from the left (that would be a rightward drift). All is to get elected, the single important element. I greatly fear that the Obama supporters (at least those represented on Huffpo) take this way to much like religious dogma and not as political maneuvering. Obama is a politician you know, not the Messiah.

[kenja]

For every person who can list how bad Sen. Clinton has been treated I can cite an equally long list of how bad Sen. Obama has been treated. I'm a little tired of the calls for what Sen. Obama must do to make angry white women happy. Most of those women admit to being angry at how MSM treated Sen. Clinton but except for the very few who cite "sweetie" or pulling the chair out for Sen. Clinton, most don't have any reason to so disparage Sen. Obama or decide that they will vote for Sen. McCain (who has called Sen. Clinton, his wife, Chelsea Clinton, and other women much worse). If Sen. Obama cannot win without these women so be it. Sen. Obama has done more for this dispirited nation in this run for the presidency then we have seen for the past 8 years. He has excited the nation and called for us all to become active in our government after we all sat on our cans and let the country go to pot. Whether you suppoted him or not, this call has been heard and D's came out in record numbers. Sen. Obama has done an excellent job whether he wins the White House or not. But please stop with all the "what he has to do now." For the average black person this cry from white womanhood has to sound like those living in the big house telling him what to do--it's so privileged.

[Cutout]

It is not withdrawal - it is not post-Hillary musings - it is about the crucial upcoming election and who will be the Vice Presidential candidate. Winning is essential - the future will be even more bleak if the Bush policies continue under the auspices of a fellow-traveler.

[limocro]

I don't hear anybody pointing out that Hillary did not offer a total concession to Obama on Saturday. If you listen closely, every plea of support of Obama was cloaked in her being by his side. She was giving her Vice Presidential Stump speech a trial run. She didn't get off the ladder, but merely stepped down a rung. She is still keeping her angry mob in reserve, and they will surely erupt again if he doesn't offer her the Veep slot - a move that would be, in my opinion, a disastrous mistake. She does not represent his vision, is not capable of getting past her own ego and need for power. Her vice presidential candidacy, attached as it would be to the rabid Bill, would just continue to bring unnecessary drama to the GE.

[BlueAsh]

"Maybe Hillary the healer will turn out to be even more potent than Hillary the fighter."

Let me get this straight: Are you predicting that Hillary the non-competing candidate will cause greater damage to Obama than Hillary the running-candidate?

[Boadicea]

NO. The author is saying that Hillary will be more effective in her role as a healer than she was in her role as "a fighter."

[limocro]

Yes, if she is the veep candidate. She can do great harm if her name is on the ticket.

[kiga]

I will be practicing the "audacity of nope" as I don't suffer from the "abused women syndrome". I will find a "shelter" to and it just may be McCain. DNC has had a great accomplishment (thanks to Dean and Pelosi); make a lifelong democrat into "decline to state." Obama sure doesn't need my "racist" vote!! I am too disgusted to support DNC this time, I may feel differently 4 years from now.

[LeaveArtieAlone]

You know I am beginning to think that people are just bored. I mean it seems that news appears to be slow now so we are being subjected to rereanalyzes of reanalyzes from analyzes from days and weeks ago about Hillary and her campaign. Salacious, I know but it is beginning to resemble the beating of a dead horse (that is an old saying and not meant to be sexist) Even though JM is not charismatic, must we really have all the articles about Hillary and the should’ve, would’ve, could’ve scenarios. It just feels as if people are stirring the pot. I am not saying ignore her, I am just curious as to why there seems to be more articles about her and Bill instead of the actual nominees?

Can’t we just wait and see what she will do and report on that instead of the constant guessing “what will she do next”?

Are people truly just going through Hillary Withdrawal?

[campgranata]

Why did she not let go of her delegates?

[frustratedinohio]

"When Katie Couric had asked her in an interview, "What if it's not you?" -- Clinton couldn't imagine that as a possibility."

Okay Marcia, I saw this interview and I remember being surprised at how well she handled this question. I can't remember her exact answer but basically she said she has a life to go back to and she loves her life and loves being a senator. So why would you misrepresent her response so horribly by saying she couldn't imagine that as a possibility?

I hope you are reading your comments because I'd like an answer to my question.

[strangelet]

Also, no competitive political candidate, EVER, answers that question directly. First, you have to say you expect to win. Find me an example where Obama answered a similar question without starting with: "Well, of course, I expect to win", or the equivalent.

[mgyerman]

Thanks for your comment. Sorry for the delayed response. I was having trouble posting.
Please reference the video clip on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07BPFPy6tkE
At 3 minutes in she tells Couric that she hasn't considered losing as a possibility, because
she has been too consumed with campaigning and talking about her dreams for the country
"and that takes up all her time and energy." She reiterates her first answer at 3:52 minutes.

Please know that I would never write anything that was not "opinion" without fact checking it first.