My Night With Elton And Hillary

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Last night, I was fortunate to attend the Elton John concert / Hillary Clinton fund-raiser at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan (never a lack of things to do here). I've been supporting Hillary Clinton's tumultuous race for the nomination and in spite of the diminishing likelihood of her securing it I was inspired by her remarks.

Like many, I don't like much of what is going on in this race but I do strongly feel that Hillary Clinton would make a great President by restoring our country's good reputation abroad, our sound economy at home, and by narrowing the gap between the haves and have-nots.

Unlike many who have been polarized by this race, should Barack Obama win, I will salute him, support him, and help him as much as I can. We certainly can't afford another Republican administration; not even a McCain Republican-lite one. However, even though Hillary's bid for the nomination isn't looking easy (or even possible by some estimates) she's still standing (a song title she herself used at the event to describe her current political predicament)!

... which is a perfect segue into the night's main event. Elton John gave a magnificent and generous solo performance. He played many of his hits and a few less well-known gems. He plays so well and is so entertaining that almost every song received a standing ovation by the 6,000 celebrity-packed crowd in the sold-out venue. He kept us all in the palm of his hand. He was alone on stage with a supped-up Yamaha grand and started with "Your Song" and ended with "I'm Still Standing" - which he did indeed dedicate to Hillary. In between, he also performed "Daniel", "Benny and the Jets", "Candle In The Wind", an extended version of "Rocket Man", "Crocodile Rock", "Tonight", "Tiny Dancer" and "Philadelphia Freedom" - a song he wrote for and dedicated to the also-present Billie Jean King.

Comments

[Jjc2006]

Obama folks here at Huff and I pray they are in the minority, are apparently the most insecure, resentful group. It is not good enough that they are supporting their, they are literally embittered and angered when others do not parrot their words, think their thoughts. This is a scary thing. Tyranny is never good....not even from the left.

[wildgeeseNC]

I had to read it twice....you really did say that Hillary would make a good president "by narrowing the gap between the haves and have-nots." I can't understand how any politically savvy person could hold that opinion. No matter how polished and persuasive she appears, the money trail shows who owns the Clintons. Do you honestly believe that Bill and Hill, who have become obnoxiously wealthy through business dealings with exploitative financiers who care nothing for human or environmental conditions, could somehow legislate against those interests is Hill took office?

For instance,

Can you honestly say that you believe that Hillary opposes the Columbian Free Trade Agreement when Bill received $800,000 for four "speaking engagements"? And knowing that he traveled to those engagements in the borrowed private jet of Frank Giustra, a Canadian mining tycoon interested both in mineral rights and Colombian oil, a position that lent itself to a more open-trade environment. Giustra - who won a Kazakh uranium deal with Clinton's help donated more than $31 million to Clinton's "charitable fund".
I honestly don't think that you can take that much money, and accept that many favors, without owing more than a Christmas card from the White House. If Hillary wanted to close the gap between haves and have-nots, she could have done so from her own pocketbook, and by refusing to profit from businesses and politicians who exploit third world labor and deplete American jobs.

[BigBen]

Does Bill have to get permission from Hillary to get money to pay for his defense fund from the impeachment hearings i.e. to do his job? Does Hillary have to approve everything Bill does ? Does she have to agree with his politics every time? You can know what someone is doing without agreeing with it.
First they are too close now they are too far apart. Make up your mind.Then stick with it.

[JimR]

Can you honestly say that you believe that Hillary opposes the Columbian Free Trade Agreement when Bill received $800,000 for four "speaking engagements"?

To be fair, Senator Clinton already addressed that. She said "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

[JohnnyVentura]

Sounds like a great show. If I lived on the east coast,
I would have been there.
It's a shame that some of Obama'a supporters do not reflect how Obama himself conducts himself.
We have our own ideas of why Obama or Hillary sould win the Democratic nomination,
but at the end of the day, we must unite, or we will end up having another four years of
Bush-like shenanigans. We cannot afford that as a country.

[AnninCA]

Lucky you! I, too, am a Hillary supporter because I believe that she's concerned about people more than about herself. She would, indeed, have so much to offer all of us.

Even today, she's rolling out plans. This is a woman with a plan.......for American people.

[matthewhusseinsmith]

It is indeed refreshing to see a positive Clinton supporter.
What creates such resentment is the likes of Lanny Davis, James carville who distort the truth or throw mud.

It would have been beneficial to the Dem party if senator Clinton's supporters ran a positive campaign, highlighting their candidate's strenghts, positions on issues, her vision for America's future!

Thank you Mr. McCready.

[Tumult]

If you do not want Republican-lite in the White House why support Hillary?
It was the Clinton Presidency that first allowed Extraordinary Rendition.
It was the Clinton Presidency that first suggested the US should work towards regime change in Iraq, including "military assistance" and conducted a 4 day bombing campaign to that end.
It was the Clinton Presidency that initiated NAFTA (at the time a number of both Democrats and Republicans opposed it).
It was the Clinton Presidency that signed into law the act that eliminated ownership restrictions for television and radio (have a problem with the state of the news networks? now you know who to hold accountable)
It was the Clinton Presidency that encouraged the Fed to have low interest rates, and allow some inflation to "erode worker salaries" to keep unemplyment up.
It was the Clinton Presidency that eliminated the Welfare Safety net.
Triangulation, Smaller government (deregulation) think these had anything to do with the current economic situation?

Hillary tells else that we need actions not words, the actions of the Clintons has been consistently Republican. Who has been in bed with corporations and billionares for years?
We keep getting told how great the Clintons are, the last "successful" Democratic President, never mind that he won elections with less than 50% of the vote because, Ross Perot got 19% and 8% of the vote killing the Republicans chances both times.

[AnninCA]

In the meantime, Obama's health care plan is deemed by nearly 100% of anyone who knows squat that it's "Republican Lite." His remarks about Iraq leave us wondering. He's BSing like mad about his "grass-roots" fund raising and reneging on his promise to use federal funding. And he's voting "Not Present" on the Olympics, true to form.

Want the truth? His supposed more progressive image is just that.......image only.

You've been suckered.

[JimR]

We can talk about health-care plans till the sun goes down, but in the end, it comes down to which candidate has the best chance of getting health-care reform through Congress? We all know how that worked out for Hillary last time.

[6louis9]

Did you not read the article? He said he would support Obama if he is nominated. Your reaction is what is turning off the Clinton supporters.

Apparently, this is your first experience in politics.

[Gericault]

Why is it ,that all these gay guys are voting like their uneducated fifty plus year old mothers?

[ChrisS13]

Gericault, is that the message of Change Obama speaks of? WHy do you feel a need to insult millions of people, simply because they support a different Democrat? Do you think you're helping Obama with your ignorant rants?

[kravitz]

Elton conveniently hates misogyny...

I see your teeth flash, Jamaican honey so sweet
Down where Lexington cross 47th Street
She's a big girl, she's standing six foot three
Turning tricks for the dudes in the big city

Island girl
What you wanting with the white man's world
Island girl
Black boy want you in his island world
He want to take you from the racket boss
He want to save you but the cause is lost
Island girl, island girl, island girl
Tell me what you wanting with the white man's world

She's black as coal but she burn like a fire
And she wrap herself around you like a well worn tire
You feel her nail scratch your back just like a rake
He one more gone, he one more John who make the mistake
© 1975 Big Pig Music Limited

[BlueAsh]

"Like many, I don't like much of what's going on in this race." Do you mean that you don't like someone taking what was "rightfully" Hillary's? That kind of whining may very well have come out Hillary's mouth.

What is there do you not like? Hillary's lies exposed? Hillary losing? Hillary finding out that she is not as liked as she thought?

There are lots of things I, as an Obama supporter, does not like. Hillary's lies are on top of the list.

[presto]

I think perhaps what he does not like is invective. Sort of like what you just presented.

[rojo7449]

For heaven sake, you knew this article was going to be about Hillary, and probably positive, when you clicked on the headline.

[kettletop]

How refreshing to hear someone support Clinton for positive reasons (Clinton would make a great President by restoring our country's good reputation abroad, our sound economy at home, and by narrowing the gap between the haves and have-nots) instead of negatives (Obama can't win, Obama has a Wright problem, Obama doesn't have experience.)
It is also refreshing to hear a Clinton supporter make it clear that he will get behind Obama.

We can disagree with the man, but he doesn't exasperate the polarization with snarky comments like a lot of her supporters have, nor bandied fallacious arguments as if we were stupid and didn't understand how the electoral college or the nominating process works.

Thank you, sir.

[presto]

Sounds like maybe you learned something from him. Maybe we'll now see you clean up your comments and get away from all the pointless attacks.

[ann1]

frustratedinohio, please read your own post! Surely you don't believe what you wrote. What you said is about as bad as..............I know he cheats and he doesn't have a job, but I still love him. He sits on the couch all day, doesn't clean the house but I know he cares. Yeah he hits me from time to time, but he's jealous how can I blame him for that. No matter how much we love or admire someone we still have to hold them accountable for their actions.

[JWLANDSCAPES]

THE CONCERT WAS AWESOME, the amount of support and love was tremendous and real. It was great to see how touched the first family was. It was great!

Thank you Sir Elton John!

[debwarot]

Sir Elton is a fantastic performer and I'm sure the concert was quite memorable.

But - FORMER first family, please!

[RobertAndropolis]

You were inspired by her remarks, I've been inspired by her congenital lies. Any remarks that she makes are open to the criticism that she fomented against her opponent as "just words." Your contention that her presidency would be a success by "restoring our country's good reputation abroad, our sound economy at home, and by narrowing the gap between the haves and have-nots" is facile and baseless. There is no evidence that any of the three candidates will be able to do this. Feckless cheerleading for your candidate punctuates that you have not been paying attention.

[ChrisS13]

And continual ruthless attacks prove you are nothing more then a parrot.

[Countess]

If Hillary Clinton spent just half of her time presenting intelligent arguments why she would be a better candidate than Obama and much less time playing the victim, trying to smear the other candidate and outright lying perhaps people would consider her.

[presto]

She does. You don't listen.

[DoninJoisey]

Yeah, the lying bothers me a lot. Hillary is intelligent and certainly creative, I guess she was counting on people not looking up history.
Bill, Penn, Wolfson, and Columbia is so disgusting. Bill met with the president of Columbia, set up Penn,...and Hillary says a) she didn't know it, and b) is opposed to CAFTA the other 3 are lobbying for. Why don't I believe that? Why should I believe anything she says?

Some of my favorites: "I spoke out against Iraq before Obama did". That's really funny!

"I will fight to take government back from special interests" - yeah, like Bill, Penn, Wolfson, and the lobbyists that fund her campaign? As to lobbyists, she says, "They're people,too"...

Do her supporters just ignore all this? Don't they care? Are they in denial? All I said are FACTS.

[rrafiringa]

Of course they are in denial, they never checked on these facts.

[follyeoa]

Wilson learn how to read. He said "I never cease to be amazed at the misogynist attitude of some of the people in this country," he said. "I say to hell with them." Doesn't even come close to telling anyone except the sexists to "go to hell" Surely you don't believe all of your fellow Obama supporters are sexist?

[Taratrue]

Good point.

[sue4hil]

Maybe just Obama is sexist? A crack to some woman when his cell phone goes off in his pocket? Holding Hilary's chair at the debates? Reporters mentioning his flirtatiousness?
Do I dare say even misogynistic?

[rrafiringa]

Just as sexist as electing Hillary because she's a woman.

[THISTLE]

He asked a woman at one of his campaign stops, "if I kiss you, will you vote for me?"
He also at one of the debates said, to Senator Clinton, "you're likeable enough,
Hillary." Amazing - what a jerk...