Hillary's Show Stopper

by Taylor Marsh

Standing on center stage, Hillary Clinton was as relaxed, composed and so completely in her element, all notions of the media concocted dramafest disappeared. All rumors about how she wanted to sabotage Barack evaporated. She was so good the primary battle Barack and she waged seemed to completely recede in the rear view mirror.

The talking heads doubted she'd do it.

The Hillary haters doubted she would do it.

The anti Clintonites doubted she could do it.

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But boy did she do it.

When she started speaking, the energy in the hall just kept on rising until you thought the roof would blow clean off.

"Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose," Mrs. Clinton said, beaming as the convention hall burst into applause. "And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership."

She added, "No way, no how, no McCain."

Last night, I had the best seat in the house, as the photo above illustrates. In between interviews, and thanks to NBC, and Al Jazeera English.

Contrary to the clamor be that the Clintons are finished, Hillary delivered a speech of overwhelming power by someone in the full grips of her strength to an audience that returned her emotion, enthusiasm and passion for a woman who has changed the course of presidential politics forever. Not only are there 18 million cracks in the commander in chief ceiling, she's got her name on every single one of them.

So, let every commentator, writer and blogger who finds a crevice in which to slither forth and spew a doubting word on what Hillary said and meant, or should have done, last night finally be called by their proper name: sorcerers. Spiteful vipers who dare to find a toxic blend amidst an open heart and full throated generosity at a time when our country needed just a leader like Hillary to make a new path where the last footsteps have been taken down a road that has ended in the dirt.

Only Hillary Clinton could unite the party behind Barack Obama. She did it last night.

Oh, there will be those few stragglers consigned to crying in their spring soup long soured. But after Hillary's emphatic plea, no one will care about their grievances, gripes or groans, because we've been called on a mission bigger than ourselves, for country, with a single purpose.

Yes, Hillary remains my champion.

She is a woman who made me so proud that last night her words flew past my ears, reached into my heart and got stuck in my throat.

Hillary Clinton's power rises, not falls, reaching new heights through what she offered through her voice last night, and is accompanied with 18 million voters standing beside her as we ready the next journey on this incredible historic ride we've been on for so long now. Electing Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the highest offices in this land and restore the country's name and legacy that has been sullied over the last 8 years.

To all you who doubted, let me finally shout I told you so. I knew she would. I never doubted she could. Hillary Clinton is not just some politician, even though so many want to drag her down to their mediocrity. She is a leader. I will follow her anywhere.

Taylor Marsh is a political analyst who's been seen on CNN and MSNBC, talk radio personality, and author. She'll be twittering the convention all week.

For more Huffington Post coverage of the Democratic National Convention, visit our Politics @ the DNC page, our Democratic Convention Big News Page, and our HuffPost bloggers' Twitter feed, live from Denver.

Comments

[BardEric]

Beautiful peice Taylor! you are, as always, a class act, and you took the words right out of the mouths of millions!

[3in1]

Hillary '12

[jackjava]

I saw some tid bits of "The Fox Team" critiquing Hiollary's speech. Kristol looked like he'd just had an out of body, his eyes glazed over, says, "It was very generic. It could have applied to any Dem nomonie".

These guys on teh right and at Fox see their 10 year run of lieing and terrorizing the citizery coming to an end, and they are all complicit in what's happened to this country over teh past 8 years.

Boy, they are just out there, beyoing Pluto.

[BardEric]

I was curios, so I was switching back and forth between Fox and CNN after Hill's speech..It was like commentary from two different universes! CNN's panel were practically enraptured, and Faux, well the only way those old stuffed heads get excited over anything is after taking a little blue pill....

[Jonny38103]

For those of us who supported Hillary and felt we knew her best, there was never a doubt that she would support Sen Obama. As she (and President Clinton) have shown, their beliefs and principles come first. And shame on those who doubted them.

[lavisiter]

Great piece, Taylor! Thanks!

[kellygrrrl]

I was happy to hear Hillary denounce the GOP
How dare they USE her after all the years they bashed the Clintons.

I was very proud of her

[MEEU]

Taylor
Hillary did a geat job. I feel she is sincere and influences a lot of people to look for way to make our 10 NEEDS affordable. She says she will persist. I hope she does.
http://hubpages.com/hub/OUR-TEN-NEEDS

[La Chatte]

No way, no how, NOBAMA! Get over yourself Hillary! It's not about you. It's about an utter lack of competence and experience on the part of the (very) junior senator from IL .

[EducatedBlackMan]

Oratorically, Hillary was great. However, I still detected portions of her speech as disingenuous.

[Ockham]

The praise Hillary deserves is certainly there-- however I do not think she comes out of this superior to the woman she was before the primaries. She simply balanced out the hate-mongering she fostered before she conceded the nomination.
The speech was good though, I agree.

[iLogos]

Honestly, I think it was better than good. I think it was the speech of her career. If she had been giving speeches like that 8 months ago, kept Penn on a leash (or better yet shown him the door the first time he went negative and guided her campaign that way) She very well may have been giving an acceptance speech at that convention. She was dynamic, eloquent, charming, and passionate. And yes presidential.

All indicators are that she wasn't interested in a VP slot and that Sen. Obama has something more dynamic worked out with her. Expect her to play a big and important role not just for the Dems but for the nation for the next 8 years.

[TekMaestro]

In this, I truly hope you are right. Senator Clinton should have an important role in the future of our country - not because she is entitled to it, but because she is strong enough, experienced enough and dedicated enough.

[FrankChapmanm]

I have lived to see several elections since President Truman but I have never seen one as controversial and mean-spirited as this one. Nor have I have seen such blatant dishonesty from people who want us to entrust them with our very lives. I am talking about Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain, who virtually formed a united front of hurling lies and slander at Senator Barak Obama. But that was then and this is now. Now Senator Clinton has risen to the ocassion to do the only honorable thing one can do and she did it in such a manner until all the cynicism and not so subtle racist pandering during the primaries was consumed in the sublime fumes of one the greatest political speeches I have ever heard. She dealt a magnificient blow to the political pundits who shamelessly make their living off of cynicism. Where was this great woman during the primaries? Never mind! Just thank God that we have her now as we move forward to reclaim our progressive, democratic heritage.

[Hillrick]

You have also never seen a campaign where malicious troublemakers were able to drop their venom right in the forums where the candidates were parsed. Passions ran high, people were people.

[dajay]

What campaign were you watching? The one in Obama Twilight ZOne.

I saw the hurling of lies and slander and it was ALL directed toward Hillary and her husband, our ex-President.

[iLogos]

And that is your own bias. Media Matters and several non-endorsing agencies proved otherwise in the primaries.

None of it matters now. What does matter is she is devoted to seeing Sen. Obama elected president, which would give us control of 2 out of the three branches of government. If she can really make this come to pass I'd about guarantee the 2016 nomination. Focus on the big picture. No one could deny her, nay-say her, or marginalize her... but if we lose, too many will say it had to do with how she campaigned in the primaries and she will have a hard road to walk come 2012.

[Mark99]

I'm in complete agreement with FrankChapmanm. Hillary drove millions to the Obama team with her negative campaigning and her naive & inarticulate statements. If her campaign had been like her convention speech, she'd probably be the nominee (and not broke).

[iLogos]

In all fairness she also drove millions to her side. That is the power and weakness of negative campaigning, you will attract and repulse voters, the question is can you attract more than you repulse. In this primary election the answer was no. Assuming she runs again 2016 expect her to be much closer to Sen. Obama in tone and demeanor...

And that is the funny thing, by all reports of those closest to her, that is her natural bent, pragmatic but hopeful, smart but not pedantic, visionary but grounded. Sources say she put a lot of that aside in an attempt to follow Penn's advice and her quest to get elected.

If she had been herself, pushed her agenda and love the party and the nation to the front and her cynicism and egocentricity to the rear, shelving personal attacks and battled over policy she really probably would be heading the ticket. Bad choices. Expect the Sen. Clinton who has moved and touched so many as First Lady and as the Junior Senator to make a reappearance on the political scene.

[Artos]

As an Independent I can remain detached enough that I needn't mince words when it comes to an objective opinion. Here it is plain and simple. Hillary was running for office in her speech. Whether she was hoping that "Her Supporters" would holler at the top of their lungs for her to be the nominee now or whether it was for four years from now, she was running. Take her speech and break it down into percentages of time. The amount of time she spent refering to herself and her ideological platform and the actual few words she mouthed that mentioned OBama and supporting him. What I heard was about 95 % talking herself up in a sideways fashion and 5% actually suggesting that everyone should support OBama. The majority of her speech is couched in howimportant her own thinking and ideas were and how by the by they actually sort of resemble OBamas, imagine that. I can only wonder what Bill will go on about tomorrow. I am willing to bet he will talk about Hillary and himself at least 70 to 90 % of the time. That would be my guess. Hillary supporters may well disagree with my evaluation but that is what I heard and if they read her speech they will see it's true.

[plooger]

Just note that Debbie Wasserman-Schultz voiced her support, this afternoon on MSNBC, for Hillary still becoming the nominee and President in some future election. That certainly wasn't a statement solidly unified behind the Obama ticket.

[iLogos]

But it wasn't one against unity either. I could just as easily say the same thing about Governor Sebilius but that doesn't lessen my support of Sen. Obama in 2008 or even in 2012.

[paulita]

Hillary Clinton was excellent. Now maybe it will become acceptable to be an intelligent woman without being labelled a dirty name...

and on that score, I hope I never hear again that Michelle Obama is an "angry black woman." That is simply another euphimism for "intelligent black woman who is a threat."

Grow up America! Start being proud of your intelligent sisters instead of being threatened. Intelligent women are a powerful resource that can help move this country forward as was evidenced by both Michelle Obama´s and Hillary Clinton´s speeches. As precious as the gold she as wearing, the smart women of America, who are compassionate and caring will lead into a brighter future than the present Darth Vader figures running things.

[Sixtwo]

Yes she did! Take her at her word folks!

[QWERTY007]

"She is a woman who made me so proud that last night her words flew past my ears, reached into my heart and got stuck in my throat." CORRECTION: "She is a woman who made me so proud that last night her words flew past my brain, reached into my heart and got stuck in my throat." Hillary's speech offered very faint praise of Obama. She satisfied her parties call for a unifying speech, and that is what she gave- but no more.

[Hillrick]

It would have been nice if she had said something along the lines of "in the heat of the battle" or "passions ran hot" or something and then gave Obama something of what she took away.