Hilary made an excellent speech, but it was the WRONG speech

[Tom Rinaldo]

and it failed to rise to the occasion on an occasion when so much was possible. Yes Clinton spoke with power and conviction and passion, showing why she is so formidable. Truly Hillary Clinton is a force to be reckoned with, and certainly she is no friend of the Republican Party; on the issues. But on the issue of doing what is best for the Democratic Party, she continued playing "Deal, or No Deal". By doing so she turned a true historic moment for America, the closing of a pivotal phase of an amazing race for President that brought the first African American and the first woman candidate both to the virtual threshold of that office, into yet another complex move in a fascinating political Chess match. We witnessed a game being played at the highest level rather than living a transcendent moment.

Here is the point of her speech when I winced hardest; when Hillary Clinton, in words as eloquent as any I have ever heard from her, promised to keep faith with Americans she met on the campaign trail, forgotten Americans, invisible Americans who to her have never been invisible, and then defined those people as the nearly 18 million voters who voted for her. Tonight Hillary Clinton presented herself as a faction leader, of a faction critical to the Democratic Party, a leader with her own constituency who she pledged to look out for, who she sought to mobilize behind her. In a parliamentary system of government, where Prime Ministers can be removed from power through a vote of no confidence, that might not seem so jarring to me. But tonight I wanted more, much more, than mere parliamentary intrigue.

[Tom Rinaldo]

1. I believe she will try to cut her best deal whatever that may be

...and then she will endorse Obama. I don't think this will go to Denver. I simply don't believe that her current negotiating stance will lead to the most positive outcome, either for her or the Party.

[Spazito]

5. She will have a KEY role in shepherding affordable healthcare for all Americans...

in an Obama government. The question is: will she accept that role or continue to be a corrosive influence? The choice is hers.

[Raine]

2. Agree

couldn't just for once a Clinton think of someone & something other than their own selfish self interest, sad.

[BeyondGeography]

3. Gergen said it was almost as if she was proposing to build a coalition government with Obama

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. I missed hearing that comment, but yes.

That's what I was trying to get at with my comment about parliamentary factions. It almost felt like I was watching British electoral politics being played out.

[K Gardner]

6. I heard that.. he's really sounding some major alarms.. most of the CNN crowd is.

[cliffordu]

8. Right - Her surrogates earlier were acting like it was Obama who had

to ask HER if HE could be vice president - shoving this 'slightly' inflated 18 million voters meme.

They acted like she WON!

She and her posse is as shameless a crew since Nixon, or Hubert Humphery.....

[4themind]

7. Thoughtful words as usual tom.

I agree with your assessment of the game she is playing, I also winced at the "18,000,000" line but for a different reasons perhaps. Because her words, at least in my view, made it seem as if she was portraying those 18,000,000 as being "owned" by her or beholden to her, and that's a dangerous assumption to make in my view, especially as we move forward to what will almost assuredly be an Obama nomination. We wIll be moving into a different phase, with a different opponent and those 18 million supporters will have the free will to make a choice. Personally, I don't think that anyone should make the assumption that they will all jump to barack, or all stay home or vote for McCain out of "spite". I think Obama must again pitch his ideas, he needs to treat it like a new ball game and build up his mountain again as he has done before.

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. I think he sees that and will do that.

I think it is significant and important that he already travelled to both Michigan and Florida, and that he gave this speech in the arena where McCain will be nominated.

[Armani Toomer]

9. If it was wrong it wasn't excellent

Wouldn't it have to be right in order to be excellent?

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. Timing is everything sometimes, isn't it? n/t

[scheming daemons]

11. Clinton hard-liners... please read the eloquent words of one of your former comrades....

Tom hit it on the head.

[Tinksrival]

13. One thing that struck me about her speech.....

"Yes she can" is Obama's line, just selfish.

She whipped her supporters up and they are already rabid against Obama. That seems to be what she wants. Angry supporters to use as a battering ram to get what ever it is she wants.

[cottonseed]

14. She acts as if those "18 million" votes has been banked.

That argument may be made to some really small degree for the Primary. However, that doesn't fly in the General. Those votes do not belong to her. They are released for the General.

[Skwmom]

18. The problem with having so many older voters backing you is that

as time passes they will be replaced with younger voters who don't seem so taken with Hillary.

[grantcart]

15. well sometimes we just get intrigue

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. Or sometimes at least it obscures most everything else. n/t

[Skwmom]

17. Her faction is dwindling. My Mom, a Hillary supporter watched the speech and FINALLY

said she no longer supports her. Older women like my mother value graciousness.

Clinton could care less about those voters. It's all about Clinton.

Those 18 million voters include Rush Limbaugh voters and disillusioned Hillary voters (but I'm sure they understand that).

Love how your message manages to push the Clinton talking points.

The small, small, small faction of hardcore Hillary fanatics will not determine this election.

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. If you think my OP was pushing Clinton's talking point

God help us.

[Skwmom]

20. It was a "critique" but still pushed many Clinton memes

Yes Clinton spoke with power and conviction and passion, showing why she is so formidable. (We should be afraid, very afraid ..)

She is a force to be reckoned with (We know, "She Won't back Down" when it's her own interests she's pushing for)

Certainly she is no friend of the Republican Party (oh really, then why is she helping McCain?)
Her speech was just another complex move in a fascinating political Chess match (I don't think that's what a majority of people would call it).

In words as eloquent as any I have ever heard from her, promised to keep faith with Americans she met on the campaign trail, forgotten Americans, invisible Americans who to her have never been invisible (I want to throw up. These people are only visible to her when she can USE them and they are NOT invisible to Obama, though that's what the Clintons are telling them)

Tonight Hillary Clinton presented herself as a faction leader, of a faction critical to the Democratic Party, a leader with her own constituency who she pledged to look out for, who she sought to mobilize behind her. (This is total b.s. This is the spin she is trying to put out there to intimidate the party. She is a faction leader of a small fringe group).

Clinton manipulation and spin is just that no matter if you wrap it in a "critique."

[Tom Rinaldo]

21. You may not be interested in efforts to keep our Party from spinning apart

I however am. No doubt Hillary Clinton was still thinking like she was a candidate last night in a contest that hadn't ended, and in denial about the firm passing of a torch that now has taken place. Many Democrats who had supported her are now and will continue to embrace Barack Obama as the leader of our Party. The sway that Hillary imagines she still holds is greater in her mind than in reality, for reality had yet to fully sink in it seems.

Having said that, even if she is way off in her presumptions, Hillary Clinton is not now merely the leader of a small fringe group. You sound as deluded as you claim she is. She has the admiration and respect of a large number of Democratic voters, and a large number of Democratic voters (far less than 18 million by now I am sure) would still prefer that she be leading the Democratic Party now rather than Barack Obama. That is reality also, just as surely as Hillary Clinton's loss to Barack Obama last night is reality.

Have you been in the primary trenches so long that you can not read commentary any longer without believing it must be partisan spin seeking to advance a covert agenda? There are current Clinton supporters pushing to make her VP. I have never done that and will not do that. I have been on record at DU for weeks saying that I trust Obama to pick who ever he thinks would be best as his running mate. Clinton is formidable, that is true. It is also true that her influence now is in eclipse. Those two statements do not contradict themselves. Nor should it be assumed that accurately identifying a person as being formidable means that one believes they should be feared and/or placated.

If you believe that Hillary Clinton is a friend to the Republican Party on the issues that is your judgment to make. However it is not a judgment shared by Barack Obama.

[Beacool]

22. That's from your perspective

and that of the Obama supporters. I was there last night and the electricity in the air was palpable. She praised Obama and people were gracious and applauded (as opposed to the very rude behavior of his supporters when Edwards endorsed him and they booed Hillary).

We who were there were thrilled and relieved that she didn't fully concede. Not because there is any doubt that Obama will be our nominee, but because it gives her more leverage to seek whatever she wants out of this primary process. What does she want? I don't know, but she probably has the bargaining power to obtain it.