Anyone who has worked in a losing campaign where there was a

[chieftain]

strong personal commitment to the candidate knows how hard it is to put aside the pain and regret from coming up short. I was in the inner circle of a failed Senate campaign years ago. I can tell you from personal experience what a gut wrenching experience that is. It does not leave you for years. The rethinking, the second guessing, the woulda, shoulda, couldas do not easily recede into the past.
Knowing how scarring this kind of experience can be, I stand in awe of what Hillary Clinton did tonight. She was nothing short of marvelous in demonstrate5ting that her commitment to liberal ideas and the Democratic Party are authentic, strong and compelling. She will not soon heal from the hurt of losing and this is why her stirring speech tonight is analogous to the courage shown by Ted Kennedy last night. Both of these heroes put aside pain, physical and emotional, to throw themselves unequivocally into the battle to save our country.
Senator Clinton, this Obama supporter salutes you.

[dubeskin]

1. Wonderful comment to Mrs. Clinton

She performed exceptionally tonight. It made me proud to see how the party unified behind Barack Obama. I had never been truly awed by her performance during the primary. It was impossible t ignore the ceilings she was shattering, but I never really took the time to appreciate what she had set in motion.

Now, after watching her speech tonight, I can't help but feel that if it wasn't for her persistent campaigning, Obama's ideals of hope and change would have never reached as broad an audience as it does today. Likewise, I feel that Mrs. Clinton has managed to really prove that politics need to be put aside. You need to vote for the person who is going to do the best. Tonight, I felt like she really gave it all she had. I commend her ability to gather herself and face the nation and proudly declare 'I support Barack Obama."

[tabatha]

7. Send it to her via her website.

I am sure she'd appreciate it.

On Edit - sorry, this was supposed to be a reply to the OP.

[chieftain]

13. Thanks, I'll do it.

[chieftain]

11. She absolutely deserves it. Thanks for your comments.

[MarjorieG]

19. Agree with you, a thanks to Clinton, but she knew months before she lost.

Intead of having to undo the not-ready-for-CIC that we have to take back in rural areas all over the country, we could have used the money to postively build the Obama candidacy. But done is done, and, hopefully, we are unified enough to vote and work hard.

[beachbum]

2. Right on

'nuff said.

[Barack_America]

3. Honored to be the first rec for this beautiful post.

:patriot:

[blondeatlast]

4. Bradley. Tsongas. Babbitt. Udall. Biden. Don't I know it. Thanks, Hillary, I never supported you,

but I never doubted your commitment, either.

[chieftain]

6. I am honored by your rec. We are going to take our country

back, I just know it.

[NanceGreggs]

5. K & R ...

Beautifully said.

[chieftain]

9. I can't tell you how pleased I am hearing that from you. Thanks.

[NanceGreggs]

12. You stated it so beautifully.

I, too, was thinking during Hill's speech that it would have been a GREAT speech on its own had she never run, and was just speaking as an important party leader, or the senator from NY.

But the fact that she delivered such a great speech in view of the personal disappointment she can't help but feel, that's what made it over-the-top GREAT.

Tonight wasn't Hillary's farewell to the presidency; it was the gala opening night of her own future political career that will no doubt dazzle us all in future.

As we face the unpleasant reality that Ted Kennedy will eventually leave a great void in our party, Hillary just might be the woman to fill that void - and she proved, beyond question, her ability to do so tonight.

[chieftain]

14. I think we have seen tremendous growth on the part of Senator

Clinton as a politician this year. I was dubious about her political instincts from her leadership of the health care program. I believe that she was willing early in the campaign to defer to Penn and the other grossly overpaid operatives to run her campaign. Unlike McCain who does not speak for his campaign, I have come to believe that Clinton's campaign did not accurately speak for her. Tonight we saw a much better politician and a brilliant speaker. The speech was brilliantly crafted and beautifully delivered. The performance is even more impressive given the heartbreak she must be feeling.
That said, your post is spot on. What we saw tonight was the Hillary Clinton who can be the leading spokesperson for Liberal policies and programs. I love Barack, but he will be a better president if there is a strong voice on the Left advocating the thoughts that have to be voiced but require courage to articulate. I firmly believe that Hillary can fill that role admirably.

[NanceGreggs]

16. We are truly of one mind on many things ...

I've also said in the past: Given his "work" on her behalf, if Hill took Mark Penn out in an alley and shot him, there wouldn't be a jury in America that would convict her.

She did us ALL proud tonight - but more importantly, she took the stage tonight not as a defeated candidate, but as a politician to be reckoned with for many years to come. Her star has in no way faded; it shines more brightly than ever it did before.

[chieftain]

18. We are in total agreement, especially about Penn.

[AuntPatsy]

8. That was beautiful..I love how so many can attempt to make ammends...its never too late..

[chieftain]

17. I hope that none of my primary posts were disrespectful of

Senator Clinton. I was very discouraged by the deterioration of civility on DU on all sides. The Jewish concept of a Day of Atonement is a wonderful idea and consistent with your post. Whether we meant to give offense or not, if we did amends ought be made. I regret any offense I gave during the preceding months and look forward to a unified Party taking back our country in November. In keeping with the Jewish theme, Mazel Tov from this Irish-American to all Democrats, Obama voting Independents and Obamacans..

[housewolf]

10. I was at the Dem convention in 1992 as a Jerry Brown supporter

It was nowhere near as close a race as this year's, but Jerry had a good-sized group of loyal supporters who also were disappointed and angry. Bill Clinton wasn't nearly as solicitious to Jerry's supporters as the Obama campaign has been to the Clinton supporters. Jerry's speech on Wednesday night of the convention was another angry speech about what was wrong with politics, and nothing about party unity. Very different experience from this year.

[chieftain]

21. I always liked Brown but I was disappointed in the tenor of

that speech. You can't put yourself through the rigors of a campaign without a firm belief that you are the best person for the contested position. Our political process leaves bruised egos, exposed nerve endings and deep personal regret in its wake. Brown's reaction was typically human if politically unfortunate. That's what makes Hillary's performance last night even more remarkable. With the entire world questioning her motives and the chattering class poised to pounce on anything they could call tepid or self-promotion, this remarkable woman, who must still be in great pain, delivered the goods for her nominee, her Party and her nation.

[GoesTo11]

15. There was a great Happy Days episode on this

"The Not Making of the President" from the first or second season.

http://www.tv.com/happy-days/the-not-making-of-the-president/episode/20495/summary.html?tag=ep_list;ep_title;14

[JeffR]

20. Good on Senator Clinton. She went up there facing a tricky hard silder

and she hit it out of the park, not because she's a steroid-enhanced pseudo-power hitter, but because she can patiently wait for her pitch and jump on it when history delivers it, and she can hit a game-winner in any inning of the ballgame. She just might have done so tonight, moving Obama from second to third with one out in the ninth but with us now up by a run or several, with McCain, the veteran but washed-up screwball specialist now pitching for the opposing team, still squinting in desperately for a sign from Rove. He's tossing way the hell out of the strike zone, and every hitter on the Dem squad is not only refusing to take the bait, they're jumping on ever failed pitch McSrewball is making.

I'm damn well loving our chances right about now.

[chieftain]

22. The only thing I would add to your excellent baseball

analogy is that this home run came in the political equivalent of the 7th game of the world series. The pressure must have been excruciating and she came through in a big way.

[BlooInBloo]

23. Not sure why Clinton's pain is any deeper than the other also-rans', but whatever.

[chieftain]

25. Its greater because she had the best chance of that group

to beat Barack And it is certainly more recent since the race lasted so long. She is out the money she loaned campaign, her campaign is deeply in debt and she has seen the internal squabbling and recriminations spread over the internet and cable tv. Those are some of the reasons but if you don't see that, well whatever.

[BlooInBloo]

26. Not sure why Clinton's pain is any deeper than the other 2nd place also-rans from previous primaries

Where we didn't have this problem.

[chieftain]

27. I love Teddy Kennedy, but you did not see him do for

Carter what Hillary did for Obama. The point that I was making was that still recovering from a difficult loss she performed her duty to the party in an unprecedented way. Go ahead and ignore the courage she showed last nigh while trying to calibrate Gravel's sense of loss to hers. But for me, this will remain not just a remarkably intelligent speech. It was a triumph of her spirit and her resiliency that is rare in a recently defeated candidate.

[BlooInBloo]

28. And that's how far back you have to go.

[Bluenorthwest]

33. Er, Teddy chased delegates at the Convention.

And he snubbed Carter in full view of cameras. And we love him, no? Jerry Brown, my fav, was less than gracious to Bill Clinton that year as well. Most conventions are like this. Main difference is that Hillary had a very large number of votes and delegates, Brown and Kennedy had not come close to a win, or a tie, they had been routed in the Primaries, and still they did what they did.
How far back is that really? Gee, last time we picked a real winner, the one before that was Gore's from word go, before that incumbent Bill, then the one with Brown. We go back to the last real convention and presto! We have what we have just seen, minus the grace on both sides, the skilled and passionate words from the second placer, and a focus on defeating the Republicans as job one.
Some people have no historical context, and act like three conventions back is ancient history. Or they have context and pretend ignorance to keep up the only thing they know how to do- oppose one Democrat while alleging support of Democrats.
Here are facts. Barack Obama is our nominee. Hillary Clinton is a leading Democratic Senator. I support Democrats in office. Because, you see, I am a Democrat.

[SwampG8r]

29. hi bloo

bloo i have been right beside you for a lot of this election season
swinging away at every attempt i saw to undercut my choice
i have said things i am not particlarly proud of
not that i was wrong just poorly stated
i have read your posts and considered you a strongminded reasonable person
last night she did good
she said everything she could to bring her people back and to undercut those using her against us
she said there is those guys and there is US guys
and she clearly put herself into the US guys
i too am disappointed she allowed it to go so long
and that she was used so successfully to divide us

but when she stands up in front of us all and says so plainly that no misunderstanding is possible
as she did last night
that she wants obama to win
cant we give her just a little slack?

love ya bloo
fight the good fight

[BlooInBloo]

30. She did great last nite - I completely agree....

I just don't understand why it was so "difficult" in the first place. But it's all over now - so it's all good.

[SwampG8r]

32. thanks

im gonna try to see the good she does first again

[countingbluecars]

24. I think Hillary was great last night.

My heart went out to her. It is not easy to watch a dream fade away. However, I really don't think I can compare what she is experiencing to what Ted Kennedy is going through right now.

[chieftain]

35. I take your point. I was not trying to equate their situations.

The toll that Teddy's speech must have had on him was huge. He truly is the Lion of Liberalism.

[SeaLyons]

31. Her courage and strength are beyond description.....

America is very lucky to have her. She is an American Icon, and I'm very proud to have supported her. But like she said, it's time to unite, time to come together and trounce the repukes. There is far too much at stake to do anything but that. I guess the peril our country is in, makes it a no brainer to get behind Obama and take back our country.

I salute Hillary and thank her for all she has done, and all that she will contribute to this election and to the future healing of our country. Thank you, Hillary.

GOBAMA!!!

[JNelson6563]

34. That's how I felt during her concession speech

N'ary a voice wobble or a lip quiver. I'm a pretty tough gal but no way, no how I coulda done that. :toast:

Julie