HarperLee

By Hilary Rosen, a diehard Hillary Clinton supporter, June 4, 2008

Senator Clinton's speech last night was a justifiably proud recitation of her accomplishments over the course of this campaign, but it did not end right. But she didn't do what she should have done. As hard and as painful as it might have been, she should have conceded, congratulated, endorsed and committed to Barack Obama. Therefore the next 48 hours are now as important to the future reputation of Hillary Clinton as the last year and a half have been.

I am disappointed. As a long time Hillary Clinton supporter and more importantly, an admirer, I am sad that this historic effort has ended with such a narrow loss for her. There will be the appropriate "if onlys" for a long time to come. If only the staff shakeup happened earlier; if only the planning in caucus states had more focus; if only Hillary had let loose with the authentic human and connecting voice she found in the last three months of the campaign. If only. If only. I have written many times on this site about the talents of Hillary Clinton and why I thought she'd make a great President.

After last night's final primary, she was only about pledged 100 delegates behind him. Ironic that after not wanting to make the decision for so long, it was in fact, the superdelegates who made the decision. But I guess they did so for another reason. It just isn't her time. It is his time. It's a new day that offers a freshness to our party that many have longed for. We felt the rush of new voices and a new energy in the Congressional sweep of 2006 and the sweep continues. It has been an organic shift. And a healthy one.

The life's work of Bill and Hillary Clinton in partnering with so many African Americans uniting our purpose and promoting our mutual issues is as responsible for Barack Obama's success as our first African American nominee as anyone. And yet, that joy is being denied for them by themselves. It is so sad.

So, I am also so very disappointed at how she has handled this last week. I know she is exhausted and she had pledged to finish the primaries and let every state vote before any final action. But by the time she got on that podium last night, she knew it was over and that she had lost. I am sure I was not alone in privately urging the campaign over the last two weeks to use the moment to take her due, pass the torch and cement her grace. She had an opportunity to soar and unite. She had a chance to surprise her party and the nation after the day-long denials about expecting any concession and send Obama off on the campaign trail of the general election with the best possible platform. I wrote before how she had a chance for her "Al Gore moment" The Huffington Post | Backstage
And if she had done so, the whole country ALL would be talking today about how great she is and give her her due.

Instead she left her supporters empty, Obama's angry and party leaders trashing her. She said she was stepping back to think about her options. She is waiting to figure out how she would "use" her 18 million voters.

But not my vote. I will enthusiastically support Barack Obama's campaign. Because I am not a bargaining chip. I am a Democrat.

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When an intelligent, truthful man appears, he will be easily identified by the confederacy of dunces arrayed against him. Jonathan Swift

itsmeeeeeee

i nearly posted this and thought it was a great article, too!

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ibex

Despite Ms. Rosen's honest admiration of the Clintons, I viewed Hillary Clinton's speech last night as a predictably self aggrandizing end to a nasty campaign that has centered more around a cult of personality than any ideas or substantive issues. I watched Mrs. Clinton take a lot of ridicule for trying to fix the US healthcare system years ago as First Lady. Even when she did a tour urging the restoration and preservation of America's historic buildings and documents, her enemies on the right lambasted her efforts as trivial. Ironically, now that she's adopted some of their worst tactics and positions, she's earned praise from some of them, even though she's lived up (or down) to their worst characterizations of her.

CosmicRocker

she's waiting to see what Obama offers, if she is offered VP.
She wants to see what TYPE of work she'll be doing if offered VP.

Alternately, she's also gotta to see if she can push her health care agenda.

It's only a few days - let them meet one on one, and see what they can do for each other.
Then she'll throw her delegates to him.

Or -if not - become a maverick in the party.
She got at least equal the popular vote -unheard of for the 2nd place finisher!!

It's a very unique situation. give a it a little time to work itself out.

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time to dump all that self doubt, hate, distrust, envy, paranoia, and overdue library books.

tune in today. ponder tomorrow.

Forget yesterday. the river doesn't run in reverse

Comicsartist

Just stop.

She's had how many months now to work out what she's going to do and she STILL doesn't know??

If she becomes a 'maverick' in the party I will be completely convinced she is only out for herself.

The popular vote has spoken. I'm sorry, make that the ACCURATE popular vote.

The delegates have spoken.

The super delegates have spoken.

Hillary still thinks she has clout.

Hillary is wrong.

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ibex

She can accomplish a lot of these things by going back to the job that the people of New York state elected her to do. As much as I can't stand her personally, I think she could parlay those primary votes into being a Senate majority leader, since the Dems are slated to overtake the GOP in both houses of Congress. She's far too divisive a figure to be VP.

julia

HR is on Msnbc, right now!!!

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The candidate does not speak for the campaign.

CosmicRocker

I agree with you , on the parlay part. she has to choose her options.
she also needs a one on one with Obama, if for nothing else then to see what role he wants her to play,
in the adm, or as a campaigner.

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time to dump all that self doubt, hate, distrust, envy, paranoia, and overdue library books.

tune in today. ponder tomorrow.

Forget yesterday. the river doesn't run in reverse

babylonDon

Do you think he should invoke any 'preconditions?

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"America, the greatest, best country that God has ever given man, on the face of the Earth"- Sean Hannity, professional broadcast journalist.

“To the contrary, has anybody ever referred to torture as punishment? I don’t think so.”-Antonin Scalia

Refuge51

How about Hillary starts with a sincere congratulations...then go from there? Even McAuliffe announced her as the next president of the US. That's shameful! I'm not saying she should concede yet, I'm saying she lacks good sportsmanship by not congratulating the real winner, then expecting him to favor her. Obama made history last night and her direct willful ignorance of that fact makes her rather sleazy.

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I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.
~George McGovern~