Don't Vote for Me , Colorado
Last night, Hillary Clinton spoke at the Democratic convention in an effort to show how much support she has for Barack Obama, now that he has fully won the nomination for the Democratic candidate for president. She spoke before the thousands live and millions at home that she had hoped to address as the clear cut nominee after what should have been a walk in the park nomination onto what should be a simple victory in November. She had hoped to be addressing this crowd on Thursday night, the night of the candidate, as opposed to Tuesday night, the night of the special guest. She had hoped to break history as the first woman nominated as the Democratic nominee for president, not as the strongest runner up ever. She envisioned herself as having a following beyond measure, but now had to cling to dodgy math to come up with a number of followers to stake her claim and importance. So, she spoke Tuesday night at the Democratic convention she hoped to be leading. She spoke not to accept the nomination, but to provide a full throated endorsement and call to arms for the nominee, Barack Obama. She sought not just to unify the party, but chart her course in the future, and place in history, by how she endorsed Obama. Cynics, spectators and spoilers had their doubts, and placed wagers that she would half-heartedly endorse Obama, just to keep the peace and set up her own run in 2012. This was not the case Tuesday night. After the long fought campaign, the general bade her troops farewell and led them in a new campaign. While it was broadcast to millions, it was a speech meant for perhaps thousands. It was a speech meant to sway thousands and convince millions. And, unlike her presidential campaign, it worked.
There are not many nice things conservatives have said about Hillary Clinton. Except, of course, when it looked like she might be the best weapon against a Barack Obama victory in November. When she was First Lady, Republicans hated her. When she was Senator from New York, they hated her even more. When she was running for President, they prayed for her to be the person they ran against, no matter who they ended up running. A woman with 49% unfavorable ratings, whom even independents dislike, and a woman with a husband with plenty of issues as well. She looked like a dream strawwoman, as it were. She could have enraged conservatives and former Republicans into voting Republican. Republicans, never ones to give up on a good idea, no matter how badly it's going, kept fanning the Hillary fan flames, hoping to divide and conquer. They, for once, started extolling the virtues of women, the strength of the woman voter and how historical it was that a woman should have been nominated. So, conservatives and McCain fans were hoping that the internecine fighting would culminate in a mediocre speech, with half hearted support with possible soundbites for McCain to use in the rest of the campaign. Those hopes almost seemed to come to fruition during the first parts of her speech.
Her speech extolled her ideas, her reasons for running and how many votes she got. She claimed all 18 million of the people who voted for her as hers. She claimed her presidential attempt as being the most historic (yeah, I wrote it) thing since Jimmy Carter was attacked by a rabbit. She spoke in almost Tolkien-like tones about the adversity she had to overcome in all this. She spoke in some of the most self-aggrandizing terms ever witnessed since my last friends-only rant. It made many independent conservatives who support Obama angry. It made many who support Obama angry, watching Senator Clinton talking in glowing terms about how wonderful her campaign was, how wonderful her supporters were, how they were all going to win, until they didn't. It was, for a speech in a convention which she lost, a lot about her. It may even have been her acceptance speech with a few nouns replaced here and there. It was akin to MacArthur's farewell speech to Congress. No regrets, no words of how things should have gone, other than to have wished for more success. She thanked all those who worked hard and diligently on her behalf, and asked them if they were there solely for her. It was bold way to take the biggest question of her entire speech head on. She needed to prove that her followers were not mindlessly automatons and willing to work to help elect Obama.
Oddly, she proved it by asking her followers to mindlessly follow her orders and follow Obama. This was not for the millions who voted for her. This was not for every fan she ever had. This was for the select cadre of followers she had who were not willing to hold their noses and vote for Obama. This was for those elites who thought Hillary should be the candidate because she deserved it after being Senator and First Lady for so long. The ones who were mad at Obama for interrupting her turn. The ones who were GENUINELY offended at those who did not love their candidate. The ones for whom this was the culmination of lives' dreams and lives' work. The ones for whom the campaign for Hillary was not merely a political campaign, but a Crusade the likes of which we have rarely seen. Hillary needed to address them in terms they feel most comfortable in and understand the best. She needed to talk to them, by first reminding them of what a great person she is, how hard they worked and how close they came. She needed to rally her troops, then declare a new campaign. She needed to tell them how whole heartedly she supports Obama, and she did. To many Obama fans, it may not have sounded like it, but it rang true to the remaining recusant Hillary supporters. She needed to maintain her pride, and the pride of her followers, and she did. The message got through loud and clear, as was evidenced the next day when her followers enthusiastically voted for Obama by popular acclaim as official candidate.
Which should make the Republicans start cringing.
So it is written, so do I see it.
There are not many nice things conservatives have said about Hillary Clinton. Except, of course, when it looked like she might be the best weapon against a Barack Obama victory in November. When she was First Lady, Republicans hated her. When she was Senator from New York, they hated her even more. When she was running for President, they prayed for her to be the person they ran against, no matter who they ended up running. A woman with 49% unfavorable ratings, whom even independents dislike, and a woman with a husband with plenty of issues as well. She looked like a dream strawwoman, as it were. She could have enraged conservatives and former Republicans into voting Republican. Republicans, never ones to give up on a good idea, no matter how badly it's going, kept fanning the Hillary fan flames, hoping to divide and conquer. They, for once, started extolling the virtues of women, the strength of the woman voter and how historical it was that a woman should have been nominated. So, conservatives and McCain fans were hoping that the internecine fighting would culminate in a mediocre speech, with half hearted support with possible soundbites for McCain to use in the rest of the campaign. Those hopes almost seemed to come to fruition during the first parts of her speech.
Her speech extolled her ideas, her reasons for running and how many votes she got. She claimed all 18 million of the people who voted for her as hers. She claimed her presidential attempt as being the most historic (yeah, I wrote it) thing since Jimmy Carter was attacked by a rabbit. She spoke in almost Tolkien-like tones about the adversity she had to overcome in all this. She spoke in some of the most self-aggrandizing terms ever witnessed since my last friends-only rant. It made many independent conservatives who support Obama angry. It made many who support Obama angry, watching Senator Clinton talking in glowing terms about how wonderful her campaign was, how wonderful her supporters were, how they were all going to win, until they didn't. It was, for a speech in a convention which she lost, a lot about her. It may even have been her acceptance speech with a few nouns replaced here and there. It was akin to MacArthur's farewell speech to Congress. No regrets, no words of how things should have gone, other than to have wished for more success. She thanked all those who worked hard and diligently on her behalf, and asked them if they were there solely for her. It was bold way to take the biggest question of her entire speech head on. She needed to prove that her followers were not mindlessly automatons and willing to work to help elect Obama.
Oddly, she proved it by asking her followers to mindlessly follow her orders and follow Obama. This was not for the millions who voted for her. This was not for every fan she ever had. This was for the select cadre of followers she had who were not willing to hold their noses and vote for Obama. This was for those elites who thought Hillary should be the candidate because she deserved it after being Senator and First Lady for so long. The ones who were mad at Obama for interrupting her turn. The ones who were GENUINELY offended at those who did not love their candidate. The ones for whom this was the culmination of lives' dreams and lives' work. The ones for whom the campaign for Hillary was not merely a political campaign, but a Crusade the likes of which we have rarely seen. Hillary needed to address them in terms they feel most comfortable in and understand the best. She needed to talk to them, by first reminding them of what a great person she is, how hard they worked and how close they came. She needed to rally her troops, then declare a new campaign. She needed to tell them how whole heartedly she supports Obama, and she did. To many Obama fans, it may not have sounded like it, but it rang true to the remaining recusant Hillary supporters. She needed to maintain her pride, and the pride of her followers, and she did. The message got through loud and clear, as was evidenced the next day when her followers enthusiastically voted for Obama by popular acclaim as official candidate.
Which should make the Republicans start cringing.
So it is written, so do I see it.