Hillary Implores Her Supporters To Work "As Hard For Barack Obama As You Have For Me"
Hillary endorses Obama, leaving no room whatsoever for anyone to argue that she doesn't want her supporters to get behind him with every bit of energy and zeal they showed in backing her own candidacy.
"The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States," she says.
"Today as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won, and the extraordinary race he has run," she continues. "I endorse him and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me."
"I am standing with Barack Obama to say, `Yes, we can!'"
I implor you to check your spelling.
June 7, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can I say, as an Obama supporter, that this might be the greatest Hillary Clinton speech I've ever heard?
June 7, 2008 1:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good!
June 7, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Keep it up Hillary!
Doin' fine now!
June 7, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the crowd reaction is anything, i think her supporters have already accepted the fact that BO is the nominee. In the next 2-3 weeks, i expect for BO to get a nice bump in the polls.
June 7, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was actually surprised at how many boos I heard. But Hillary herself? Better than I could possibly have expected.
June 7, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to say this has to be the hardest thing. I honestly feel it for her. I have to respect that.
June 7, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
You just said what I've been thinking over the past few days. I know it's been a divisive campaign, mostly of her (or her handlers) making. But how difficult it really must be for her and her supporters to realize it's over. I can't help but feel for her.
And she really did a nice job of rallying support without sounding ridiculously 180 to her supporters.
June 7, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
"That is why we have to elect Barack Obama President!"
I like that repetition.
June 7, 2008 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is the speech she should have given Tuesday. Right now, I'd like to hear her go on the attack against McCain more. She really hasn't done that at all.
June 7, 2008 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is the speech she should have given Tuesday.
Agreed.
June 7, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep.
June 7, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, concession speeches usually DON'T happen the same night of a losing primary event. 4 days? Yeah, a bit too long. She should've at least made stronger supportive signals early on.
But, y'know what? It's over. In the end, she did the right thing. Let's get on with the business of whupping some McCain booty this fall.
June 7, 2008 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah, McCain's name wasn't even mentioned the whole speech. It would have been nice to see her attack McCain the same way she attacked Obama during the campaign. Hopefully that is still to come.
June 7, 2008 1:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree... no Clinton supporter should have been left with any desire to vote for McCain. Attacking McCain would have helped.
June 7, 2008 1:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I disagree. This was the time to make the transition from its being about Clinton to its being about Obama. It's a stage of grief for her supporters: acceptance.
All of the rancor between Obama and Clinton needs to be set aside before concentrating on going after McCain.
June 7, 2008 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Could we all be friends, now? Is that so much to ask?
June 7, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep. If you vote for Barack, that is.
June 7, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps the best speech I have ever heard her give
Certainly and by far the best delivered
Hillary Clinton means business
June 7, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Big business.
June 7, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Darn.... she's implying her loss is due to "barriers!" (I'm a woman. This offends me!)
June 7, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
The 'barriers' were not getting enough votes, wouldn't you say?
June 7, 2008 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you, Hillary. No, really. Thank you.
June 7, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
!YES Hillary,
today you frackin' rocked!
You became again the Hillary I supported for more then 15 years.
Thank You
ok folks, it's time to kick McBush ass.
June 7, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another good point. I was behind Hillary and Bill for a long time until things turned south in this campaign. Here's to hoping her support propels Obama to a landslide in November.
She's good when she's good.
June 7, 2008 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Classy stuff. I wasn't sure if she would go all in, but she clearly has. Bravo.
June 7, 2008 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can she throw a rhetorical middle finger out to the Dems who said they'd vote for McCain?
June 7, 2008 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
So far, this is a very good speech. Good summary of her candidacy and also laying out pro-Democratic party points and pro Obama points.
June 7, 2008 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
OUCH
We she hadn't used "my friends" ;P
June 7, 2008 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain has no idea whats about to hit him in November.
June 7, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
"some people say "yes we can", but that doesn't mean we will..."
June 7, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wish she wasn't playing the victim. She didn't lose because she's a woman.
June 7, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ditto!
June 7, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Chill, bros (and sis). There's a lot of sexism out there. She deserves some props for fighting it. As long as she's on board, we don't need to argue about the past.
June 7, 2008 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen. Let it go and move on to the big game.
June 7, 2008 1:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
'nuff said'
June 7, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
well...when you make statements like "mccain has passed the commander in chief threshold, and i have. As to senator obama, you'll have to ask him"
it's going to be hard not to argue about the past because her past statements are going to be hard to reconcile with what she's saying now.
She has zero credibility. She's a politician with a long, proven record of saying or doing anything to get elected or to further advance her own cause.
I'm glad hillary did the right thing today. but her scorched earth kitchen sink campaign will come back to haunt us all.
The RNC is already running those ads.
Thanks Hillary, for doing the republicans job for them.
June 7, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
True enough. I just think at this point its time to make lemonade out of lemons. She made some poor choices... and it is what it is. But, I'm not sure what the value is in airing those resentments at this point, particularly when the task at hand is to rally all the troops and focus on putting McCain out to pasture.
June 7, 2008 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pretty damn good actually. Better than any I've heard her give. Yay. I can exhale now.
June 7, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
She wasn't very convincing. She said the words, but her tone and her body language seemed very not gracious.
Not to mention it was all about her and her campaign, not about Obama or the future. She keeps talking about sexism. I don't think she is really trying to get her supporters to embrace Obama.
It's still all about her.
June 7, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
A good reminder re not making her VP.
June 7, 2008 1:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is exactly my impression.
It's no coincidence that she's playing up this whole gender thing. Sorry, I'm not that stupid Hillary.
You can say you're endorsing Obama, but when you fail to criticize McCain and instead play up the gender card, it's clear that you're continuing to try and position yourself for the most power possible, whatever the cost to the party and country.
June 7, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
'Course, she also has to appeal to the most extreme of her supporters. This rhetoric could in part be to remind them that she knows where they're coming from.
June 7, 2008 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
'Course, she also has to appeal to the most extreme of her supporters. This rhetoric could in part be to remind them that she knows where they're coming from.
June 7, 2008 1:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. She gave all the reasons for electing a generic Democrat, but she didn't talk about why Barack Obama will make a great President. Her endorsement struck me as tepid. She could have given a great speech by talking up Obama's qualifications and great qualities, but she chose not to. Instead, we got a lot of subtle reminders why she would have been the better nominee.
June 7, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think she first has to genuinely give them their due, though. They did invest a lot of time, energy and emotion to the last year and a half. There's time to let the fists come out at McCain and for Obama. It's not something one can turn on a dime, I don't think.
That's just my opinion, of course, but I keep trying to put myself in one of her supporter's shoes should the tables have been turned. I would be pretty sore right now. And for all my tough talk about not voting for her, I would more than likely have come around to vote for her had she been the nominee, campaign vitriol aside.
I just think it would have taken some time. I'm willing to give it to her and her supporters for the greater cause of kicking Johnny McSame square in the nuts come November. It's time for a little smackdown, Dem-style.
June 7, 2008 3:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's got to go in steps for her most fervent supporters. I think of it as the stages of grief. They're not going to be able to get on with life, meaning campaigning for Obama and against McCain, until they've been allowed to go through all the stages.
June 7, 2008 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Okay, it was good as far as it went, but now it's all about her again and running as a woman. Also, maybe I'm being paranoid here, but wasn't there subtle body language and facial expression, dead-pan when endorsing Obama and then she lit up when talking about her own campaign??
And I agree, nothing about beating McCain, or very little.
"When that day arrives, when a woman takes the oath of office..."
June 7, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
C'mon becky,
She rocked. What more could she say?!
How could she have possible been more positive?!
If any of her supporters don't want to support Obama, that is on them.
Hillary did her J O B
peace
June 7, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're not being paranoid at all. She said all the right words, without question, but every reference to Obama (including her "yes, we can" line) was accompanied by a blank expression on her face and very little energy in the delivery. Not a single smile or hint of enthusiasm when she mentioned him.
That said, I think this is as much as we could have asked for from someone who took the election as far, and as close to the wire as she did.
June 7, 2008 1:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
I felt there was a noticeable drop in warmth and enthusiasm when she moved from talking about her own campaign and the stories of her supporters' incredible dedication to *her*(like the woman on her deathbed), to her endorsement of Obama. I thought her affect became much more flat at that point. Body language speaks louder than words ...
June 7, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't let them snow you, Becky. You evidently listened to the speech and they didn't. You got it exactly right.
June 8, 2008 3:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why is Evita's "Don't cry for me Argentina" playing in my mind.
June 7, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh my god
This is the Hillary I knew was there. Goddamn her advisor's who had her go negative.
? You tellin' me she wouldn't have won if she had campaigned like this!!!!!!!!
No half hearts now! Admit she did and awesome job!!!
June 7, 2008 1:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hear!
Hear!
June 7, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
i think its a decent and fair concession speech, and does a good job of recognizing that even in falling short she and her campaign accomplished a lot, and that theres more work to be done.. but i kind of wish she and her campaign would stop this silly claim that being a woman is somehow more disadvantageous than being black in america, its so dumb to compete for most disparaged minority, and unhelpful, and a bit disrespectful to the biases and cultural limitations that need to be overcome of all minorities in this country, whether female, black, asian, or latino.
June 7, 2008 1:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Give her credit for what she is doing. its not the easiest thing, but she knew it had to be done.
June 7, 2008 1:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
YOU GO, GIRL!!!
June 7, 2008 1:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pure Evita. I mean, really, look at the setting and the whole don't cry for me stuff....gack!
June 7, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think she's doing great. I would prefer she not talk about the "glass ceiling" because she did, in fact, shatter it and it doesn't help the victim complex thing. But it's very very good, and one of her most impassioned deliveries.
June 7, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
No one can argue?? Thats reaching for a more positive and hopeful spin. One speech and now she is BHO's guardian angel, his greatest cheerleader (no sexism intended)? Im really happy with the speech and dont have too much doubt, but the author seems too quick to excuse, and wash her (and his own) hands clean of prior transgressions.
Im glad words matter now, but I really want to see some actions too. Havent we seen some wiley and cagey stunts pulled by the Clintons?
June 7, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pistol,
all you say is true. But c'mon, what else could she do?
I ask any of you to give a better speech of support after so arduous a campaign. No one was harder on her then I after Tuesday, but man you have to start back somewhere right?
So admit good start!!!!!
June 7, 2008 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes it's a good start. Now, what I want to hear on the campaign trail, when/if she brings up gender is: Remember, McCain will do nothing to advance women's issues, but Obama will.
June 7, 2008 1:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
!True dat
June 7, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply |