I thought this day would never arrive, it did and time to move on.

I will reserve my judgement on Hillary. This is first and a very important step in the right direction. There is a lot more damage that needs repair.

Anyway, I never thought I'd say this:

Thank You Senator Clinton

I saw Senator Clinton's speech live this afternoon at work. I never thought she would give me a reason to think anything but negative thoughts about her but today she did. I saw a great beginning and I thank her for that. I hope she will be able to continue her enthusiastic support of Obama.

The whole speech is quite better than the chopped-up snippets! Thanks for posting.

On a trivial note, did anyone else notice the (I imagine) rocker chick throwing "devil horns"? This could be the first use of the gesture at a major historic political speech - Ozzy must be so proud.

It was a great speech, she did what she had to do - for the first time in months, I'm openly applauding something that Hillary Clinton has done.

--
I know that this is a change of topic, but I was watching this music video and there is no way anyone could get away with that sort of sexual suggestiveness now.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fub8EXoMShc

TPM posters remember:

If you can't say anything nice.....

Wow. I've been otherwise occupied all day and regrettably missed the speech live. I'm relieved by its contents. And I must also say I'm overwhelmed by the sight that greeted me on coming to this page: Greg must be in heaven. SIX straight postings by him about Hillary. Will Obama (or anyone else) ever do ANYTHING that will merit the equal of that?

John Cole has the Michelle Obama tape.

Been waiting 16 years to celebrate the end of the Clintons.

What a beautiful day today

BYE BYE BILLARY

It is over. Senator Clinton has conceded and has thrown her support behind Senator Obama. Stop picking at old scabs. Time to let them heal.

I understand why some of Senator Clinton's supporters are still suffering. It has been a long hard fought campaign. They threw their hearts and souls into the effort to have their candidate win the nomination. They should be proud of that, and I congratulate them on staying power. We can use their determination on our side as we take on the Republicans.

I can understanding and be accepting of some sore feelings being expressed by disappointed supporters of Senator Clinton. That is natural. What is not acceptable is the bitterness being expressed by some sore winners. Show some class. Senator Obama is the nominee of our Democratic party. Let us all move forward together to defeat the real enemy, Senator Bush McCain and his war mongering cabal.

Let bygones be bygones. We are on the one road now, serving a common cause in the service of a more just and fair America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be0j4PbrQOI

Don't you all find it so discouraging that issues just get lost? There are snipes and meanness coming from McCain so early already that I am just disgusted. I would prefer not to vote at all if he was my only choice. People saying since Clinton lost they will vote for McCain can only be saying that due to race. On objectives, Obama and Hillary they are very similar, so what else could it be?

Fox News is off and running. Terrorists thump?! WTF.....

Doesn't the media get it, we are SO tired of all the theatrics. KO gets it, but when will the MSM ever understand they are losing money and viewers/readers due to lack of content? Watch the BBC, they actually talk about news. Amazing.

Thank you Senator Clinton for today. I personally think that must have been very hard to do and I wish you well.

It must be debilitataing to Hillary's aging feminist supporters to realize that, since she could not even get nominated despite all of her built-in advantages, there will not be a woman elected President in their lifetimes.

Weep if you must, but make an end to weeping. Obama beat the feminists fair and square. Now Obama goes to find ... his destiny.

I haven't read all six threads on the speech, but I hope someone pointed out that she today used the word "gay" for the first time in her campaign -- a curious thing that has not been as much noticed as you might expect. Obama, on the other hand, has not been shy about standing up for equal rights, explicitly mentioning gay equality even in black churches, where doing so wouldn't be the most obvious way to add to his popularity.

This was a very nice speech, and she deserves praise for it.

I especially like how strongly she pitched the importance of a Democratic president.

I think Hillary, for all her faults, does care about the issues. I just didn't like her methods.

The irony here, maybe similar to Al Gore, is that, after giving up on her ambitions perhaps a more authentic Hillary may emerge.

OT: Bob Wexler for Veep!

Obama/Wexler '08!

Or, in the words of the aforementioned Rep. Bob Wexler on last Saturday:

LET ... US ... UNIFY!!

Maybe we won't have to suffer McAuliffe and Lanny Davis anymore.

From: Head of State LIVE

http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/06/clintons-exit-speech.html

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Clinton's Exit Speech

Hillary, Bill, Chelsea entering the building.

The elegant lit-from-within columns of the National Building Museum flank a podium surrounded by crowds. The scene is reminiscent of the late 19th century. The place is packed.

Terry McAuliffe moves closer to the front of the stage.

Hands in the air applauding and cheers, a fusillade of cameras. We see Bill's face first, smiling; behind him is Hillary. he pauses to hug McAuliffe. Charles Schumer slaps him on the back with a smile. The camera turns to Hillary as she mounts the podium. A large cheer. Bill, Hillary's mother, Hillary, and Chelsea in a line atop the podium.

A pained joyful almost explosively joyful smile from Hillary as the crowd erupts. The sadness, actual joy at the love, deep bags beneath her eyes, there is a certain stunned quality--a dissociation almost as if it isn't real for her, even as another part of her clearly feels the reality, and trues to manifest the toughness, while deep, the catch in her voice captures--there is no other word for it--the anguish underneath.

"To the young people"...a somewhat raucous cheer.."like Anne Riddel"..."New Yorkers...Arkansans...And all those women"-cheer- "in their 80's and 90's, born before women could vote". An anecdote about this.

Strength pushed forward before anguish.

"18 million of you from all walks of life"--a cheer.

Her voice is a manifestation of willed declaration of what has been created by her, for her, on her behalf, cut through with the depth of controlled tears.

"To help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States" adding a significant and notable depth to her voice. "I endorse him and put my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to work as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me". Mixture of cheers and sounds of upset.

First the forced smile as she begins to enumerate Obama's merits. Cheeks pulled up by sheer effort. However, then she become serious--and she means it. "Ensuring that Obama enters the Oval Office in 2009"

"The Democratic Party is a family and now its time to restore the values we cherish and the country we love..our paths have merged..united more than ever. So much is at stake." Cut to Chelsea--smile with tears.

"We all want an economy that lifts all or our people...A health care system that is universal, high quality and affordable" cheers " This isn't just an issue for me--it is a passion"--and indeed it is, as she hammers it home with vigour.

Remarkably, as she did in the Senate, you can see her settling in, hardening in, to the task ahead--taking her firm determination, and in the midst of this speech, turning it to the new task--still, in the sadness and exhaustion, willing herself to a new life of purpose, as she has done before in the face of loss.

A nod to rehabilitating Bill: "The man who revitalized the US in two elections is here today."

Remarkable, as through sheer force of will against anguish and depression, she slowly pivots, letting her pose of determination turn the anguished machine to its new task.

"Today, I am standing with Senator Obama to say 'Yes we can!". This is the VP pitch.

"Together, we will live in a stronger America. That's why we need to elect Obama our President."

This is a statue of strength mounted over a soul in anguish. Cuts to Chelsea, manifestly tearful mirror that anguish.

Now the repetition theme " And that is why we must help elect Barack Obama our President".

This is full and unequivocal support--a full corrective to her primary night speech.

"Could a woman really serve as commander in chief? Well, I think we answered that one. " A second VP pitch.

"Now, on a personal note, when I was asked what it meant to be a woman running for President, I always gave the answer that I was proud to be running as a woman, but I was running because I thought I would be the best president.

But I am a woman and I know there are biases out there, often unconscious, and I want to build an America that will embrace the ability of every last one of us....to build that future, we must ensure that women and men alike understand the struggles of their mothers and grandmothers and that women enjoy equal pay and equal respect." The subtle reminder of electoral power--just the slightest foot on the neck of pressure regarding the electoral power of the Clinton bloc and the VP choice, while also noting the genuine and remarkable historical achievement of her run.

"To those who were disappointed that we couldn't go all the way, it would break my heart if I discouraged you in...pursuing any of yours...to do what you want to do shouldn't she say "if I discouraged you to vote for Barack Obama? ) and never let anyone say that you can't or shouldn't go on." The slightest eruption of the earlier indulgences--a muted message with just the slightest subtle echoes of "if disappointed...email my website".

"If we can blast 50 women into space, we will someday launch a woman into the White House" In continuing this theme for quite so long, again, now she has lost the balance a bit and is leaning a bit towards primary night and the focus on her, whipping the crowd up not about unity and the fight ahead, but about what has been denied.

But--as, in the end, is her strength and her way, her burden to bear in this life--in the anguish of the moment, she wills herself to bring it around: "If you find yourself or our supporters saying "If only"...don't go there. Time is too short. And that is why I will work for Barack Obama as our next President, and that is why I hope that everyone of you will join me in that effort."

"To my family, Bill and Chelsea, you mean the world to me" --a cut to Bill looking bitter, angry as he has risen, sits back down. Looking to get even?

She is making the turn:

"As we join forces with Obama's campaign, we will stand united for the values we hold dear...and the country we love. There is nothing more American than that."

"The challenges that I have faced in this campaign are nothing compared to those tghat millions of Americans have in their lives."

"I will work to ensure that every child lives to grow up to his or her god-given potential...this is now our time to make sure that in this election we add another Democratic President and to take back our country."

"God bless you and God Bless America"

Waving with a smile..fighting back tears for a second.

Summary: A strong speech. From the beginning of her career--from the Gennifer Flowers episodes, through Monicagate, and the need to fight off its legacy during her Senate run, she has always been able to make the turn under adversity. It has been her role--indeed, her role in her home, finding strength and purpose under the pressure of often negative and hostile judgment and rising to a willed purpose, beneath which the suffering is controlled, until that purpose takes over and becomes the foreground, the reality, the new task. Despite the slight tactical engagements and subtle warnings of her electoral power in the last third, a muted indulgence compared to primary night, she gave the speech she needed to--for herself, for the Party, and for history.

Hillary has been able to make this turn before--and with substance, as in the Senate, where she forged unexpected and genuine legislative relationships. She has the strength of creating a willed and direct pragmatism within herself in such moments--and sticking to it. Consequently, this speech advances the possibility of a dream ticket.

Unity gained. Mission accomplished.

Cite:

Head of State

http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/06/clintons-exit-speech.html

Oh yeah Hillary staff sucked so bad. From Mark Penn, Carville, Lenny Davis actually anyone who spoke in the campaign beside Hillary Clinton pretty much sucked.