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Hillary's Exit Speech
Jun. 7th, 2008 02:11 pmI think it was a great speech. Hopefully her supporters will follow her lead and believe that she meant what she said in the speech. For me, my only issue is that it is the speech she should have given Tuesday night. Still, I'm glad she did finally do the right thing. After all, when it's a race to the finish, and the finish line is crossed, the right thing to do is to congratulate the other guy. Period. So, again, I'm glad she finally did do the right thing. I just wish she had done it four days earlier. Sigh.
Had she given THIS speech then instead of today, I think every little quibble that I and others had with it -- and for me, they are very, very minor -- would have not even come into play. Had she given this speech Tuesday night, she would have walked out of this primary season looking and smelling like a rose to just about everyone but the most stubborn, pig-headed Obama supporters. She would have done the best thing for her party and would have been rightly lauded for such an eloquent, gracious, generous speech.
As it was, instead we had four days fueled by disappointment, frustration and anger from many Obama supporters, renewed hope for a Denver showdown and/or anger towards the Obama camp and/or supporters from some of her less-than-pragmatic supporters. As well, she was raked over the coals by members of the mainstream media, reports surfaced that she was basically told to back the hell down from powerful supporters of hers. And, finally, her Tuesday night speech kicked up a brand new bout of divisiveness between the two group of supporters. Not to mention that members of the Republican party decided that since Hillary wasn't graciously walking away and endorsing Obama, they should go after the Hillary supporters and sway them to McCain's side.
All of that could have been avoided had she given THIS speech -- this speech that would have perfectly hit all the right notes on Tuesday, but missed a few beats when given four days later. Ah well. It's over. She DID give the speech; it did hit most of the right notes and it was a fine, fine way to end her seventeen-month campaign ... with grace, optimism, clarity and her head held high.
Well done. Now, let's kick some Republican butt and get a Democrat back in the White House!
Had she given THIS speech then instead of today, I think every little quibble that I and others had with it -- and for me, they are very, very minor -- would have not even come into play. Had she given this speech Tuesday night, she would have walked out of this primary season looking and smelling like a rose to just about everyone but the most stubborn, pig-headed Obama supporters. She would have done the best thing for her party and would have been rightly lauded for such an eloquent, gracious, generous speech.
As it was, instead we had four days fueled by disappointment, frustration and anger from many Obama supporters, renewed hope for a Denver showdown and/or anger towards the Obama camp and/or supporters from some of her less-than-pragmatic supporters. As well, she was raked over the coals by members of the mainstream media, reports surfaced that she was basically told to back the hell down from powerful supporters of hers. And, finally, her Tuesday night speech kicked up a brand new bout of divisiveness between the two group of supporters. Not to mention that members of the Republican party decided that since Hillary wasn't graciously walking away and endorsing Obama, they should go after the Hillary supporters and sway them to McCain's side.
All of that could have been avoided had she given THIS speech -- this speech that would have perfectly hit all the right notes on Tuesday, but missed a few beats when given four days later. Ah well. It's over. She DID give the speech; it did hit most of the right notes and it was a fine, fine way to end her seventeen-month campaign ... with grace, optimism, clarity and her head held high.
Well done. Now, let's kick some Republican butt and get a Democrat back in the White House!