Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Hillary's Speech

I thought Hillary's speech last night was a real home run. The way that she was able to endorse Obama without looking defeated, and the way she was able to stand up for her core principles and align them with Obama's and with the party's was pretty stunning. She used the opportunity to rally the troops, speak wisely and from the heart, and show some leadership in ways that I had not seen before.

Was she touchy-feely about Obama? No, nor did she need to be. It would have seemed creepy if she had. If the election, as she noted, is about real issues, real problems, and real Democratic values then it has to be bigger than any one individual. It's not about the candidates, it's about the people. So why should she turn around and say that she is a sudden Obama-phile? The election is not about one cult of personality versus another. It's about moving forward and overcoming the last 8 years. That's what she said, and that's all she need to say.

I will be interested to see if this opens the door for a genuine endorsement from President Clinton, as well as more Bush/McCain bashing from Biden.