Critic's notebook: Hillary Clinton's concession speech

Hillary Rodham Clinton made her last appearance as a presidential candidate -– for the time being -- when she conceded the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama on Saturday morning in Washington. Speaking from a low stage in the light-filled, colonnaded atrium of the National Building Museum with the crowd arrayed before her and, as has become the custom, behind her, she seemed to be floating in a sea of love.

She was late to the event, as to the concession. Her delay in acknowledging Obama as the presumptive candidate -– expected on the night of the last primaries -- kept eyes, cameras and cable news commentary unusually focused upon her. And as concession speeches go, it was something of a celebration and a self-celebration. It was both a private moment -- a thank you to the people who supported her campaign, and clearly still do -– and a political event, with ramifications for Obama, the Democratic Party and herself. Her speech contained a resounding endorsement of her former opponent (six minutes in, it was inevitably noted, but she circled back to it at the end), a reminder of what she had accomplished and a list of work to be done. She was centered and gracious and impossible to lampoon.

As with her opponent, the symbolic import of her candidacy is undeniable. The first presidential contest in which neither of the two front-runners was a white male, Clinton v. Obama was bound to excite
passions, positive and negative. Whether it made a difference in the primaries, Clinton was subject throughout her campaign to gender-based ridicule that would have cost people their jobs had the point been race or religion. (“Many of the most prominent people on TV behaved like middle schoolers,” party chairman Howard Dean told the New York Times.) Within the popular culture that helps define and in some ways contain the political culture, sex is the last arena where people are allowed, even encouraged, to act like pigs.

Chris Matthews' contention during MSNBC coverage of the New Hampshire primary that "the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around"; Mike Barnicle's description of her (on MSNBC's “Morning Joe”) as "looking like everyone's first wife standing outside a probate court"; William Kristol's statement on “Fox News Sunday” that "white women are a problem, that's ... you know, we all live with that"; and Tucker Carlson's, on MSNBC's “Tucker,” that “when she comes on television I involuntarily cross my legs” -- these are all lines that might be delivered on situation comedies without comment. Indeed, it's the sort of thing you hear on television every day.

And yet television has also painted the future. “Could a woman really serve as commander in chief?” Clinton asked Saturday morning. “Well, I think we answered that one.” But the fact that she was the presumptive nominee even before primary season began means we were already prepared for the possibility. Just as a long line of black presidents on big screens and small makes the actual election of an African American seem inevitable -- indeed, it may be imminent -- so does the fictional depiction of strong women in what were once exclusively male roles signal a real-world sea change: I thought of Clinton recently while reviewing a new cop show, “In Plain Sight,” starring Mary McCormack as a federal marshal, one of a host of easy-to-believe tough women the media now unapologetically offers, from vampire-slaying Buffy to Mary McDonnell as the president of all humanity on “Battlestar Galactica.” In dreams begin possibilities: A Madam President is only a matter of time.

-- Robert Lloyd

Comments

[Mike G]

I worry for the collective masses of Hillary supporters who believe that she ran a fair campaign and was persecuted throughout. Wasnt it her campaign that posted a picture of Obama wearing muslim garb and wasnt it she herself who mentioned that Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in june? What kind of desperate cretin would make such a clearly obvious call to all the racist wackos who have never needed an excuse to do something stupid to begin anyway? Unfortunately, Obama probably does need Hillary to run with him to unite the party before the election. This undermines everything his campaign stands for in my opinion. Backroom compromises have always been a part of the political process, but I had hoped that Hillary would think of the country first and suspend her campaign before it came to this. What more proof do you need to see that it is and has always been all about her and not the american people .

[Jon]

Is it just me, or was there something strange about Hillary's concession speech?

Sure, all the media is praising her speech at "hitting all the right notes" but there was a definite air of sarcasm about it. She spent a long time praising herself and her campaign's accomplishments. And then very abruptly, said "this is now why I'm supporting Barrack Obama" right out of left field. There was no transition or leading up to her statement of support of Obama, which is why it didn't have much of an effect, even eliciting many boos.

And when Hillary later went on to itemize her reasons one at a time, and say "this is why we need to elect Barrack Obama" where previously in her campaign those reason's were to tell people why NOT to elect Obama, it seemed quite strange. This is why the applause got less and less with each statement. It had the effect of showing the non-support of Obama in the crowd.

She then went on to follow the critic's recommendations of taking advantage of the gender card and saying at how this was a victory for women. When you could see by the faces of many in the crowd that this was not a victory, it was a defeat, rubbing more salt into the wound. I think this was intended, to remind women that they lost because Hillary did not win.

There was hardly any mention of the Democratic party values, or a rallying cry against McCain. Hillary focused solely on "Yes We Can" and "Elect Barack Obama" to a crowd of supporters who were obviously not going to share those sentiments. It seemed almost like a shotgun confession, contrived, forced. Although Hillary is very skillful in crafting the speech to be totally genuine while having a totally different effect subconsciously.

This is similar to her tactics in referencing the campaign going into June, and the assasination of RFK, and also her mentioning that white white hard working whites like her.(but don't like Obama by inference) To which she always falls back on the excuse, "oh well I never actually implied anything by that, and I'm sorry that YOU felt offended by that."

It's just more of the same craftiness and deceit that turns people off to Hillary and the Clintons in the first place. Smarter people can tell. The drones turn a deaf ear.

[Judy Pokras]

I like what Vicki Wagner wrote and I like Frank's Pied Piper song. I have felt all along that Obama was like the emperor with no clothes. Hillary had a tough row to hoe, being a woman and being so vilified by the media. She had to step very carefully to get her points across, because the media are harsh towards women who express anger. I understand that she had to support Obama in her concession speech, but I loved that she finally was able to express how important it is for women to move forward to break the glass ceiling, to believe in ourselves. I believe Hillary would make a far better president than Obama, who has little experience and who is hypocritical, saying he wants to unite people, but sticking with a church for 20 years whose leader was prejudiced against many people. I wish Hillary would run as a third party candidate, perhaps with Mike Bloomberg, who has the wealth to finance such a run, and who has progressive ideas. But I know how committed Hillary and Bill are to the Democratic Party, and a third-party run is just a dream than I and many others have.

[blondshag]

Barack Hussein Obama is a presidential nomination THUG. The Superdelegates producted the Barack Hussein Obama presidential nomination THUG, NOT the voters.

As 1 of the 18,000,000 voters and supporters for HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, my association with the Democratic Party is very secure with John McCain now. 'HOPE' that the other 17,999,999 voters for HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON will do the same and vote for John McCain in November.

If I will not be voting for Hillary Rodham Clinton -- I will NEVER vote for Barack Hussein Obama for sure. NO HILLARY = NO VOTE FOR BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA.

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON is the GREATEST campaigner in American History!

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON is BETTER of the two Democrotic Presidential Candidate!

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON is ELECTABILITY!

~~~SHAME ON THE SUPERDELEGATES FOR PRODUCING BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINIATION THUG. Hopefully the Superdelegates will realize that Hillary Rodham Clinton is the right president for America before it is truly too late....and switch their endoresment at the convention to Hillary Rodham Clinton the candidate that is electability.

GO HILLARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO HILLARY = NO VOTE FOR BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA.
NO HILLARY = VOTE FOR JOHN MCCAIN.

GO HILLARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Arye Michael Bender]

Mrs. Clinton managed to conjure up Richard Nixon, as in: "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore." The speech seemed to say that she lost, not because she was a self-destructing candidate, or because Barak Obama ran a spectacular campaign. In her mind, she lost because America is not yet ready for a woman president.

It is a lie. She did not lose because she is a woman. Just as Mr. Obama did not win because he is a man of color. She lost because the more mud she tossed, the dirtier she became. Had she the ideals and integrity of Barak Obama, she might well have won the nomination. Ultimately, I feel sorry for her. Yet we are better off that she self destructed before being elected president, rather than after.

- Arye Michael Bender -

[L]

People - we're not going to get anywhere arguing who is "better" - people have their "favorite" - and will continue to support he or she. We all have leanings, based on our own upbringings and influences therein - our own perceptions of what is most honest and sincere about a person and which seems most able to run the country. No matter what, it appears people seem to overlook something "scary" and make justifications to support their candidate, regardless. We have been influenced just by what we have seen and heard for months and it is amazing that people's opinions or comments regarding a candidate can be so severe or "hotheaded" - most likely not the kind of people I would like to come into contact with out in the world.

I have been a Clinton supporter - so put me in that pile. I agree with other supporters in what they say and won't be swayed. I think "Mr. O" can make a good "impression" - and let's face it, people seem to be easily impressed, preferring fantasy over reality, in this country. I feel he can speak well, but I can't seem to get over any residual sense that something is "not right", behind the scenes or below the surface - not to mention questioning his actual ability to lead the country. And if voters like the idea of "change" and "unity" so badly, people should just create this themselves. One guy is not going to fix that - it starts with people in this country to become fair, kind and good to each other and to raise their children to be the same.

He may choose her to run with him - and together, they could be a strong enough force. Otherwise, it is going to be something else and I am truly concerned. In any event, it is going to become a trying time for the upcoming president and difficult time for the country, no matter what.

[C Renee Allen]

All I can say is WOW! It is amazing how we as DEMOCRATS are so divided and disingenious. Yes Hilary! No Obama! Yes Obama! No Hilary! A Historic race that should be and should have been about the issues has been reduced to a Highschool Class Officer campaign focus solely on popularity! I like Hilary she so popular, smart and she dates the Most Popular Guy in school. No I don't like her because she is so smart and rich, she thinks she's all that. I like Obama, he's the new kid in school and he's so-o-o-o cool. That is what this has been reduced too! A Middle-aged remake of "She's all That!". These are the facts- The issues which are so divides the DEMs from the REPs, are at the least 95% spot on for Clinton and Obama. The economic crisis, healthcare, foreign policy again running parallel. Even the REPs agree that we can't face another 4 years of the same disaster that has befallen the American people. The primaries and the speeches have all been about popularity, because the issues are so dead on. This has always been about who was going to be at the TOP of the Ticket. Nothing more and nothing less. Those of us to whom this really matters and who really listens knew that this was going to be a Clinton-Obama/Obama-Clinton ticket all along. Our boy "Bill" was spouting this months ago! So we don't trust him to run the country, but by golly we trust him as our right hand man. Yes Obama was more tight lipped about it, but we all knew. The fact is we need them both and we need them united if we have any chance at all to right the wrongs of this current administration. I am a working single middle class black american mother who had visions of H.R. Clinton as our next president as well. Then along came a young visionary named Barack Hussein Obama, and the outlook got a little shinier. As a true DEM it never mattered to me which one was at the top as long as they both are there to make the desperately needed changes. It breaks my heart to hear Clinton supporters say that they would rather vote for McCain or not at all, than to see Obama become president. What is wrong with you people? Don't you know that a house divided against itself will not stand. What is your hope? That if McCain wins and gives us more of the same or if possible makes it worse that in 4 years H R Clinton will ride up on her white charger and save the day as a Shew in! Is your pride and is her pride worth taking that risk? Gas prices are way too high! Food prices are ridiculous! Soldiers are still dying! America is becoming the very thing it was founded not to be. If we give them the chance, I know they will do GREAT things for us Americans. Don't let this become a parody of itself and the joke be on us again!!!

[CVetti]

Thank God she is done with, now Obama is next to concede.

[stephanie]

I personally don't care if you are a Republican or a Democrat. I am a Democrat and I don't understand how any other person who calls themselves a Democrat can actually not only want a Republican to win the presidency but to advacate for others to vote Republican just becasue the Democrat you wanted isn't on the ballot. If that is how you feel, then don't call yourself a Democrat. Say you are Independent. At least that way you are not a hypocrite. On another note, I doubt that anyone her has personally met either Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton so how anyone can say such personal, negative things about them is crazy. Sex and race don't matter. I am appauled at our nation for there being so may prejudice people here. We are supposed to stand for what everyone wants. Freedom. How can we have that with all the hate. For all of you who don't know what it means to be civil, intellegent and kind... GET OFF THE COMPUTER AND GO BACK TO WORK. And we wonder why our economy is suffering....

[L on My Forehead]

I'm still shocked that in order for his supporters to keep up the facade that he's remotely competent to run the country, Obama supporters must continue to kick Clinton when she's down. Regardless of the content of her concession speech, the decent thing to do by you Obama supporters would have been to just shut it and let it be. Obama's still got the long road ahead of him to the November elections. I think his supporters are apt to think that he could win it without Clinton's supporters. Good job, Obama. Your delusional supporters are gonna' ruin it for you in November. Enjoy the nomination while you can. We'll try not to laugh at you too loudly when you lose the election.