Hillary Clinton still shies from public congratulations

Maybe Hillary Clinton will call Barack Obama after she unwinds later tonight from her tough campaign day. Or maybe, as she did last Tuesday after getting waxed in the "Potomac primaries," she'll offer a public acknowledgment early Wednesday.

But once again, she's bound to call attention to what's become a habit -- she took the stage in Youngstown, Ohio, tonight just minutes after every cable network had called the race in Wisconsin for Obama and acted like those results just didn't exist. As if a primary in which she was hoping to steal a win -- or at least come close -- and thereby break her rival's hot streak of victories mattered not one whit.

[UPDATE -- Clinton aides report she called Obama and congratulated him after they both had exited from their respective rallies].

True, she began speaking when only the barest fraction of the raw vote had been reported. So a flat-out concession might not have been in order. But many will no doubt believe that a nod was in order; a recognition that the early count indicated it wasn't going her way and that Obama, again, had proved a worthy foe.

Clinton would have none ...

 

of that as she now gears up for what looms as do-or-die face offs on March 4 in Ohio and Texas. Instead, she immediately focused her fire on Obama.

"We can't just have speeches. We've got to have solutions," Clinton said as she launched into a lengthy critique of her rival. "While words matter, the best words in the world aren't enough unless you match them with action."

Perhaps one reason she quickly broached what has become her main argument against Obama -- a contention that clearly cut little ice in chilly Wisconsin -- was that she sensed her time in front of the cameras would be limited. Indeed, just a few minutes into her remarks, Obama began making his way to the podium at a rally in Houston.

Fox News and MSNBC cut to him -- and cut away from Clinton -- even before he got into the guts of his speech. CNN stayed with Clinton a bit longer, via split screen. But once Obama was rolling, her image and words were gone. (She later, almost poignantly, told the Ohio audience that they could count on her, even when "the speeches are over and the cameras are gone.")

Clinton and her supporters may express umbrage that Obama so flagrantly stepped on her appearance; that he didn't wait longer before claiming the spotlight. And courtesy questions may be raised about his disinclination to mention her as he claimed his Wisconsin win.

As it was, he clearly had her -- as well as presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain -- on his mind. Increasingly knocked by both as long on inspiration but short on substance (McCain, in the evening's first speech, had pledged to make sure Americans "are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change") Obama responded with a 45-minute talk that touched on a laundry list of subjects -- lead-based toys from China, the No Child Left Behind education program, home foreclosures, the suffering in Darfur, to name but a few.

On this night, he truly got the last words in -- each of the cable networks stayed with him to the end.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[tony]

why doesnt obama congratulate clinton for still running close despite the media coronation of her opponent? lay off . this is tacky reporting.

[ray johannson]

She started her speech after her scheduled time. I think she did this on purpose to try to delay Obama's start time so less viewers would be watching TV

[Peter WORMER]

Hillary might just be running into people who have longer memories.After all- it WAS her BILL Clinton who paved the way for trade agreements, starting with NAFTA without considerations of the consequences to the average american worker....Thank you BILL..!!!That laid the groundwork for Corporate america to steamroller the american working public.THat was followed with (almost) 8 years of a recovering alcoholic incapable of original thought, who welcomed the corporate juggernaut
with open wallet..Can Hillary do better, I do NOT want to chance it.P.WORMER.CA.

[ken]

Tony:

You don't "congratulate" a person when he or she just got crushed and destroyed in an election. You say an eulogy for Hillary. You should look up the term "congratulate" in Webster's.

Ken

[Chris Stewart]

I just hope that Hillary has the decency to run a respectful losing campaign. Like Mike Huckabee, she needs to stop trying to attack Obama and use the remaining debates as opportunity to expound "her platfrom."

It's over. No one wants a President that is dillusional.

[rfborjal]

Ken, perhaps Tony meant that Hillary should be congratulated for her dogged persistence.

[Vectorpedia (Rick)]

Hillary is no Barack..........Obama is a winner !

[ed]

Who would have thought that, now, the Democratic nomination is for Obama to lose? It would take something drastic or HIllary's "clonies" would have to dig deep into Obama's closet to reveal something outlandish and scandalous that would hurt his momentum right now.

Hillary discovering an immoral and unethical revelation regarding Obama would likely "hurt" her. I mean, look who's throwing the stone? Better yet, look who she's married to and then her throwing the stone.

[sam]

Not so fast. As quick as everyone and the polls thought Hillary was a shoe-in for president, the same atmosphere is being touted to crown Obama to challenge McCain. The race is still rather close, and a victory in Texas could swing the momentum back to the Clintons.

Remember, these are the Clintons we are talking about. They are as cunning as you can get. The curious thing is, what is next on their agenda to attack Obama. Tears from Hillary's left eye this time? Or Bill explaining that Obama really "isn't" black but North African-American and that the Illinois senator did "inhale" nicotine for many years.

Is it me or do others also think that whatever Hillary says these days doesn't mean a "hill" of beans.

[Klorane]

Hillary Clinton or McCain which was a harder opponent?.