Reactions to Hillary's speech

Jonathan Chait:

Incredible. She justifies her continuing the campaign by saying that she finished the campaign. She doesn't concede that Obama has a majority of delegates, let alone that he's won. She repeats her bogus popular vote argument. She congratulates Obama's campaign on its "achievements," but barely musters a single good word about him.

I don't know what the fallout will be, but at minimum, I'd say that anybody on her staff who cares about their party has a moral obligation to publicly quit and endorse Obama.

Dana Goldstein:

The more I think about it, the more it seems that Hillary's entire speech was manufactured to rile up her supporters -- instead of priming them to shift their allegiance to Obama. Yes, there's a situation with Michigan and Florida. But is it really fair for Clinton to claim that her 18 million supporters nationwide have been made "invisible?" Who's supposed to be the bad guy here, scary Howard Dean? Clinton is offering more fighting rhetoric. But the fight should be over.

Isaac Chotiner, who calls the speech "A Total Disgrace":

[H]er speech tonight has been combative and petty (mentioning the states she won, saying the primaries ended in South Dakota, not Montana, claiming a popular vote win), with scant praise for the Democratic nominee. If Clinton wants people to believe that she cares more about the Democratic Party than her own career, she is failing badly.

Jonathan Cohn:

I have no problem with her reminding people of her campaign highlights--or postponing an actual concession. But implying that Obama can't win in November? Whether or not she believes that, she has no business saying it now. And suggesting that she'll fight on until her supporters are no longer "invisible" and get "some respect"? What on earth is she implying there?

Matthew Yglesias:

I probably shouldn't write any more about this woman and her staff. Suffice it to say that I've found her behavior over the past couple of months to be utterly unconscionable and this speech is no different. I think if I were to try to express how I really feel about the people who've been enabling her behavior, I'd say something deeply unwise. Suffice it to say, that for quite a while now all of John McCain's most effective allies have been on Hillary Clinton's payroll.

Andrew Sullivan:

The speech tonight was a remarkable one for a candidate who has lost the nomination, though not remarkable for a Clinton. It was an assertion that she had won the nomination and a refusal to concede anything to her opponent. Classless, graceless, shameless, relentless. Pure Clinton.

Her narcissism requires that she deprive her opponent of a night, or a second, of gratification or attention. And she has now won, in her Bush-like version of reality, 18 million votes. Her invitation for her supporters to email their suggestions to her website is pure theater, a way of keeping herself in the spotlight and maneuvering her delegates to demand a second spot on the ticket. The way she is now doing this - by an implicit threat, backed by McCain, to claim that Obama is an illegitimate nominee if she does not get her way - is designed to humiliate the nominee sufficiently to wound him enough to lose the election.

Either way, she is clearly intent on getting Obama defeated this fall if she is not offered the vice-presidency. And if she gets the veep nod, the way she has gotten it will allow her to argue that a November loss was not her loss. It was his. And she will run again in 2012.

She will not go away. The Clintons will never go away. And they will do all they can to cripple any Democrat who tries to replace them. In the tent or out of it, it is always about them. And they are no longer rivals to Obama; they are threats.

A Sullivan reader:

What Democrats needed from Clinton tonight, aside from at last CONCEDING to Obama, was to go after McCain with everything she had: this would have been a first step to pulling her supporters into the larger Democratic fold. Instead, incredibly, she chose to continue her veiled critique of Obama. Instead, incredibly, she chose to emphasize and repeat all of her lies: that she won the popular vote, that she has "more votes than any other candidate who's ever run in the primaries", and, most damagingly, insinuating that somehow, this election was "stolen" from her. We see, more clearly than ever, that this is not about defeating Republicans in 2008: it is, for her, solely about her own career.

The Jed Report:

If I had any respect for Hillary Clinton going into tonight, after watching her speech, it is now gone.

She is now running for a nomination that she has lost. She cannot win it. The game is over.

She is, however, clearly willing to put John McCain in the White House if she doesn't get her way. Now, I don't think she has the power to do that, but she seems to think that she does, and she thinks that is a legitimate negotiating tactic.

The most pathetic part of the speech was her appeal for fundraising dollars. Because of her own mismanagement, her campaign is millions in debt. She's wealthy -- she can afford it. But yet she asks her constituency, which she says is struggling to get by, to help her pay off her own debts.

Absolutely no class -- and completely self-absorbed.

John Aravosis:

Obama won tonight and she still can't concede. Take a flying leap. You lost. You nasty woman. She can't decide what she wants to do, whether she concedes or not. So she wants people to email her and help her decide. ... She's just a nasty nasty woman. I'm so glad the Democratic leadership gave her space and her time to grieve. How's that working for you?

FinneganOregon, a Daily Kos diarist:

I am sitting here listening to her speech this evening and my jaw has slowly dropped to the floor.

This woman has no class.

She deserves absolutely nothing. Not a f***ing thing.

The only dissenting voice I can find in the liberal blogosphere is Al Giordano, who says, "I think that Senator Clinton’s speech was fine. She didn’t concede. (The Field didn’t expect her to.) But nor did she declare that she’s going to go on a Kamikaze mission. ... Everything is good. She’s getting out. She just has to negotiate her terms. But she stopped short of starting an internecine Civil War in the Democratic party. And nothing in her tone or words indicated otherwise."

Needless to say, I completely disagree. In fact, I'm baffled; Giordano must have been watching a different speech than I was. I think Dana Goldstein, quoted at the top of this post, is 100% right: "Hillary's entire speech was manufactured to rile up her supporters -- instead of priming them to shift their allegiance to Obama."

P.S. See also Noam Scheiber.

Comments

[Tbone]

Isn't one of the great hallmarks of American politics the ability to concede with grace, congratulate your opponent and move aside with a bit of dignity and class?

Not with the Clintons.

I think I'm going to do as she suggested and head over to HillaryClinton.com and tell precisely what I want her do.

[K. Knight]

My husband I both have sat here primary after primary, for what seems like YEARS watching and waiting for Hillary Clinton to finally drop out of this race that she clearly could not possibly win WEEKS ago and get behind Obama and help unite the demorcratic party. Of course that didn't happen, but we were SURE it would happen tonight, FINALLY. The fact that it did NOT happen tonight, of all nights, a night that made history for the first African American to win the nomination and she was actually selfish enough to deny this man his moment in history because of her own obvious political ambition is beyond BELIEF. And the fact that she held HER speech in a basement beneath the EARTH where no cell phones would work, no blackberries, no internet...all so no one in that arena would know that Obama had been declared the nominee at least a half hour before her speech began is nothing but some sort of sick mental manipulative game, something the Clinton's are so good at, and oddly enough not many people seem to notice just HOW evil and sleazy these two are?!? It is completely disgraceful that she is so focused on her own blind ambition, completely out of touch with ANY form of reality that she put a damper on what should have been a proud shining moment for Barak Obama and for this country. He has won, fair AND square, it is OVER. GO AWAY ALREADY.

[Youngblai]

Um, yeah, that's called "opening the silos so Obama can see the missiles."

This is why someone should've already seized her by the (rhetorical) throat and made sure her and Bubba understood that the party was there before them and will remain afterwards.

[Jim]

I think I'm going to do as she suggested and head over to HillaryClinton.com and tell precisely what I want her do.

Ha! I did exactly that the instant she said it. And you know what, her website was slow then, but normal about five minutes later. I really believe she got a huge number of negative messages right then, but maybe I am colored by my preference.

At any rate, let her act as she will. I canvassed for Obama, and we beat the most formidable political machine in my political memory.

We'll destroy mccain.

[Julie]

Hopefully, if the vast majority of the media sides with the ones above, and a wave of superdelegates and other democratic party leaders lean on her in the next day or two, she may indeed see the light.

Course, I also see her as a Gollum-like figure with her hands over her ears, shaking her head back and forth like a child, repeating over and over "Not listening!"

[bk]

My first reaction: unbelievable.

Then I remembered who we're dealing with. As an undecided voter, I'm leaning towards McCain, or using my "useless" vote in Illinois to attempt to send a message and vote libertarian.

This lady is truely clueless and classless.

[Sandy Underpants]

I'd say McCain/Clinton '08, but why would she not just run at the top of a 3rd party independent ticket?... Not before she trashes the DNC later this summer first, of course.

[Wurf]

In the year 2020, Chelsea Clinton will redeem her family's legacy and become the first female President of the United States. Bill & Hill will be so proud then.

[Democrats'08]

What Obama need to do now is find a way to shut you people the hell up, and put together a professional team of people trained in conflict resolution. I believe many of Senator Clinton's supports will warm up to Senator Obama if the transition is handled correctly. It is and has always been his smart ass vicious supporters that completely turned me off.

[Brendan]

Democrats'08, I'm not even an Obama supporter. I'm undecided between Obama and McCain. And, way back in November and December, I was actually leaning toward Hiillary. So the "smart ass vicious [Obama] supporters" doesn't apply to me. Hillary has earned my wrath herself; I used to think that people who hated her were irrational boobs, and then I started paying attention to her campaign and realizing what a horrendous pox on the party and the nation she is. She did that all by herself. It has nothing to do with Obama.

And forgive me if I'm not bending over backwards to get Hillary's poor piddle supporters to "warm to Senator Obama" when Hillary herself is DELIBERATELY FANNING THE FLAMES with her rhetoric!! How you can possibly criticize Obama's supporters for not wanted to engage in "conflict resolution," when Hillary is specifically and deliberately prolonging the conflict?!?! Unbelievable!

[LCR]

"Undecided between Obama and McCain" NOT Brendan Loy! Oh wait, this is the guy who can root for ND and USC during the same college football season. : )

What is the old saying about the test of a first class mind? Something like, “the test is being able to hold two opposing views simultaneously.” Congrats Mr. Loy, you have a first class mind ; )

But because I enjoy your blog so much and because you have such an adorable daughter I will give you another little “test.” This one may help swing your decision. I call it the “Independence Day Test.”

When struggling to decide between two candidates (or three) for the Office of the President of the Greatest Gawd Damned Country on the Planet, ask yourself the following questions:

1.How would the potential President act during a crisis of extreme magnitude? Say the world was being attacked by Aliens.
Clearly we would have a split between BHO and McCain here. BHO would want to establish a dialogue with the aliens - that could be risky. Even less sophisticated alien languages like Klingon can be difficult to master – something always gets lost in translation. McCain would be more assertive here I think – less talkin’ more shootin’!
Advantage McCain!

2. Next, could the candidate deliver the goose-bump inspiring speech made by Pres. Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman) with the same level of emotion and with such confidence? Especially the lines: “We will not go quietly into the night!" We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!”

Obama clearly has the edge here. The dude can get his speech on. McCain lacks the oratory flare that Obama possesses unless you get him really, really pissed. Then he turns into his alter-ego McFurious . But Hell, I’d listen to Barrack read an Applebee’s menu. Advantage BHO.

3. Finally, does the future Decider-in-Chief possess enough courage, physical prowess and dexterity to fly, if necessary, an F/A-18 into combat? And would he or she be brave enough to lead a squadron into battle facing overwhelming odds of defeat against a superior alien force WITHOUT Will Smith?!?

No contest here. McCain, even as a septuagenarian could still kick some serious ass. And I’m sure the US Military wouldn’t put the Commander in some old Hornet, they’d saddle him up in one of those new Lockheed Martin F-35s that have stealth capability and he would definitely obliterate a ton of alien ass! With all his experience bombing brown people this is totally a no-brainer. The guy is an American hero – Remember that Folks an AMERICAN HERO (not some elitist Harvard lefty. Let me tell you I was in Cambridge in ‘03 and the number of commy-pinko traitors there absolutely disgusted me!) Advantage McCain.

However Obama would look damn fine in a flight suit I bet.

So clearly, the answer is McCain! Vote for McCain in 2008 – he will save us from Alien Invasion (by “alien threat” I mean outer space aliens, not the south of the border variety – I think we may be screwed on that front.)

[K. Knight]

I just went to HillaryClinton.com to possibly leave her a "comment" that she so enthusiastically encouraged people to do last night during yet another one of her relentless victory speeches.

Aside from the word "CONTRIBUTE" all over the place, which is completely classless and tasteless all by itself, considering her "concern" for all of us poor citizens enduring this horrible economy that has no end in sight; the first thing you see is a box that reads, "I'm with you Hillary and I'm proud of everything we stand for". So when you leave your "comment" by filling in your name, city and state, Oh and by the way, the "comment" part is optional, you immediately become one of her SUPPORTERS. Out beside the box, there is an ongoing stream of names of people who have just become "supporters" for Hillary, all appearing underneath the giant words, "BE ONE OF EIGHTEEN MILLION, STAND WITH HILLARY". I STRONGLY suspect that some of those innocent posters who purely wanted to suggest to her to PLEASE let this be OVER ALREADY and let's unite this party so that there is NO chance of continuing the current administrations' policies that have have practically brought this country to it's knees, are NOW her "SUPPORTERS".

Last night she holds what could only be called another "victory rally" instead of the concession and uniting the party speech she SHOULD have given, UNDERGROUND, in an area where no information could get out, to control anyone there from finding out that Obama had already been declared the nominee, then encourages people to come forward and "let her know what they would like her do" and then you try to do that, and you FORCEFULLY (imagine that...)become one of her "supporters" by doing so. Can this woman resort to anymore TRICKERY, DECEPTION, and MANIPULATION???!?

At this point, after witnessing the unbelievable spectacle and complete JOKE that she made of such an important and historic moment in this country's history last night; there should NOT be a doubt in anyones' minds that this is completely self centered and not about anything other than her own narcissistic view of entitlement to be the first woman President of the United States. I'm a woman as well, and think it would be wonderful to finally have a woman President, but it needs to be the RIGHT woman, not just someone who happens to have female genitalia. As for the argument that she and ONLY she can carry the older women and the white working class vote, if she would get behind our NOMINEE and SUPPORT him instead of continuing to run a race that is OVER, possibly they just MIGHT consider voting for Obama. I can only hope that by her relentless "staying in", which is SO completely all about HER and not for the good of this country, makes people realize just how dispicable this person truly is. If there is any justice in this world, maybe she will ruin her "career" so that no one in Washington will want to deal with her OR her husband.

This could be, and IS a turning point in the history of our country, of which she is not allowing it's full glory for all who wish to relish and bask in it.

This is NOTHING but blind ambition at ANY cost. The Democratic party leaders need to STAND UP, STEP IN and put an end to this NOW; enough about letting her "exit with grace, keep her dignity". Are you kidding me???? What GRACE and DIGNITY?? Obviously, that's just what she wanted us to think, all the while never considering an exit but accomplishing her goal of buying more time and stalling, "because you never know what can happen" as we've heard so many times from her campaign and the candidate herself.

There is not a doubt in my mind that her "accidental" referral to Bobby Kennedy's assasination last week is her ONLY reason for not putting an end to this "campaign" and THAT is sickening, pathetic and unforgivable.

The media needs to quit talking about her, and we all need to stop giving her our energy, even if it is negative. It's still keeping her in the news and in the minds of way too many, which is exactly what she wants and needs to give the perception that she is still viable.

Perhaps it might be wise if we all take a cue from Obama and rise above her relentless manipulative, game playing, and deceptive politics of old and just ignore her. After all, MOST of us got the memo that we now have a nominee!

I for one think that is exactly what I am going to do. From now on I'm going to find ways to expend my energy in a positive way...I think I may do something I've never felt the call to do before, volunteer for a political campaign:)

So thank you Hillary, for the inspiration.