Election News and Features
N.Y. Sen. Hillary Clinton during her
concession speech Saturday
concession speech Saturday
Clinton’s Emotional Concession Emphasizes Feminism, Reconciliation
by Rachel Balik
Hillary Clinton thanked voters Saturday for putting cracks in the glass ceiling and urged Democrats to unite in support of presumptive nominee Barack Obama.
30-Second Summary
Clinton showed a bit of ironic humor during her long-awaited concession speech on Saturday, admitting, “this isn’t exactly the party I’d planned, but I sure like the company.” After largely ignoring her unique position as female candidate, Clinton then turned to feminist rhetoric in the last speech of her campaign. Her concession speech has been received much more positively than the speech she made at the end of the primaries, which even from the most benevolent of critics deemed, “a bad show.”
Now that Clinton has officially conceded, Democrats need to stop criticizing her for failing to step down earlier, say many in the party. Gail Collins for the New York Times argues that, although sexism didn’t contribute to Clinton’s losing the candidacy, it is contributing the way people are reacting to her extended campaign. Uniting the Democratic Party means acknowledging Clinton’s hard work and commending the path she paved for women, Collins says.
Speculation about a possible vice-president slot for Clinton is circulating, but despite a secret meeting between the two candidates on Thursday night, it seems unlikely. Meanwhile, in an e-mail to supporters, Obama officially welcomed Clinton to his campaign, saying, “Our party and our country are stronger because of the work she has done throughout her life.”
Now that Clinton has officially conceded, Democrats need to stop criticizing her for failing to step down earlier, say many in the party. Gail Collins for the New York Times argues that, although sexism didn’t contribute to Clinton’s losing the candidacy, it is contributing the way people are reacting to her extended campaign. Uniting the Democratic Party means acknowledging Clinton’s hard work and commending the path she paved for women, Collins says.
Speculation about a possible vice-president slot for Clinton is circulating, but despite a secret meeting between the two candidates on Thursday night, it seems unlikely. Meanwhile, in an e-mail to supporters, Obama officially welcomed Clinton to his campaign, saying, “Our party and our country are stronger because of the work she has done throughout her life.”
Headline Link: ‘A Thank-You for 18 Million Cracks in the Glass Ceiling’
Hillary Clinton downplayed the fact that she was a woman while campaigning, but freely addressed the subject in her concession speech, which employed some of the best rhetoric of her campaign. She told voters that the glass ceiling was still intact, but that they had put 18 million cracks in it. She underscored her campaign’s progressive achievements, telling supporters, “because of you, children today will grow up taking for granted that an African American or a woman can, yes, become the president of the United States.”
Source: The Washington Post
A transcript and video excerpts of her “historic speech” are available via the blog on Clinton’s official Web site.
Source: HillaryClinton.com
Background: Clinton stalls concession as primaries end
When the primaries ended, Clinton did not concede immediately. She was criticized for the speech she made after their conclusion on Tuesday night in New York City. Critics claimed her speech did not sound like that of a defeated candidate. A full transcript is available from PBS.
Source: PBS
Hendrik Hertzberg, political blogger for the New Yorker, attended Clinton’s speech in New York and titled his response piece, “The Lady Doesn’t Vanish.” However, he argues that her speech was not quite as bad as some pundits made it out to be. “I’m persuaded that the speech was a bad show. Oddly, however, from inside the room—from inside the bunker—it didn’t seem so bad.”
Source: The New Yorker
Before Clinton’s concession speech on Saturday, she and Obama stole a few moments for a private discussion on Thursday night. Reporters frantically tried in vain to discover where the two convened and what they discussed. Naturally, rumors that they discussed Clinton’s potential as a vice-presidential candidate swirled. “This is only a taste of the media deception to come, the granddaddy of them all when it comes to secret meetings is the vice presidential search,” Chuck Todd, political director of NBC news, said.
Source: The New York Times
Reaction: Obama welcomes Clinton supporters
In an e-mail to his supporters, Obama commended Clinton, saying, “Our party and our country are stronger because of the work she has done throughout her life, and I’m a better candidate for having had the privilege of competing with her.” He asserted that his campaign now has the backing of both Clinton her and her supporters.
Source: BarackObama.com
Opinion & Analysis: Clinton’s long campaign and the future of the Democratic party
Gail Collins of The New York Times argues that, with Hillary’s supporters still sporting “NObama” T-shirts and vowing not to vote for him, uniting the Democratic party necessitates honoring Hillary’s achievements and respecting the work that went into her campaign. Although some criticized Hillary for not quitting earlier, her perseverance was admired, cherished and demanded by her feminist supporters. Collins argues that if Obama had pursued his campaign with the same diligent fervor and lost, we would be congratulating him for his achievements instead of mocking him.
Source: The New York Times
A June 5 opinion piece in the International Herald Tribune acknowledges that Clinton’s character has taken a beating as she’s dragged out her campaign, but says she can save face by throwing her support behind Obama. Simultaneously, Obama must woo Clinton’s supporters: “For Obama, the leadership test begins with giving Clinton’s backers a place in his campaign.” The piece goes on to argue that the differences between Clinton and Obama were subtle, and now the time has come for the Democratic Party to unite and show voters how marked the differences between Obama and McCain are.
Source: International Herald Tribune
Clinton needn’t endure such harsh criticism for her failure to concede, David Greenberg argues in The New Republic. He cites a few historical examples illustrating precedent for Clinton’s refusal to surrender.
Source: The New Republic
Related Topics: What’s next for Clinton?
Throughout the primaries, Hillary Clinton mentioned a possible “Dream Ticket” of her and Barack Obama, but her position on the VP nomination remains unclear.
Source: findingDulcinea
Now that Obama has clinched the Democrat nomination, many, including Hillary Clinton herself, are wondering what she will do next.
Source: findingDulcinea
Reference: Profile of Hillary Clinton
For a history of Clinton’s career and information about her stance on issues, go to findingDulcinea’s profile of the senator. You’ll also learn of sources for further research.
Source: findingDulcinea
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