« Prev Page

Not the Party She Planned

Newsweek Web Exclusive

Email To A Friend

Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.

SPONSORED BY

As expected, the meat of Clinton's speech was her endorsement of Obama, who sealed up the nomination on Tuesday night after he earned the majority of the party's delegates. After such a long and divisive series of primary elections, Clinton's support of the Illinois senator was considered to be the first—and most important—step for the party to rally together to face the presumptive Republican nominee John McCain in November. "We may have started on separate journeys—but today, our paths have merged," Clinton said, referencing her former disagreements with Obama. "And we are all heading toward the same destination, united and more ready than ever to win."

But to some supporters, it wasn't enough. "It doesn't matter what she says here," said Lee Richmond, who had voted for Hillary and drove from Baltimore to hear the speech. "Voting for president is a big deal. "I still want to hear what he says. He hasn't said very much yet." Another supporter said she was reluctant to consider Obama and wasn't yet convinced that Clinton truly meant her endorsement of the Illinois senator. "She just ran against this guy for over a year, supporting him now is something that she has to say."

That's exactly it, said Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia. "It has to be a full-throated endorsement because she has no choice; she still has ambitions," he said. Many who came to see Clinton speak said that the vice presidency would be nice, with one supporter saying he didn't want to "jinx her chances" by talking about it. Clinton told lawmakers early in the week that she was "open" to the idea before meeting privately with Obama on Thursday evening. Campaign spokesman Elleithee said his candidate is not interfering in the selection process and there have been no official discussions. Supporters also buzzed about Clinton being nominated as a Supreme Court justice should Obama win this fall, and, of course, another presidential bid in 2012.

For now, Clinton's speech expressed few reservations about an Obama presidency. Her speech made generous references to Obama as "the next president" and at one point, she began listing what she said were the country's biggest problems (health care, high energy prices, the war in Iraq) following each bullet point with a shout "and that's why we need to help elect Barack Obama president!" The gesture of throwing her movement's support behind Obama was more than history has required of political second-place finishers. In 1976, Ronald Reagan did the bare minimum in his half-hearted endorsement of Gerald Ford, and did very little when asked to campaign for him. And, says Sabato, "look what happened to him."

Clinton clearly was looking to her political future. But this one day in Washington was clearly an odd experience for the Clinton family, which hasn't had to make a formal political concession since 1980 when Bill lost his re-election bid as governor of Arkansas. Of course, surrendering quietly is also not very Clinton-like. Bill did fight back and the voters returned him to office two years later.

« Prev Page

Member Comments

- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: sharenews @ 06/18/2008 9:41:52 PM

HILLARY SUPPORTERS WHO ARE ???U N D E C I D E D??? : You have options other than not voting in the General Election:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WRITE IN HILLARYS NAME:
http://www.writehillaryin.com/ Site dedicated to Hillary supporters who want to write her name in
http://www.writehillaryin.com/Write_In_Facts_by_State.html ???Write-in Hillary??? Facts Based on State

VOTE FOR JOHN MCCAIN:
http://www.johnmccain.com/ John McCains official website
http://www.hcsfjm.com/ Hillary Clinton Supporters for John McCain
http://www.hcsfjm.com/cstad.html This is a full-page ad being printed in the Chicago Sun-Times this coming Sunday which is addressed to Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Super Delegates, All DNP Delegates and the Democratic National Party from Hillary Clinton Supporters for John McCain.

VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA: www.barackobama.com Barack Obamas official website

http://www.18millionvoices.blogspot.com The Purpose of this site is to organize actions in Denver and Nationwide during the Democratic National Convention to support Senator Clinton, celebrate her historic achievement, and advocate for Women's Rights worldwide.

MORE INFO FOR OPTIONS FOUND ON OVER 100 SITES WHOSE URLs ARE ON THIS SITE:
http://www.JustSayNoDeal.com Hillary supporters: If you thought you were alone, you are wrong. There are over 100 sites out there for Hillary supporters to visit and see what your options are in the G.E. this fall.
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: sjpersonal @ 06/18/2008 3:58:48 PM

The War Secrets Sen. John McCain Hides
Former POW Fights Public Access to POW/MIA Files
April 25, 2000
By Sydney Schanberg

PART 1 OF 2

NEW YORK (APBnews.com) -- The voters who were drawn to John S. McCain in his run for the Republican presidential nomination this year often cited, as the core of his appeal, his openness and blunt candor and willingness to admit past lapses and release documents that other senators often hold back. These qualities also seemed to endear McCain to the campaign press corps, many of whom wrote about how refreshing it was to travel on the McCain campaign bus, "The Straight Talk Express," and observe a maverick speaking his mind rather than a traditional candidate given to obfuscation and spin.

But there was one subject that was off-limits, a subject the Arizona senator almost never brings up and has never been open about -- his long-time opposition to releasing documents and information about American prisoners of war in Vietnam and the missing in action who have still not been accounted for. Since McCain himself, a downed Navy pilot, was a prisoner in Hanoi for 5 1/2 years, his staunch resistance to laying open the POW/MIA records has baffled colleagues and others who have followed his career. Critics say his anti-disclosure campaign, in close cooperation with the Pentagon and the intelligence community, has been successful. Literally thousands of documents that would otherwise have been declassified long ago have been legislated into secrecy.

Link to complete article: http://www.aiipowmia.com/sea/schanberg_mccain.html
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: sharenews @ 06/18/2008 1:54:58 AM

You are correct. But 18 million non Obama supporters thought differently and there is still a significant amt of Hillary supporters who may prove to feel differently when the Dem. convention comes up in Aug.. Time will tell.