WP, E. J. Dionne: Clinton, Conceding Little

[DeepModem Mom]

Clinton, Conceding Little
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Thursday, June 5, 2008; A19

Hillary Clinton talked her way out of the vice presidency on Tuesday night. Barack Obama may never have intended to make her the offer. But Clinton's largely self-focused non-concession speech suggested that what some call a dream ticket could turn into a nightmare.

Clinton did declare it an "honor" to have Obama as an opponent and "to call him my friend," but she made no acknowledgment of the historic nature of her opponent's achievement. The Democratic Party, whose ranks once included die-hard advocates of slavery and arch segregationists, had just taken the decisive step toward making Obama the first African American to be a major-party nominee for president. But Obama was not really on Clinton's radar screen.

By contrast, Obama offered a lengthy tribute to Clinton and "her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency." He praised Bill Clinton's successes in office. And in a grace note highlighting one of Clinton's many honorable passions, he declared that when universal health care is achieved, "she will be central to that victory." Yes, Obama could be generous because he won. As for Clinton, she not only came heartbreakingly close but also outpaced Obama in the contests that have been held since early March. On the last day of voting, Obama could manage only a split of the final two primaries.

Clinton's partisans argue that all this, plus the passionate devotion of a large constituency, gives her leverage. That is true. Obama needs Clinton and her supporters. He must reach out to women who believe that Clinton was mistreated in an onslaught of misogyny. Arguing over the exact role of sexism in her defeat is beside the point. The anger that so many of her followers feel is a political fact rooted in certain realities of this campaign. It must be attended to.

But politics is also about signals and gestures, doing the right thing at the right moment, dealing with outcomes not to your liking.

Clinton's choice was to present Obama with an implicit critique that might be seen as a set of demands. Clinton told her supporters: "We won, together, the swing states necessary to get to 270 electoral votes." Message to Obama: You failed to do that, and you need me to get it done. She also offered an argument she made during the campaign that John McCain is certain to use, over and over, against Obama. "Who will be the strongest candidate and the strongest president? Who will be ready to take back the White House and take charge as commander in chief and lead our country to better tomorrows?" Whose purpose did she serve by repeating this?...

***

Hillary Clinton is an enormously talented public servant. Many who ended up supporting Obama once hoped to support her. But Clinton's political future requires her to accept that Obama has prevailed, that the primary campaign is over and that graciousness in defeat can, paradoxically, be turned into the most powerful leverage of all.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/04/AR2008060403053_pf.html

[Cha]

1. hilary has many life lessons to learn and

she could learn "graciousness" from Obama..right now.