By guest author Anthony Painter in Denver
It was the type of inimitable political drama of which only a Clinton seems capable. Last night, Hillary Clinton electrified a Convention that, with the notable and beguiling exception of Michelle Obama, had threatened to fizzle rather than sizzle. Her speech was pretty much pitch perfect. This was Hillary the unifier and the role suited her to a tee.
Losing, moreover losing on the biggest stage imaginable, is never easy. By moving on last night, Hillary demonstrated some of the leadership skills that were too often lacking during her primary campaign.
Hillary employed the tale of the slave liberator, Harriet Tubman, to characterise the journey that her supporters, who still display a curious reluctance to move their support to Senator Obama, need to take over the coming weeks. Tubman would have some very simple advice for those she was liberating. If you hear dogs, keep going. If you see torches in the woods, just keep going. If they shout at you, keep going. Don’t ever stop, just keep going.
As a Hillary supporter said as we were leaving the hall, “I’m a grievin’. But those dogs are barking. And I’m gonna keep goin’.”
That summarises the mood of the convention. There is a kind of pragmatic unity that has descended on the Democratic party. Such pragmatism is reassuring in the face of such a determined media attempt to characterise disunity.
Still, a slightly edgy undercurrent remains. Whenever you speak to the assembled activists, supporters and representatives about their chances this Autumn, it is not long before the word ‘hope’ enters the conversation. This ‘hope’ is not the biblical hope. It is a hope that mixes the uniqueness of this election with the bitter memories of losing elections that were the Democrat’s to win.
There is a basic understanding of the magnitude of the task ahead as a result. That virtuoso pollster, Stanley Greenberg, presented his analysis of the race ahead in a seminar yesterday and concluded that he would rather be presenting the data to the Obama than the McCain campaign. Obama’s Appalachian and Mid-West white, blue collar issue remains, however. The Reagan Democrats, who backed Hillary have yet to transfer to Obama in the requisite numbers. If they do, this election is his, absolutely no doubt. If they do not then it could be 2004 and 2000 again and just as close.
Democrats have been here before. This time they seem determined to secure a different outcome. Hillary has saved the Convention. In November, her supporters might do Barack Obama an even greater service than that.
Anthony Painter’s blog can be read at http://www.anthonypainter.co.uk
Pragmatism! Anthony, pragmatism is used when there are difficult choices--this "unity" is plain common sense--it's not political science--merely survival. Even now, that is not assured. "The dogs are barking . . .". What dramatic nonsense is this? Are slaves still escaping? These hysterical people may select the leader of the western world, to whom, the British PM--and therefore the British people, will have to genuflect!
Posted by: Diogenes | Thursday, 28 August 2008 at 07:28 AM
One wonders if Obama secretly cringed hearing this flummery about slaves and dogs. At least he would not have made a speech at her nomination - had there been one - about dogs barking at night near the White House.
Posted by: john problem | Thursday, 28 August 2008 at 09:15 AM
"Hillary employed the tale of the slave liberator, Harriet Tubman, to characterise the journey that her supporters,...."
Good grief! Are the clintons racist? Nah! I wonder with British PM is going to be Obama's poodle? Conservative Leader Dave Cameroon? That would be really funny.
Posted by: Dylan Powell | Thursday, 28 August 2008 at 11:03 AM