 Share
|
« Previous Fallows | Next Fallows » |
Email
Print
|
A gracious note from Hillary Clinton (updated)
By
Despite the opening crack about Indiana as a "tie-breaker" and the "this will really look bad in the history books" hammering on the gas-tax holiday as the big issue for America, I thought that was a surprisingly gracious-toned and party-spirited "victory" speech by Hillary Clinton just now. Few gratuitous digs at Obama; actually mentioning his victory in another state, which she has often spitefully refused to do; going out of her way to say that she would work for Democratic victory no matter who is the nominee (as she expected Obama would); and a valedictory-gratitude tone to those who have supported her.
Sen. Clinton's ability to take radically different tones day by day -- "I'm so proud to be here with Barack Obama" one day and "Shame on you, Barack Obama" the next -- is generally not such a charming trait. But here she showed its main advantage: conceivably it will allow her to turn on a dime and sound just as sincere in stumping for an Obama-led Democratic ticket in the fall as she has sounded in each of her manifestations through the primary campaign.
(And, yes, I mean to say "just as sincere" rather than "sincere," "fully sincere," etc.)
PS: Bonus points to her for saying "Burma," not Myanmar. PS #2: I see that my colleague Andrew S. sees this a different way. Hey, diversity in Atlantic-blog world.
UPDATE: Obviously this counts as gracious only if she follows the logic of the results and leaves the race now, or at least calls off the kind of campaigning that does the Republicans' work for them.
Sen. Clinton's ability to take radically different tones day by day -- "I'm so proud to be here with Barack Obama" one day and "Shame on you, Barack Obama" the next -- is generally not such a charming trait. But here she showed its main advantage: conceivably it will allow her to turn on a dime and sound just as sincere in stumping for an Obama-led Democratic ticket in the fall as she has sounded in each of her manifestations through the primary campaign.
(And, yes, I mean to say "just as sincere" rather than "sincere," "fully sincere," etc.)
PS: Bonus points to her for saying "Burma," not Myanmar. PS #2: I see that my colleague Andrew S. sees this a different way. Hey, diversity in Atlantic-blog world.
UPDATE: Obviously this counts as gracious only if she follows the logic of the results and leaves the race now, or at least calls off the kind of campaigning that does the Republicans' work for them.
