Now Age Minute - 6.11.08
Hero or Wedge?
Unless you've been on Mars for the past few days, or stuck in the John, you know that Hillary Clinton conceded the race for the Democratic Party's nomination for president last weekend, and gave her support to Barack Obama. According to a story from the Associated Press:
Hillary Rodham Clinton suspended her pioneering campaign for the presidency on Saturday and summoned supporters to use "our energy, our passion, our strength" to put Barack Obama in the White House.
"I endorse him and throw my full support behind him," said the former first lady, delivering the strong affirmation that her one-time rival and other Democratic leaders hoped to hear after a bruising campaign.
Amid tears from her supporters, Clinton issued a call for unity that emphasized the cultural and political milestones that she and Obama, the first black to secure a presidential nomination, represent.
"Children today will grow up taking for granted that an African-American or a woman can, yes, become the president of the United States," she said."
There are many names for a Submarine Sandwich. According to Wikipedia, in New England, it's called a "Grinder". In Philadelphia, a "Hoagie". But here in New York, we call it a "Hero". Except in Yonkers, where's it's known as a "Wedge". And it's that strange fact, that the same sandwich in New York can be a "Hero" and a "Wedge" at the same time, that had me thinking this weekend about the junior senator from New York. That's right. During her concession/endorsement speech, Hillary Clinton successfully played the part of the hero by throwing her support to Barack Obama, while at the same time driving a wedge between her supporters and Barack Obama, by reminding us about her 18 million votes, and what her candidacy meant for woman.
"A wedge", you ask? Yes. Because in battling Obama to the end, once a delegate win scenario for her campaign became clearly out of reach, Hillary needed something to frame it in, and a frame for how she can hold her 18 million voters (hostages?) till the convention. Unlike the presidential, political punditry, I don't see Hillary's speech as a clear endorsement of Obama, but as a rallying call for feminists looking for justice. Rather than take responsibility for a poorly run campaign, Hillary's turned her loss into a defeat for all women. Savvy? Yes. Threaded to reality? No. Dangerous for Obama? Double yes.
Ever since Obama effectively clinched the nomination last Tuesday, there's been a steady narrative from Clinton operatives and media shills with phrases like, "the nomination was taken from her", "her army of 18 million voters", "women are angry about her loss", "she was treated disrespectfully", and so on. It all works to keep Hillary in the news, garner sympathy for her loss, and more importantly, keep her "army of 18 million" pledged to her (she's so tough, she's actually turned her voters into an army). And remember, she's yet to release her delegates to Obama. I actually heard one Hillary hack say that she's holding onto her delegates until the convention so Chelsea can hear the delegate roll call for her mom. I'm crying.
Apologies in advance for the sports metaphor, but Hillary's drama in surrendering the primary race got me thinking about this year's Super Bowl. Remember that the Patriots were favored to beat the Giants with ease. But, in the final minutes, the Giants staged an upset. In the end, while the Patriots were surely disappointed, there was no plea from the head coach for the Giants to delay their claim of victory.
Presidential elections are the Super Bowl of politics. You just don't get more competitive. In the end, this was Hillary's race to lose, and she lost it. Nothing was taken from her. While she offered as many shifting justifications for staying in a race she could not practically win as Bush has for going to war in Iraq, the one I think most believable is that she was in it to win. And, in that effort, Hillary placed her personal goal ahead of party, and even country. If that sounds harsh, consider that the beating she offered Barack during the primaries could fatally damage him in the general election. And that would be bad for the country.
What's important for Hillary, and her supporters, to know, is that the best thing that can happen for women, at this point, is to help Barack become president. Because the only alternative is a continuation of what we have now. Let's hope Hillary can get behind Barack, in a way that doesn't keep him looking over his shoulder.
Craig Gordon
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it my way.
- Paul Anka
