Today Hillary Clinton did the right thing, and I think she did it mostly the right way. She was strong in defending her own accomplishments in thanking those who supported her, she was adamant about supporting Barack Obama and made it clear that any other choice would be a disaster. She even used the slogan, "Yes We Can!"

Hillary was also strong in her personal message about being a woman running for president. She talked about the struggles of those who came before her, including not only those of the women's movement but of the civil rights movement, thereby including Obama obliquely in the message. It was the most inclusive speech from her yet, and I look forward to more.

Hillary is a gifted speaker, but what marked this speech, and what seems to have been missing lately from her speeches, was the serious intent that I read in her face. There were no more wide-eyed smiles that exuded confidence and a sort of above-it-all passion. This was the real passion that came from her eyes and her face, which seemed in some ways to relax at the same time that it underscored the absolute conviction she felt. For the first time in a while, I saw a Hillary Clinton that I could cheer for. A Hillary Clinton done with rules and arguments over how to interpret them, done with fighting for dubious principles in even more dubious circumstances. It was a Hillary Clinton who had returned to the issues that mattered, and to the only way to effect the change everyone in that room (presumably) wants to see.

She started in a room that was divided, and I think she ended in a room united. It was the speech she had to make, and she did it, and did it well.

What struck me during that speech was that she did make a great impassioned speech about women making significant cracks in that so-called glass ceiling. I thought that so many women are sad that they will never see a woman be president. And then I thought about Chelsea, sitting there next to her former POTUS father, campaigning with her mother, always up there - a trooper just like her mother. If Chelsea enters the political arena, she's got the best start she could have, and perhaps she will break through that ceiling.

Anyway, she's got a ways to go, but I think it's safe to say that there will be women who follow Hillary Clinton and will one day win this office. And meanwhile, Barack Obama is the standard bearer for our hopes and dreams in November and beyond, and he, too, is making history and breaking through barriers that had once seemed impossible.

I think today's speech by Hillary Clinton was a win-win for us all, and I look forward to the future today with a brighter and more hopeful outlook than I had yesterday.