I know the vast majority of the readers out there (if there actually are enough readers of this blog from which to cull a “vast majority”) are waiting for Hillary Clinton to concede, but for now you will have to make due with Armchair Guerilla's less-anticipated, but perhaps more heartfelt, concession. In the spirit of grand delusions, I am hoping that after reading this, Hillary will see the writing on the wall and recognize that her quixotic quest for the Presidency must end.
Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee. He represents our best chance at ending the war in Iraq as quickly and responsibly as possible; restoring this country’s power, leadership and prestige in the world; delivering medical coverage to all citizens and reforming our wasteful healthcare system, appointing Supreme Court justices who will protect a woman’s right to choose, respect the separation of powers, protect our civil rights and ensure greater fairness in the judicial system; reversing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy; finally implementing policies to address global warming and dependence on fossil fuels; protecting and shoring up social security and medicare; preventing further erosion of the safety net; restoring competence to government; helping to bridge, rather than exploit, divisions based upon racial, class, ethnicity and sexual orientation; and many other things I'm sure I left out.
It’s quite an agenda. But judging by what I’ve seen, Obama has the intelligence, dedication and political skills to pull it off. He has run a nearly flawless campaign, rarely straying from his message of change and articulating his positions with eloquence and conviction. He has also conducted himself with dignity, staying largely above the partisan fray and remaining gracious during this extraordinarily taxing and heated primary. The one thing that has always impressed me most about him is his ability to express his often-nuanced positions simply but without condescension or artifice. For the first time, I saw a Presidential candidate who answered questions the way I might (if I were a bit more eloquent, that is). And yes, we should not underestimate the very significant symbolic significance of a person of color finally achieving the highest office in the land. Barack Obama is a unique talent. He will be tested this Summer and Fall but if he executes as well as he has thus far, he should be able to defeat McCain and spearhead Democratic gains in Congress and the Senate.
Because this is Obama’s day, I don’t want to dwell on my former candidate of choice, Hillary Clinton. Lord knows, there’s plenty of folks around here to take care of that. I will say that I supported her because I thought she had better chance than Obama of defeating the Republicans in the Fall and doing the work of President. My belief was based upon her extensive preparation for the office and her command of issues and process. I frequently came to her defense (sometimes obnoxiously so, I admit) because I felt she was being unfairly pilloried. Those wounds remain. I do not, however, believe the result was unfair or that the nomination was stolen from her. I am confident that she will soon make her own concession and will actively support Obama in the general election. I am disappointed that she has not done so already. Perhaps she is trying to negotiate something for herself or Bill in recognition of the enormous turnout she inspired. That is her right. However, the longer she waits the more she confirms the worst suspicions people have about her. On that, I will agree.
Of course, without Hillary to kick around, I wonder what we’ll have left to fight over here at TPM. Any suggestions are welcome.
