Clinton's Final Shining Moment

CBSNews.com Analysis: Former Obama Adversary Delivers On Show Of Democratic Unity

(CBS)  This analysis was written by CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs.

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Amid mounting complaints from some Democratic quarters about the lack of attention paid to Republican John McCain on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, party leaders flowed forth to the podium inside the Pepsi Center Tuesday determined to draw sharp distinctions between the two candidates and deliver biting criticism of their fall opponent.

Nobody delivered that message better and more effectively than New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former Barack Obama adversary who in many ways has overshadowed events at this convention. Questions about party unity were at least momentarily put aside as Clinton took one final, shining turn in campaign 2008.

"My friends, it is time to take back the country we love,” Clinton said at the very beginning of her speech. “Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.”

Clinton mixed unequivocal support for Obama with a blistering critique of the record of the Bush administration, tying McCain closely to the past four years. While she stayed away from personal criticism of McCain, whom she called a “friend,” Clinton hammered away at his positions on the issues, delivering what’s sure to become a signature line from the speech. “You haven’t worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership. No way. No how. No McCain.”

For a politician who has been accused of staying cool to Obama’s candidacy, Clinton had delegates in the hall super-heated Tuesday night. Significantly, Clinton was greeted with an uproarious ovation from Obama and Clinton supporters alike, one that went on for several minutes.

Aside from the nominee himself, Clinton’s speech was the most widely-anticipated of the convention. After a sometimes divisive primary, one that continued to the bitter end, Obama and Clinton have struggled to show the party as a unified force. Comments made by Clinton and her husband over the course of the summer made many wonder whether the former first couple had come to grips with the primary defeat. Grumbling in the press from both sides about the healing process hasn’t helped put those concerns to rest.

In some ways, Clinton found herself in a possible no-win situation coming into her speech. Because of her long career in the political spotlight (and all the baggage that comes with it), Clinton’s motives and words are finely parsed by political journalists and observers. “What does Hillary want” is not as easy a question to answer as it might seem. No matter what she says, there’s certain to be criticism that it didn’t go far enough towards embracing Obama or didn’t send the right signal to her supporters.

But critics and pundits will have to look hard to find any hairs to split from this speech.

Clinton wasn’t the only speaker to take up the attack on McCain. It was a night focused on the economy and the long line of speakers made certain to connect the Republican candidate to an administration which has gotten historically low marks on the economy. “George Bush has put the middle class in a hole and John McCain has a plan to keep digging that hole with George Bush’s shovel,” said Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel.

In a fiery afternoon speech, Congressman Dennis Kucinich thundered, “If there was an Olympics for misleading, mismanaging and misappropriating, this administration would take the gold ... They want another four-year term to continue to alienate our allies, spend our children’s inheritance and hollow out our economy.”

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius poked fun at the number of houses McCain’s wife owns, saying, “I’m sure you remember a girl from Kansas who said there’s no place like home. Well, in John McCain’s version, there’s no place like home. And a home. And home. And home.” And New York Gov. David Paterson said of McCain simply, "if he's the answer, then the question must be ridiculous."

A similar challenge awaits the party on Wednesday night when former President Bill Clinton takes to the stage. There have been suggestions in recent days that of the two, he has been more resentful of the outcome of the primary campaign. But after the senator from New York’s performance in Denver Tuesday night, it would take a lot to undo the good she did for her party.

[blkpresident]

Minuteman-5,

I know you''re speaking in jest and just joking, but please be careful not to falsely associate Mr. Obama with illegal substances. There''s been some unfair rumors and insinuations made relative to his FORMER/PAST drug use and I think it''s best to chill those rumors before they grow legs and undo a decent man.

With that said, I never managed to catch up with Libra127 at the Mall, but I liked your idea about me asking her to bake brownies for dessert(lol); all joking aside though, I really think she''s a Ph.D level law-professor at a leading law school who has learned the craft of twisting someone''s words(me for example)and turning them upside down and inside out. You witnessed how she attempted to paint me as a sexist earlier today, and never in any of my post did I demonstrate that I''m sexist. That''s one sharp and shrewd woman I tell you. Be careful that she doesn''t try to brand you either. All I said was terrorist don''t lob softballs or play powder-puff football so lil'' Hillary wouldn''t be effective against them, and bam/wham she jumps me about being sexist. I tell her I have women friends and she responds with something along the lines of that doesn''t mean you''re not sexist. At that point I tossed my hands up, Minuteman-5, and thought there''s simply no reasoning with her. Seems once she makes up her mind about something, given her comments, she could convince a basket of fruit that they are really vegetables.

[frigginnutz1]

BOY DID SHE SHINE , LIKE THE LIPSTICK ON A 10 DOLLAR PROSTITUTE

[BeyondGreen]

The exorbitant price of fuel has driven up the price of everything from the increased production and shipping costs. I have yet to hear more than a sugar coated one liner from either candidates as to their plans to bring Americans relief. Does either candidate even have a plan other than to support new off shore drilling. It is easy to say we need to decrease our dependence of foreign oil and seek out alternative fuel sources, but where''s the beef...where''s the plan?

sites to share if you should be interested...

www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com

www.howmuchenergydoesmycaruse.com

[jackdems]

Please stop confusing democracy with capitalism. In fact capitalism is fascism as we have proven here in the United States where we have runaway capitalism. Venezuela and countries like Sweden are socialist countries whose economic systems are capitalistic. Much fairer for ALL the people, not just the rich
----------------------------------------------------
Finally a Liberal Admitting with Obama will beheading the way of socialism. Why do you most of your people(liberals) deny being socialist. Thank you for your honesty.

[jackdems]

Obama, We are still a free country, your not president yet!

%u201CHaving failed in its attempts to get our legal, factual and fully-supported ad off the air, Barack Obama%u2019s campaign now wants to put our donors in prison for exercising their right to free speech," said Ed Martin, American Issues Project%u2019s president. %u201CThese over-the-top bullying tactics are reminiscent of the kind of censorship one would see in a Stalinist dictatorship, with the only difference being that those guys generally had to wait until they were in power to throw people who disagreed with them into jail.%u201D

In addition to two letters sent to the Department of Justice asking the government to investigate American Issues Project, its officers, board of directors, and donors, the Obama campaign has been contacting stations running American Issues Project%u2019s ad in an unsuccessful attempt to compel them to pull the spot.

[ragnar30066]

Clinton''s "final shining moment"? What is that, some kind of racist pun on the "first black president?"

[forevertru-2009]

lets just put it this way.....

Man, has Hillary ever got even with the DNC, now they can eat losing the White House.

Good-bye Democratic Party

No, we''re not leaving....they are.

[realpatriot1]

sbbm,

I agree. Achieving true bipartisonship and maintaining it over the long haul is about as easy as solving a RUBICs cube. There are elements in both parties that are more concerned with power than the welfare of the country as a whole and Democrats and Republicans alike have their work cut out in cleaning their own house. Emily''s Lsit has never represented my vision of what femnist advocacy should be either.

[forevertru-2009]

HILLARY IS LOSING....

McCAIN IS WINNING....

THE REPUBLICANS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS THE PARTY OF STUPID!

[noloyalisti]

Please stop confusing democracy with capitalism. In fact capitalism is fascism as we have proven here in the United States where we have runaway capitalism. Venezuela and countries like Sweden are socialist countries whose economic systems are capitalistic. Much fairer for ALL the people, not just the rich.

[realpatriot1]

Minuteman-5,

I''m not talking about being liked by Jihadists or socialists like Chavez. I''m talking about having strong alliances with other countries who share our democratic values and will work with us to promote our values when we live up to those values ourselves. When we talk a good game about democracy and peace and then preemptiviely invade and occupy nations that didn''t attack us we lose cred with potential allies.

Even in countries whose governments really do hate us their citizens often support us and would trade their government for ours if they could.

I''m not saying that we need to tuen away from confronting those who confront us. Ultimately, the war on terror will be won by a combination of both agressive but smart military strategy combined with a smart negotiating and coalition-building posture. It''s not either or, we need to combine both in a way that will make our coalition relatively stronger and theirs relatively weaker.

[minuteman-5]

Posted by realpatriot1 at 05:17 PM

I have to disagree with you, I don''t think we need to defend ourselves according to "being liked" around the world, they never liked us before and don''t like us now, so F- them.....We just simply will not sit back and be hit again, we will destroy them first, its that simple, of course unless you go electing a sissy liberal president, run by a do-nothing democrat congress, then brace yourselves to be hit again

[realpatriot1]

minnick8,

The first step in effectively battling terrorist is being able to distinguish between a terrorist and an enemy. Throughout the Cold War we never stopped negotiating with our enemies and if we had the Iron Curtain wouldn''t have come down.

Bear in mind that when you poo-poo negotiation you must include Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon among those you''re questioning.

We need a strong defense and proactive action to defend ourselves-that''s not incompatible with negotiation.

We can''t fight the world without allies and without moral authority. That''s why we''re in the situation we are now where our forces are stretched thin and we have no effective alliances or significant support from others.

The entire world will never be on our side but the intent is to maximize our standing because the more the world is against us the weaker we are regardless of our pure military strength.

[minuteman-5]

Posted by minnick8 at 04:52 PM

May I ask what service you performed in the Vietman war ?

[minuteman-5]

Posted by BLKPRESIDENT at 04:50 PM

later dude, I was just playing, I know Obama does crack up.....smoke up, yes, crack...no

take it easy, ifyou find Libra tell her to cook some brownies for dessert....LOL

[minnick8-2009]

thank you for your service to our country

Posted by Minuteman-5

Yes, I was, and you are welcome! If you also served, thank you to you too.

[minnick8-2009]

I applaud your sense of urgency in accepting the reality of the terrorist threat, but if you waste your vote on old man McCain, who will sleep through critical intelligence briefings vital to our safety, then you may as well vote for lil'''' Hillary.

Posted by BLKPRESIDENT

If McCain is elected, maybe he could appoint Obama as social secretary. It could be his job to pour the tea and try to talk sense into the terrorists while McCain finishes his nap.

[blkpresident]

Crack and Mr. Obama, by his own admission, is an issue of the PAST. Nice chatting with you today, Minuteman-5. President-elect Obama will need your support in November after he steamrolls old man McCain. Peace. Gotta go catch up with Libra127 at the Mall before she burns through all of her money on lil'' Hillary portraits, lol

[minuteman-5]

Posted by minnick8 at 04:47 PM

You were a female in the Vietnam war ? thank you for your service to our country

[minuteman-5]

Posted by BLKPRESIDENT at 04:45 PM

McCain is older, more wise and experienced, and Obama is younger, more naive and in-experienced.....I understand