Live Blogging: Senator Hillary Clinton Speech @ DNC08
[The content below is a paraphrased summary of the Clinton speech made at the DNC this week. It in no way is meant to express the political inclinations of the author or the WCFF.] [update: Video included]
After a video display of Hillary Clinton and her family. Hillary is introduced with excitement and grace by her daughter calling her mom her “hero.” After waiting for the cheers and standing ovation to stop, she reminds America that she is a proud democrat, a proud mother, a proud senator, and a proud supporter of Barack Obama.
“No matter who you voted for in the primaries, we have to vote as a united party.”
She talks about her 30 years in the trenches helping families balance workand family and fighting for women’s rights around the globe. Telling the crowd, We should not have to suffer through failed leadership.
“No Way, No how and No McCain.”
On the campaign trail she remembers important stories that made it possible for her to continue to campaign and fight to be President.
“You allowed me to become part of your lives and you became a part of mine.”
She remember the single mom that adopted two kids with Autism but had cancer. She walked up to Clinton with her name written her bald head asking Hillary to fight for healthcare.
Clinton shows respect for democrats that we have lost. Champions like Stephanie Tubbs-Jones. Stating that Tubbs-Jones wanted a fairer, smarter, stronger and better America. Merv, Tubbs-Jones son, stood up.
Clinton talks about the “invisible” [Americans], that have gone unnoticed by the government for eight years. This is why she ran and now supports Barack Obama for President. We need leaders who can help us and show us that there are no limits to what is possible in America. However, getting to see this America won’t be easy but it will be “impossible” if we don’t have a President that is a Democrat in office.
“If we do our part we will do it again with Obama as President”
She goes on to talk about the great team of Obama/Biden ticket but also the strong women they have for partners.
She talks about the economic stagnation and lack of alternatives for energy. The audience chimes no, saying no more to what has been plaguing American life. She talks about McCain’s economic policy and compares it to the Bush Administration.
“Ironic that they McCain and Bush will be together in the Twin Cities because they are awful hard to tell apart. “
She leaves the stage after evoking Harriet Tubman’s path to freedom.
“If you hear the dogs barking, keep going. If you hear them yelling after you, keep going. If you see the lights behind you, keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.”
Tags: 2008 presidential election, clinton, convention, democrats, denver, dnc08, DNCC, Elected Women
This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 at 12:25 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Go Hillary! That speech was awesome, I feel so proud of her…
And Shireen, I have to say, I’m loving reading your Twitter stream. Very compelling, up to the minute blogging!
Hope you’re not too exhausted!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:07 am
I thought her speech was great in so many ways. She spoke to her supporters, but also to the party as a whole, reminding everyone of the causes she and the Dems are fighting so hard for (universal health care, investment in new energy policy and technology, etc.). As she put it, this is what we are in it for. As a Hillary primary voter who still has misgivings about Obama, it reinforced my decision to support him and vote for him in the general election.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:10 am
OMG I’ve said it here before, I’ve said it commenting on other blogs, I’ll say it again. HILLARY ROCKED THE ROOM!!! She stuck all the perfect notes. She threaded everything together. I just love love love the personal stories she shared — and her exhortation to her followers — are you working for ME or are you working for THEM?
Finally, the Harriet Tubman reference was BRILLIANT. Because it’s true — if you read Jane Mayer’s new book on how Bush et al have undermined our civil liberties, you will see the dogs of despotism are truly howling and barking behind us — not quite on our heels — far enough away that some of us can ignore the sound, close enough that we should all be afraid. I’ll quote Shireen quoting Hillary again here:
“If you hear the dogs barking, keep going. If you hear them yelling after you, keep going. If you see the lights behind you, keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.”
And I’ll quote that famous dead white man, Thomas Jefferson:
“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”
We’ve come to just such a crossroads in our country’s history. The speakers at the DNCC aren’t outlining forcefully enough just how dire things are bc they are courting critical independents and swing voters.
But a vote for McCain is a vote for the forces of darkness, a vote for the status quo, an endorsement of the government of the last eight years.
I know we should be talking about the role of woman and politics here, but these other issues are so critical they must be mentioned.
Whew. Screed over. HILLARY ROCKED THE HOUSE. And Chelsea wasn’t bad either. Did anyone other than me notice that Ele Smeal, head of the Feminist Majority Foundation and, arguably, one of the strongest heads of NOW, was seated behind Biden and Michelle Obama? So she was in all the cutaways. Brilliant piece of orchestration by the campaign (if that’s what it was — Ele is such a street fighter that she may have gotten that seat on her own).
Cheers — later — can’t wait to see/hear/read more.
Go Shireen! Go PunditMom! Go Gloria Feldt!!
April 1st, 2009 at 10:44 pm
beautiiful blog merciiiiii
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:26 pm
any updates coming ?