The Nation: "Clinton seemed to surrender, graciously."

[zulchzulu]

John Nichols, with The Nation, acknowledged what many thought at the time in the closing remarks of the 19th debate:

Hillary Clinton, after what came across more like a valedictory statement than a rallying cry, turned to the man who so soundly defeated her in this week's Wisconsin primary and said, "No matter what happens… I am honored to be here with Barack Obama. I am absolutely honored."

The statement, with which she closed Thursday night's 19th Democratic presidential debate, was so heartfelt, so sincere, that Obama put one arm around his opponent's shoulder and reached a hand across the table to warmly shake her hand.

It was an oddly disarming moment that belonged to the New York senator but not in the way that she or her supporters could have wanted.

Clinton seemed to surrender, graciously.

Obama seemed to accept that surrender, equally graciously.

More:
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=288820

That's exactly what I thought as well. Despite her speech mirroring a lot of what John Edwards had said in past speeches, it certainly reflected that she knows that her campaign is broke, her internal poll numbers look bad and what appeared to be a coronation has been cancelled.

It's now just a matter of time before she drops out... probably on the evening of March 4th.

[AX10]

1. The Nation and the rest of the left wing...

has proven itself to be just as bad as the right wing.

[GarbagemanLB]

2. Wow, attacking the left wing now? Hillary supporters really are lashing out at everything.

[zulchzulu]

3. How lucky for you...

Perhaps you can offer some insight to your comment to how The Nation is like the right wing...

:popcorn:

[K Gardner]

11. Just curious.. if you're not a liberal, what are you and why are you here?

[Occam Bandage]

13. You're still on the old "fuck everyone else" campaign strategy? Apparently you're one memo behind.

[IndyOp]

4. I was touched by that comment - she was recognizing that Obama has stirred

something very powerful in this nation and I admired her for saying so.

[hisownpetard]

6. Actually, I think she was doing damage control after getting booed for her 'Xerox' remark.

Also, her remark about the Obama supporter on MSNBC (who couldn't think of any of his accomplishments)
came off as very mean-spirited.

She was smart enough to realize that she didn't want to end the debate with that bitter taste in people's mouths,
so she tried to end on a gracious note.

However, the fact that she said not once but three times how 'honored' made it too insistent to sound real, imo.

[DJ13]

7. Actually I believe she was schmoozing Obama to try and be his VP

Up until that moment I never considered her as wanting to be "just" a Vice President, but I think she sees the handwriting on the wall in this election, and she's come to realize she would still be the first woman to be a VP if Obama chose her as a running mate.

[ORDem]

9. I certainly hope she has no aspirations to be VP.

She is much more needed in the Senate or even the Cabinet.


:dem:

[polpilot]

12. Obama can't carry her as VP. The ticket will sink w/Hill aboard.

Obama/Biden '08

[anigbrowl]

14. Her riff on Obama's surrogate was a mistake

It sounded good when she said, it, but it gave Obama a chance to answer with a fat list of accomplishments that got the crowd excited.

"OBAMA: Well, I think actions do speak louder than words, which is why over the 20 years of my public service I have acted a lot to provide health care to people who didn't have it, to provide tax breaks to families that needed it, to reform a criminal justice system that had resulted in wrongful convictions, to open up our government and to pass the toughest ethics reform legislation since Watergate, to make sure that we create transparency...

(APPLAUSE)

... to make sure that we create transparency in our government so that we know where federal spending is going and it's not going to a bunch of boondoggles and earmarks that are wasting taxpayer money that could be spent on things like early childhood education.

You know, I think if you talk to those wounded warriors at Walter Reed who, prior to me getting to the Senate, were having to pay for their meals and have to pay for their phone calls to their family while they're recovering from amputations, I think they've said that I've engaged not just in talk, but in action.

(APPLAUSE)"

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

5. I think the "better angels" prevailed....

I'm sure there were some people who wanted Hillary to pursue a "scorched earth" policy in what will likely be the last ten days of the campaign. But I think the advice of others, and possibly the lead balloon reception of the "Xerox" comment, convinced HIllary that a tough, but fair approach to the end game was the right thing to do, both for herself and for the Democratic Party.

We'll see.

[zulchzulu]

8. Agreed

The "xerox" comment just seemed so scripted and tawdry at the very second it was delivered and she knew by how Obama didn't hit back at her and took the high road that it backfired.

She walked onto the debate floor thinking she needed a knockout blow to turn the tide. It was obvious in the end that she couldn't deliver.

She probably just wants the race to end at this point. We'll see how her campaign does its message in the last few days before March 4. It may still get very ugly as the latest story trying to link Obama to some terrorist group seem to be in the wings.

[loveangelc]

10. supposedly a lot of people heard it as somewhat of a concession and her campaign is having to squash

that perception.