She Did It

I’ve spent the past few days fuming at Hillary Clinton because her primary trash talk has fueled new ads by John McCain. The most grievous example being her assertion that she and McCain were ready to be President while Barack Obama was merely a speech maker.

I approached tonight’s speech by Senator Clinton at the Democratic Convention, with limited expectation. I was fully prepared for a self serving, half hearted endorsement of Obama. I’m glad to say I was wrong. There was not much Hillary could have done better tonight.

Of course the Republicans have already issued a statement saying that no where in Hillary’s speech did she say that Barack is ready to be President. Technically, this is true. I would have been happier if Hillary had explicitly repudiated McCain’s latest series of ads and if she had said without any doubt that Barack Obama is ready on day one to be President of the United States. However, upon further reflection, I think that had she done THAT much of an about-face, she would have lost credibility. It was almost more effective for her to say that regardless of Obama’s preparedness for office, the alternative of McCain is no alternative at all.

By comparing her husband’s accomplishments with Democrats by his side to the anticipated accomplishments of an Obama administration, she basically passed the proverbial torch to Obama in much the same way that Kennedy did the night before.

So, my hat is off to Hillary tonight. She did what she needed to do and did it convincingly. Perhaps she put it best with the plain spoken words that may become a new campaign mantra:

“No way, no how, no McCain!”

Respectfully,
Rutherford

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