Hillary Clinton last night began to answer the question that has lingered over the Democratic National Convention.
Would she — could she — wholeheartedly support Sen. Barack Obama for the presidency despite the obvious ill feelings between their camps?
Yes, she can.
At least that’s how it sounded from Pepsi Center on Tuesday night.
“It is time to take back the country we love, and whether you voted for me or you voted for Barack, the time is now to unite, as a single party with a single purpose,” she said. “Barack Obama is my candidate, and he must be our president.”
It was an important moment for the Democrats. If they can’t get together during this week-long pep rally, then their seemingly good prospects for November could turn dire.
Despite Clinton’s strong — and sometimes adamant — words of support, there’s been a buzz around this convention about whether her loyal fans would actually follow her lead. Fewer than half of Clinton’s followers in the presidential primaries said they would definitely cast ballots for Obama, according to a USA Today/ Gallup Poll released this week.
Thirty percent said they’d vote for Republican John McCain or not vote at all.
While Clinton said the right things Tuesday night, she will have to do more.
The goal of most political conventions is to introduce the candidate to the American people, and to energize the foot soliders in the hall to work hard for the candidate when they return home. But for this convention, it’s also very much about healing the bitter rifts of a primary.
If it doesn’t happen, that will be the unfortunate legacy of the Denver convention.
It’s easy to understand why Hillary Clinton might harbor some resentment toward Obama. Reportedly, she wanted the vice presidential slot, but was given the cold shoulder after tallying 18 million votes.
There’s also a more basic friction between the Clintons and the Obama campaign over political leadership of the Democratic Party. For 16 years, the Clintons have been seen as party royalty and have grown comfortable with the role. Having that mantle jerked from them after a bruising fight was doubtless a shock.
But it’s time to get over it.
Whether the Clintons are able to move on remains an open question. Hillary Clinton took a solid step in that direction Tuesday night with her speech emphasizing unity.
But it will take more than that to put Democrats over the edge in November in what has become an increasingly tight race.
As Hillary Clinton said last night, “We don’t have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.”
