DENVER -- Even the Obama delegates were reaching for Clinton signs.

Such was the intensity of the moment, as delegates of every political stripe grabbed up the white signs -- "Paid for by Obama for America" -- with the dark blue "Hillary" script that were distributed just before the senator from New York took the stage.

On the Tuesday night when no one at the Democratic National Convention talked about anything except New York Senator Hillary Clinton's speech before, during or after the defeated presidential candidate addressed the convention that might have been hers.

Even before Clinton took the stage, when her image flashed on the massive screen behind the convention podium and the Kinks song "You Really Got Me" blasted through the loudspeakers, the crowd was up and cheering.

And they did not stop.

Of course the Clinton delegates cheered. But so did the Obama delegates.

Hillary had them all. And she gave them to Barack Obama -- not at the end of her address, but with the opening line.

"I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud senator from New York. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama," Clinton began, to the roar of a crowd that she told: "Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose."

This was not just an endorsement. It was an argument with her most ardent supporters that they did not fight for her but for issues and ideals.

"I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me?" Clinton demanded in a speech that had the entire hall riveted. "Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?

Clinton did not cheat the historic moment.

The candidate who won 18 million votes and more convention delegates that any woman in the history of major-party politics.

America is still around after 232 years because we have risen to the challenge of every new time, changing to be faithful to our values of equal opportunity for all and the common good.

And I know what that can mean for every man, woman, and child in America. I'm a United States Senator because in 1848 a group of courageous women and a few brave men gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, many traveling for days and nights, to participate in the first convention on women's rights in our history.

And so dawned a struggle for the right to vote that would last 72 years, handed down by mother to daughter to granddaughter--and a few sons and grandsons along the way.

These women and men looked into their daughters' eyes, imagined a fairer and freer world, and found the strength to fight. To rally and picket. To endure ridicule and harassment. To brave violence and jail.

And after so many decades--88 years ago on this very day--the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would be forever enshrined in our Constitution.

My mother was born before women could vote. But in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for President.

This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.

As Obama and Clinton floor "whips" worked together to distribute "Unity!" signs to all the delegates, Clinton followed delivered the most powerful section of her speech, a recollection of Underground Railroad days that linked the women's rights and civil rights struggles.

This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.

How do we give this country back to them?

By following the example of a brave New Yorker , a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad.

And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice.

If you hear the dogs, keep going.

If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.

If they're shouting after you, keep going.

Don't ever stop. Keep going.

If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.

Even in the darkest of moments, ordinary Americans have found the faith to keep going.

That might have sounded like a call on her delegates to keep on fighting on her behalf.

But Clinton pivoted, with political skill earned the hard way on a long and disappointing presidential campaign trail, to her most powerful endorsement of Obama.

We are Americans. We're not big on quitting.

But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president.

We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.

Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hang in the balance.

It was her finest speech, her most important speech.

And because of that, it was not a valedictory address.

No one doubted that Hillary Clinton would make a clear, unequivocal endorsement of Barack Obama.

But the wit, the grace and the elegance with which she did so guarantees that Hillary Clinton will be not just a supporter of Barack Obama. She will be an essential player in the Obama campaign -- and in the continuing story of the Democratic party and the nation.

Comments (28)

1. OK get it all out..

   "Clearly the best speech any human being or even non-terrestrial has ever given since time began anywhere in the universe"

   Is that sufficiently fawning?

   Posted by sntauri at 08/26/2008 @ 11:30pm

2. RE: The Right Speech ...

   Hillary needs none of this vulgar yellow press coverage. She follows her own courses and she has her supporters. In following we the women determine our vote not depending on anyone. What the media hypes up as extraordinary era is just another fight between the two DC men to replace another discredited DC man. Look, they're all schmucks.

   Posted by HelenDAO at 08/26/2008 @ 11:36pm

3. Thank you Hillary Clinton, nicely done!

   She was clearly at her best... and showed her own true colors... Bright, articulate, present, truly caring about this country... and a true team player.

   By taking this step... I think she in a sense frees herself from the 'Clinton machine'... from bubba's 'helping hand'... and is now able to pursue what is rightfully her's...

   A stellar political career in her own right...

   God bless you Hillary!

   Posted by ttr at 08/26/2008 @ 11:55pm

4. Posted by JOMAMMA at 08/26/2008 @ 11:59pm

   I agree.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/27/2008 @ 12:46am

5. Posted by HelenDAO at 08/26/2008 @ 11:36pm

   Hmm. So if it was a WHITE woman it would have been better.

   Or would that just have been another white person trying to knock another white person at the expense of a discredited white person?

   Why is it you only view the election of a WOMAN as historical. Not black, hispanic, eskimo, just a woman. You like many of the truly ardent activists for a cause like feminism or civil rights are so misguided you can't see the forest for all the... You think the only people worth noting the achievements of are women. To you you only see your struggle and no one else's. Never realizing that the women's rights and minority rights movements were intertwined.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/27/2008 @ 12:50am

6. BBC: "That plea was there, of course, and there were nine or 10 references to Barack Obama and even one to his wife, Michelle. There was nothing in it that the Obama strategists could reasonably object to.

   But there was, as always, rather a lot about Hillary herself in there too - if you heard the speech out of context you'd think it was delivered by someone who was still running for office."

   Same ol' HRC, about me-me-me.

   Posted by sloper at 08/27/2008 @ 01:21am

7. As an Idaho democrat so far left leaning as to be off the edge of the game board, I felt this to be one of the best poltical reconciliation speeches of modern times, and quite likely a turning point in Obama's quest for the white house. Those of you who scoff at this moment, go vote for Nader, and good luck.

   Posted by cnorden at 08/27/2008 @ 01:33am

8. Nichols you are a clueless white dude. First, Clinton did not make a case for Obama as commander in chief. She raised the specter of Russia in Georgia and Iran in Iraq, and Clinton clearly did not think Obama was tough enough to do what she believes is in the American interest. So she did absolutely nothing to attenuate the most important criticism she made of Obama.

   Second, Clinton's invocation of Harriet Tubman would rub anybody but a clueless white dude the wrong way. How can one not feel sorry for Harriet Tubman now that her transcendent struggle has been coopted for every American out to become a petit boss over a few teenage employees and every family struggling with the interest payments on their flat screen television, Viking range or SUV. Hillary Clinton reminded me today of our American genius for degrading everything transcendent and sublime into the self-indulgent fantasies of power and consumption. Poor Harriet Tubman. There is still one candidate who will not cheapen her name. And that is one of the biggest reasons I voted for him. Do remember Clinton last year: "There may be some bumps along the road! You know this reminds me of one of my favorite American heroines, Harriet Tubman. For when she made it to freedom after having been a slave and she got to New York and she could have been so happy to just stay at home and just breathe a big sigh of relief but she kept going" So Clinton compared her four star hotel and $100 million dollar life to Harriet Tubman. Outrageous. White Americans have become self indulgent to the point of obscenity. It's like McCain and Clinton trying to paint Obama as an elitist. Please hand your column over to Gary Younge or at least write about Michelle Obama's searingly beautiful speech, a speech which was truly profound

   Posted by hartal at 08/27/2008 @ 04:47am

9. All of these speeches have been so utterly boilerplate, it's quick becoming more of a joke than it already was.

   HRC's speech was expectedly despondent, at least with regard to Barack Obama, and lacked any real sincerity. Michelle Obama's speech was overly schmaltzy, and easy enough to see through as simple Disneyland, feel-good talk. I didn't hear or read Kucinich's speech, but I imagine that all but him doled out a series of the SAME OL RHETORIC that we hear, year after year, about families at the kitchen table, steelmill workers vying for a job, rising prices, etc.etc.etc....

   Our electorate process has become so Disney, I just don't even care anymore. It's theatre, and not very good at that. These speeches are interchangeable, election after election, and our candidates are like the newest singer sensation. I mean, seriously, it's the heaviest dose of "cult of personality" we've ever had. It's truly amazing to hear people talk sincerely about this process, as if it's not ALL A COMPLETE SHAM.

   Posted by DJGoody at 08/27/2008 @ 07:29am

10. JM & DJ

    Care to take bets on how many times "9/11" is used in yet another GOP fearfest next week?

    I'm betting they think "third time's a charm"

    Posted by leftofcenter at 08/27/2008 @ 09:19am

11. Hillary said yesterday:

    ======================

    "By following the example of a brave New Yorker , a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad.

    And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice.

    If you hear the dogs, keep going.

    If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.

    If they're shouting after you, keep going.

    Don't ever stop. Keep going.

    If you want a taste of freedom, keep going."

    ========================

    Harriet Tubman did not wait for some Democrat or Liberal politician to make opportunities for her, she created them for herself and also for others.

    If Harriet Tubman were alive today, I would think she would be a Conservative,

    She would be quite angry at Hillary Clinton invoking her name in the process of Democrat electioneering, for the purpose of convincing people to vote Democrat because of all the help and government dependency that Democrats promise.

    What is the purpose of a Democrat invoking Harriet Tubman's name?

    Harriet Tubman lived her life opposite what Democrats advocate people do, she knew she had to help herself and others, because nobody else was going to help her - she did not wait for some Democrat to bail her out.

    So she took matters in her own hands, and people benefitted as a result, and the rest is history.

    Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 10:14am

12. And, even though Hillary's speech was the best speech ever given by anyone, anywhere, anytime, I predict that by midnight EDT, these pages will be filled with fawning comments about Bill's speech being the best speech that anyone, anywhere, anytime has ever given, or will ever give as long as people give speeches. Tears will flow, time will stop, and the sick will be healed. Watch these pages...

    Posted by sntauri at 08/27/2008 @ 10:58am

13. If Harriet Tubman were alive today, I would think she would be a Conservative-----Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 10:14am

    INCLUDING Condoleeza Rice, how many African-American women are in the GOP, much less conservatives?

    Posted by Maskdelta at 08/27/2008 @ 11:05am

14. Posted by sntauri at 08/27/2008 @ 10:58am

    FRANK so predictable, it's scary!

    Posted by Maskdelta at 08/27/2008 @ 11:06am

15. Hello Maskdelta,

    You asked: "INCLUDING Condoleeza Rice, how many African-American women are in the GOP, much less conservatives?"

    I do not know, and if I had any inclination to look it up before, I will not do so now. If you want to know, you can look it up yourself.

    Don't forget, whatever number you come up with doesn't mean anything, because it would not show that whatever amount are in the Democrat party is not an indication that they should be in the Democrat party, or that the Democrat party best represents African-American women, which it clearly does not.

    Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 11:55am

16. Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 11:55am

    Translation---"I have nothing to back up my bullflop declaration, so go away!"

    LOL

    Posted by Maskdelta at 08/27/2008 @ 12:11pm

17. Harriet Tubman lived her life opposite what Democrats advocate people do, she knew she had to help herself and others, because nobody else was going to help her - she did not wait for some Democrat to bail her out.

    So she took matters in her own hands, and people benefitted as a result, and the rest is history.

    Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 10:14am

    I see where you're going and I agree to an extent. The flip side is that harriet Tubman also went back to her people and tried to help them even when she could have easily said, "I escaped on my own so they can too." She put her life in danger to first go back and help her children escape and then to help others achieve what she herself achieved. I think Ms. Tubman, who was born in Maryland, can not be so easily pigeonholed.

    Posted by k330k at 08/27/2008 @ 12:22pm

18. Hello k330k,

    The people who succeed, as Harriet Tubman did, are then in a position to help others, as she did.

    This is instead of everybody being dependent on or told to be dependent on government.

    This is what the United States of America is all about. We have helped many other countries and people, also, besides Americans.

    This is shown in a statistic I have seen more than once, but does not tell the whole story. Mr. Peanut, Jimmy Carter, and others like to point out that the U.S. falls short of it's obligations in helping others in the world, because the Netherlands gives more (as a percentage) of it's Gross Domestic Product to international charity than does the United States.

    But that is the amount the government gives. There is a considerable amount of private donations to international charity by citizens in the United States, which then makes the total amount given (as a percentage) way beyond the Netherlands.

    In the Netherlands, as in most of Europe, citzens look to the government to do stuff, as they are weaned to do, and which the left in this country thinks is good. So there isn't as much private donation.

    So it is successful people who then turn around and help others. Harriet Tubman did what successful Americans do, helped others, because she was a success and because she was an American. It would not have occurred to her to do otherwise.

    Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 1:18pm

19. Hello maskdelta,

    You said "Translation---"I have nothing to back up my bullflop declaration, so go away!" "

    For backup on my point, go over transcripts or videotapes of the last two days of the Democrat National Convention, or continue to watch today and tomorrow.

    Constantly the message is vote for us and everything will be wonderful and we will right all the wrongs and slay all the dragons, etc.

    Then, if and when the Dems are elected, none of this will happen, as it never does, then the Dems will blame Conservatives/Republicans/the Rich/Corporate America/George W. Bush/Karl Rove/"Chickenhawk neocons", etc as the reason why.

    Then the Dems will proclaim "vote for us and everything will be wonderful and we will right all the wrongs and slay all the dragons, etc. "

    Like a broken record.

    You are apparently a liberal, so you apparently do not see this, and probably even promote it.

    Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 1:23pm

20. sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 1:18pm

    Of course, the disconnect is that Republican John (there's gonna be more wars) McCain, having successfully kept running away from his first wife until he married into mega-millions, is going to help...whom?

    Posted by nathanhale at 08/27/2008 @ 1:26pm

21. Hello nathanhale,

    He is going to help Americans by continuing to fight whatever wars are necessary against the terrorists who want to kill us, that is who.

    As far as other "help", I do not know since Mr. McCain is a RINO (Republican in Name Only).

    A Conservative would help Americans by getting government out of their way so Americans are free to succeed and help those who need help, and also stop the liberal indoctrination in the public schools so that the schools would teach kids and give them the tools they need to succeed.

    A liberal always seems to be looking for politicians who "care" for them and who will "help" them, or in the case of the rich white liberals they are looking for politicians who profess that they "care" for others and who are going to "help" others. Either type of liberal seems to ignore that this help oftentimes makes things worse.

    Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 1:50pm

22. Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 1:50pm

    And how's that been going these past 8 years? Oh, that's right. We are fiscally in the toilet, the world hates us, we've turned the Constitution into TP, the rich are richeer at the poor's expense and we decided to start a war for no real reason.

    Dragon-slayers are looking better and better

    Posted by leftofcenter at 08/27/2008 @ 2:00pm

23. Well, first...the point was you said "Harriet Tubman would probably be a Conservative"...and when asked to back that up, with a list of African-American women (including Condi Rice) who were Republicans, much less conservatives...you couldn't.

    Second...

    "Then the Dems will proclaim "vote for us and everything will be wonderful and we will right all the wrongs and slay all the dragons, etc."----Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 1:23pm

    Yes, good thing Republicans don't make ANY promises...like "we'll capture bin Laden"..."protect you from terrorists"..."cut the taxes for Exxon and it'll create millions of new jobs"...etc., etc. Republicans always say "Nope...no promises from us...Not much will change if we win!"

    Posted by Maskdelta at 08/27/2008 @ 2:30pm

24. Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 1:50pm

    Is Bill Gates a conservative?

    Posted by nathanhale at 08/27/2008 @ 3:13pm

25. Maskdelta,

    You wanted me to back up the statement that Harriet Tubman would be a Conservative with a list of African American Women who are Conservatives?

    You said I couldn't do that.

    But what would the point be?

    How does a list of current African American Women who are Conservative in any way support my opinion that Harriet Tubman was demonstrating Conservative behavior?

    Just exactly how does this list you want support that?

    Typical lib behavior, exhibited by you, characterizing what Harriet Tubman may or may not have done by her skin color, and not by what she did as a person.

    As far as your comments, I need a few lists from you to support your opinions.

    I need a list of the average daily temperature by year in Sacramento, California from 1900-2008.

    I also need a list of what types of food Conservative/Republican politicians in the Senate, the House of Representatives, all of the various State Assemblies, House of Delegates, State Senates or any other State legislatures eat on a daily basis, categorized by food groups with percentages to the total as far as groups and total amounts in pounds or kilograms consumed by politician.

    If you are not able or willing to provide these lists, then I will consider you points invalid and not proven.

    Thank you in advance for the lists I know will be forcoming quickly. Some may think these lists are off of the wall and not in anyway relevant to your comments. That would put those lists in the same category as the one you asked me for, but when I did not produce it (I had no intention of doing so), you proclaimed my points disproven.

    So I am just applying the same process to your comments, to validate whether they have been proven or not.

    Posted by sjchermak at 08/27/2008 @ 3:49pm

26. Ah, "no change" in kind of the whole point of conservatism. You know, do it like to good ol' days.

    Posted by Darin_the_Troll at 08/27/2008

    that's right.

    i demand lead be put back in gasoline.

    fuckin' commies.........

    Posted by frosty zoom at 08/27/2008 @ 9:42pm

27. If Obama is going to govern as a Liberal

    Posted by Darin_the_Troll at 08/27/2008

    now, why on earth would he do that?

    that's not what he's being paid to do.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 08/27/2008 @ 9:47pm

28. Posted by Darin_the_Troll at 08/28/2008 @ 5:51pm

    i hope a psychiatrist never sees that.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 08/28/2008 @ 10:51pm