Anne - ABSOLUTELY! Everything the Clintons do is for political expedience. She is staking a claim for the leading American woman pol. The speech framed the loss as the limitations of the GLASS CEILING, disengenously. She took NO RESPONSIBILITY for the loss — at all. There is NO HUMILITY — whatsoever. She is suspending her Campaign, having taken things as far as the Party itself will permit. Let’s be clear. Tuesday night she had no intention of stopping public campaigning. Now, she will wait for something awful to happen and take her “18mil” underground. Let’s put the claim to the test — she should ask THEM to each send $2 to pay HER BILLS - instead of sending Gerry Ferraro out to TELL Barack to do it. Devotion should equal support. Most of the women I know — even HRC-supporters — do not feel she speaks FOR them and can control/dictate or otherwise maneuver how they will vote in the GE — and resent her continuing to infer or say this. This Tammany-hall-like controling of blocs doesn’t go over well with them — when so much is at stake FOR WOMEN during this GE cycle. They don’t want an Al Gore situation whereby the undertow from the Clintons costs votes and manifests a John McCain. Even my HRC-supporter friends are dismayed and fearful of women who write they are voting for John McCain — and they represent blowback and erosion for Senator Clinton. There’s a movement in NYC to replace her with a REAL NEW YORKER in 2012. They have a website, already! HRC may be good for Appalachia and tourists in DC today — but, New York State deserves commitment not leveraging for ambitions elsewhere.

Bonnie - Barack Obama and the Democratic Party WILL NOT be held hostage by Clinton Inc. If HRC’s supporters want to vote for John McCain, and all that means, so be it. The Obama Campaign is expanding our base and enrolling millions of new voters, preparing for this eventuality — because the Clintons have run a General Election Campaign during a Nomination Process, changed the rules of engagement and the Party all along the way. Why would they RESPECT the Candidate, when they haven’t respected anything/anyone else other than themselves. HRC should be prepared for monster blowback and accountability for her conduct going forward…and, SHE SHOULD PAY HER OWN BILLS. Many vendors are probably sitting on pins and needles or in that hall, waiting in 95 degree heat for hours — waiting to see if she will do what is best for Clinton Inc. or PAY THEM AND HER STAFFERS. The clock is ticking despite today’s performance and…Gerry Ferraro is the last person Clinton Inc. should send out to TELL Barack to pay her bills. Ridiculous. Also, Bob Johnson (Mr. BET and South Carolina) is the last Ambassador to send to lobby for the VP slot. Even MORE ridiculous. Sometime in the distant future, perhaps some worthy historians will take stock about how tone deaf HRC was/is — and how that affected her historic Campaign that costs hundreds of millions of dollars and debt. Then, and only then, will (some) women be forced to SEE and understand the truth of the matter about WHO actually lost her Campaign.

DM - I felt badly HRC couldn’t carry the weight of and manage a quality Campaign — in the role of first serious woman Candidate. It is very hard to watch when someone’s abilities don’t match the opportunity they uniquely enjoy. Please remember, it is important that we remember how SHE and all women now conduct ourselves — will inform how the next Millenial woman candidate for the Presidency or Vice Presidency will be treated. This Shakesperean DRAMA of an exit is unworthy of her supporters, who as Hillary Rosen articulately stated this week - ARE DEMOCRATS, not chits. This Queen Elizabeth II DRAMA is un-American. I hope New Yorkers are watching this movie, carefully. This is YOUR Junior Senator. We don’t believe in self-pity in New York. We are STILL rebuilding after 9/11 and we do it quietly and respectfully — WITHOUT DRAMA. Hollywood calling!

Nancy - Thank you. Often I have heard we women are “too emotional” to assume the ultimate political Office. I remember hearing Shirley Chisholm speak about this when I was a youngster - at a church in Harlem. Ironically, as we watch today — we are hearing HRC’s “supporters” spoken of in the following terms — and THEY/HRC like it: 1. HRC represents ALL women and can control/dictate what we will do based upon HER experience — and not our OWN interests; 2. We are ALL tearing our shirts, hysterically because she LOST — and, she didn’t actually lose — she WON, but “everyone” (men, African-Americans, etc.) “took it from her.” 3. Pat Buchanan says she is a “very wounded person” right now and her being LATE today is because she is probably “feeling a little unstable.” 4. ALL women will petulantly vote AGAINST our interests — (FOR HRC) in a fit of PIQUE! Somehow, I can’t believe Shirley Chisholm is happy up in Heaven — listening/watching modern women of the 21st Century BUY INTO THIS DRAMA — and the woman who is proffering/managing it. It is hard for everyone to LOSE. This is RIDICULOUS and I am embarassed. Jimmy Carter had a deep depression after losing. Ditto George H. W. Bush. Al Gore, ditto. What is going on here??? Boomers of my generation need to get off the stage. There are mothers/dads who are burying their children who died for the BOGUS Iraq War Hillary Clinton voted for against the wishes of New Yorkers. It is appropriate today’s choreography is taking place in DC — her “real” home, if she has one.

We don’t have QUEENS. It’s already half an hour LATE and those assembled — including MEDIA — in DC to hear “the speech” are WAITING in 95 degre heat…as they always do…throughout HRC’s Campaign…and Bill’s entire Administration. Keeping Americans waiting is a tired model. Barack Obama is on time. Enough said.

The very best thing is to discuss RACE and GENDER and detoxify them. Then, politicians can no longer parlay interests and win by default. As of now, politicians will have to MAKE THEIR CASE, not pit groups AGAINST one another based upon race/gender/interests, etc. No longer will MEDIA and journalists have relevancy and meaning IF they continue to report based upon their perspective. There will be new SNLs online that will make a JOKE of this bogus reporting. It’s a very thin line before traditional media/reporters/writers/journalists BECOME fodder on comedy sites or YouTube…as HRC has seen. Veteran MEDIA — and anyone associated w/it — are coming dangerously close, and if Barack Obama wins, that day is sooner than you think, after the bogus Iraq War propaganda they ALL participated in.

Anne - This is WHY Barack Obama won, however. Traditional media and its retiring (we hope?) veterans don’t know how to process information any other way. The night Barack won the Nomination — HRC and the entire traditional media apparatus were focused on her, in a bunker four levels down under Baruch College where students couldn’t get Net, cell phone or TV access — and her “celebration” like SHE won. Thanks to the Internet, traditional media cos. are under siege because young people KNOW propaganda when they see it. They are VERY sophisticated information consumers thanks to this amazing medium. So — after not being able to KILL the Net (2000-03), courtesy of their banks, etc., traditional media cos. are launching web syndications with the SAME TIRED, non-original and propaganda-as-news CONTENT. Blogs and their popularity are a reaction to the lack of REAL NEWS and JOURNALISM in America — during the embedded-MEDIA-PENTAGON War, we now know was totally bogus. Do you hear/see any SHAME on the part of the MEDIA or journalists? Nope. We are getting — this week — more of the same. Part of Taylor’s angst is the fact HRC and the MEDIA trampled a very historic for America and African-Americans, in particular - moment. Instead of looking at the substance of this — she gets blowback for stating the obvious and pent-up anger. THIS is why the Gloria/Gerry/Hilary feminist movement lost traction. After African-Americans marched and died — and forced Civil Rights laws to be enacted — these women immediately began to pit the interests of women against those of people of color (including Asians/Latinos/Native Americans, etc.) — thereby DIVIDING and separating women of color from the movement, for the most part. I left the women’s movement — at that point. HRC ran a Campaign whose foundation began in the 70s. SHE chose to make this a referendum of WOMEN vs. AFRICAN-AMERICANS. Disgracefully, because she didn’t have to and it isn’t valid now nor was it in the 70s. What it was was an opportunity to piggy-back the Civil Rights movement and then marginalized those who pioneered it — back to our place — bankrupting and holding BOTH back in the process. This was unworthy of the women elites and still is. Thankfully, young women and young people of color can not only see through this, but have REJECTED this. They want unity of purpose to address the dangerous, corrupt and toxic American Government to serve THEM, not a few elites or INVESTORS. They are de-balkanizing and focusing on what we SHARE, not our differences — so we can ALL get to work. Barack Obama has made this case. Hillary Clinton continues to DIVIDE, triangulate w/Republicans (McCain/Lieberman/DLC) and pit groups/interests/races/genders AGAINST eachother. Bush/Clinton dynasties represent this model. This site represents this model. Traditional media and old journalists can ONLY write/report this model. This model is DEAD. A very diverse world is breathing a sigh of relief. Thank you, Vint Cerf (father of the Internet) and thank you kids!!! Taylor, I hear and validate your feelings. They are legitimate from your perspective. Things WILL get better for us ALL. Hang in there! We’re coming!!!

Excellent. Perhaps, out in the Hamptons — the WoWers can find one African-American friend — who is NOT in MEDIA (and can speak frankly w/out fear of professional blowback) about how we feel about Barack Obama’s Nomination — and Hillary Clinton’s conduct last Tuesday night at a pivotal moment for ALL Americans. It must be taking time — since not many African-Americans who still have careers or are subject to being compromised for freely expressing their opinions on this matter — are willing to come forward. That’s a shame. Too much of African-American history in America has been subject to revision and interpretation by non-African-Americans - for this very reason. Too bad this site is capable of becoming a “Salon” or “Slate” for women — where REAL Q&A and analysis of events on the POLITICAL & CULTURE sections — are intelligently discussed in real time. Very sad.

Anne - You KNOW better than that, on this site. I thought the purpose of CONVERSATION was for women to learn and share. Instead, I have witnessed intolerance, flaming, personal insults and the kind of conduct my “tween” niece laughs at when she reads it — while I am posting. Since there are no moderators (too expensive?) — then you get what you get on the Internet. Further, the Q&A makes “The View” look like Charlie Rose.

By the way, I am meeting Mrs. Obama in a healthcare-related policy meeting — which is a very different context to the very safe (and surreal) “The View” PR environment — or the like via what is evidently becoming more of the same — sites/magazines like this. However, this site has been helpful to provide an understanding of what Democrats are up against — at the influentials and “hard working…very hard working, white Americans” levels. This is important to KNOW Barack Obama will have to continue to be challenged by HRC and her supporters until November — and continue to simultanously be challenged by the Republicans as well. So be it! :-)

countrywoman - You KNOW what the point is, and - as an African-American woman posting on this site — I know what the point is as well. Further inflaming things is the fury re HRC’s losing to BO - at this particular time. I have pointed several African-American women of note to read these posts and THEY can’t believe it. These women include the First Lady of the State of NY and, when I see her soon, Mrs. Obama. I think this is instructive — more so, because of WHO the owners are an their REFUSAL to reflect the reality and historical nature of Barack’s winning the Nomination this week. Very interesting, indeed. The owners are framing the CONVERSATIONS. They are the source of what you are reading. What you are reading is a derrivative of their Q&A — and the nature of them. Fascinating — and, in the end, not helpful to HRC. Men leave races all the time without ALL THIS DRAMA and ANGST. African-Americans are intimately familiar with LOSS — and, humiliation. Suck it up and make a life!

“…save Taylor” from WHAT? WHOM? Taylor is not subject to the approval of anyone on this site or anywhere else — and, circa 2008 — free to express her opinion and have it taken seriously w/out the requirement to be saved by anyone. Language is important. Lorraine is sharing HER opinion independent of…Taylor or anyone else. Agreeing with Taylor should not automatically assume she is attempting to “save Taylor.” Taylor doesn’t need to be “saved” and is entitled to share her opinions from her own perspectives — in her own identity — and have it respected as such. She is not seeking anyone’s approval. It’s 2008.

Who are “hard working, very hard working…white Americans?” Those words come from Hillary Clinton while running for the Presidency of the United States of America — the most ethnically diverse Country on Earth.

Taylor - I too am African-American — FYI. HRC would NEVER get the vetting pass approval for The Supreme Court — she received and still receives courtesy of the millions paid to Mark Penn/Burston and their FUSION w/NYC MEDIA. Never.

countrywoman - if you want REAL journalism and balanced perspectives — read the INTERNATIONAL PRESS! We taught them about press freedoms and they, at least, still take it seriously. When this is over, I will be writing about our OWN press and this amazing week — and my personal observations. I will send them to Professor Gates up at Harvard to post on The Root — and make part of our permanent historical narrative. Gerry Ferraro has been PRICELESS.