Thursday, August 14, 2008 - Posts
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Fiddle faddle, Emily; placing Hillary's name in nomination at the Democratic National Convention will not lead to the "catharsis'' she keeps talking about, and I'm not positive that catharsis is the goal.
Long ago and far away, I rode a bus to Tlacotalpan, in Veracruz, Mexico, for their winter Candelaria Festival, primarily to dance all night and see the running of the bulls. But the most memorable thing about the trip was the yearly ritual in which the townspeople carry a crowned and silk-gowned statue of the Virgin Mary (the Candelaria Virgin) out of the church and through the streets on a little platform, as a huge and completely frenzied crowd cheers, waves at the statue, reaches out and runs after her. They throw flowers, too, and when they put her on a barge to take her for her annual ride up and down the river, some people fall into the water while trying to lay hands on her hem. And yes, what I'm saying is: They could carry Hillary Rodham Clinton into Denver like that and still not satisfy those supporters who have decided to stay mad.
Case in point (and why I was already thinking so Virgin-ally about all this): I run into a Hillary supporter I know in the drug store the other day, and she tells me she still hasn't taken down the Hillary shrine "complete with votive candles'' that she has in her house. Ha ha, I say, but no, she says, she is not kidding. Now, first of all, I love that this gal gives enough of a hoot about our country to get emotionally involved on that level; she worked her heart out for her candidate, and good for her. Clearly, we'd be better off if more people gave of themselves so passionately. When I ask what Obama would have to do to win her over, what she says first is that he'd have to adopt Hillary's health care plan. But by the end of the conversation, we get to the real bottom line, which is that she just doesn't like Obama, sees him as a total poser and nothing-burger who swooped in from nowhere and stole the thing, and all the health care reform in the world is not going to change that. At this point, she's thinking seriously about staying home on Election Day. She is not going to wake up the morning after Hillary's name is placed in nomination and have a whole new lease on Obama. And my guess is, Hillary knows that.
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When the idea of a roll call for Hillary's delegates at the Democratic convention was first raised last spring, I thought it sounded silly—all empty symbolism and no gain. But last weekend, when I read Michelle Cottle's op-ed arguing in favor, I found myself convinced. The threat of revolt is over. Why not recognize Hillary's backers by giving her supporters their moment in Denver to flex her political muscles and demonstrate the support she amassed? Now the NYT is reporting that's the plan. I hope it makes HIllary supporters feel like they've given her a parting loyalty gift. And I confess this is one scripted moment I want to watch unfold, too, as all those people raise their hands or voices or however it works when a woman's name is called for the presidential nomination. Symbolic doesn't actually have to mean empty.