Althouse: The Clinton victory speech: She found her "own voice" and did you notice the word she didn't say?

January 9, 2008

The Clinton victory speech: She found her "own voice" and did you notice the word she didn't say?

"I listened to you and, in the process, I found my own voice."

"Politics isn't a game. It's about people." This is a new theme, which we heard first in that crying moment on Monday.

Here's the text of the speech, which I looked up because I wanted to do a search and confirm my suspicion that a certain word — a word we've heard over and over lately — does not appear in the speech.

That word is: change.

26 comments:

TWM said...: I really thought it was over for her. I should have known better. She is a shark after all and just keeps swimming and eating and so on.

Like I said in another comment there is an upside - it's very fun to see the new "inevitable" candidate, Obama, get a dose or reality. Or more specifically the MSM get a dose.

At this point I am not sure who I want to win. Obviously the weaker one since I am conservative, but which one is that? Clinton because of her negatives or Obama because of his inexperience?

The Dem race is just so much more interesting than the GOP race.; 1/9/08, 7:10 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: I have listened to all the speeches and have come to the following conclusion. Hillary Clinton's life is the best fairy tale I have ever heard. What is even better is she wrote the fairy tale herself.; 1/9/08, 7:15 AM
Tank said...: She re-found her own best role - victim. She's always gotten the most sympathy and support by playing the victim, whether it's as the cheated on wife, the target of a VRWC, or whatever.

The crying was one of her old tricks. Never seems to fail. Can she use it again?; 1/9/08, 7:21 AM
KCFleming said...: It's no surprise that Hillary would listen to me and find her own voice.

If she looks at me, she sees her own reflection in my eyes. If she reads my constituent letters, she finds herself. If she touches me, she feels something to manipulate.

Her guiding philosophy is and always has been solipsism. If she looks into my wallet, she finds her national health care financing.

Hillary channels Tommy: See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.
And you gotta admit, she sure plays a mean pinball.; 1/9/08, 7:23 AM
Mortimer Brezny said...: She's trying to take Edwards' votes by appropriating his rhetoric and Elizabeth Edwards' warmth. We sympathize with Elizabeth because she is warm and she might die. The Clintons had to simulate death. New Hampshire was about rebirth.; 1/9/08, 7:25 AM
goesh said...: Maybe one change was the way youth changed our perception of how we traditionally view youth - oh our beloved youth.....wii like to vote, wii voted, wii may party instead of voting for a President come November, wii really believe our brats will not be spawned into our humdrum middle class existence because wii have a few semesters of college under our belts, wii prefer perecption and appearance over principle and conscience, wii will rule in due time because wii have big dreams and wii will rock you with them like wii just rocked Obama; 1/9/08, 7:29 AM
Joaquin said...: That 'voice'..... is that the Southern one she used in Alabama or the black one she used in Harlem?

GOD SAVE THE AL; 1/9/08, 7:30 AM
George M. Spencer said...: Fascinating to compare the boilerplate in her speech, with its emphasis on government helping the downtrodden, against McCain's steel:

"The work that awaits us...on our watch: to defend our country from its enemies; to advance the ideals that are our greatest strength; to increase the prosperity and opportunities of all Americans.....

"[The people] don’t send us to Washington to take more of their money, and waste it....

"[I represent] the party of fiscal discipline, low taxes; enduring values; a strong and capable defense; that encourages the enterprise and ingenuity of individuals, businesses and families...

"In a time of war, and the terrible sacrifices it entails, the promise of a better future is not always clear....

"We must...proclaim that the history of the world will not be determined by this unpardonable foe, but by the aspirations, ideals, faith and courage of free people. In this great, historic task, we will never surrender. They will."

For him, the overarching issue is vanquishing the threat to the Western civilization.

Sen. Clinton says she has "the wisdom to end the war in Iraq the right way."

Cart before horse, Mrs. Clinton?

Then again, what exactly does "the right way" mean?; 1/9/08, 7:42 AM
Roger J. said...: Given my dismal record of predictions, I am getting rid of my crystal ball and will pontificate only after the fact! Pass some more of that crow, please.; 1/9/08, 7:44 AM
Meade said...: Pogo at 7:23 at the top of his game.; 1/9/08, 7:51 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: Roger,
Can I have your tea leaves?; 1/9/08, 8:05 AM
Laura Reynolds said...: There are many words you can use to describe Hillary and "change" is not one of them, unless you put "no" in front of it.

I'm really happy for Bill, because he's always feeling my pain, taking on Hillary's was putting him in a bad mood. He's got a legacy to uphold.; 1/9/08, 8:26 AM
Roger J. said...: Middle Class Guy: I got the from Hillary who used them only once when she took her plunge into cattle futures--she said they worked! Caveat emptor; 1/9/08, 8:36 AM
DaveW said...: "Here's the text of the speech, which I looked up because I wanted to do a search and confirm my suspicion that a certain word — a word we've heard over and over lately — does not appear in the speech.

That word is: change."

A stunning over-the-fence grab to save a home run!

Nice catch Ann.

And a decent pivot on the part of the Clinton campaign. They've run a brilliant campaign for 2 years, carefully working on her weaknesses one by one, and now they've come up with a new theme to use to dig out.

I admit, I underestimated them, even as much as I respect their ruthlessness.

An enormous percentage of people say they want change and change isn't working as a message for me?

Well they're wrong, and its time to 'change' their minds. This isn't a game, its a serious business running the US of A, and we need someone that knows what they're doing.

Change schmange. This is no game dammit.

They're extremely good at this stuff. You gotta give them that.; 1/9/08, 8:37 AM
TMink said...: Change? The current Democratic candidates do not want change! They want bills, large denominations, and lots of them. And they want yours and mine.

Trey; 1/9/08, 8:43 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: She found her voice. She found her true role, victim. She found some more people to vote for her. She found Bill and put him out there.

When is she going to find her record of accomplsihment and acjivement and show it to us?; 1/9/08, 8:43 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: "...and we need someone that knows what they're doing."

So why should she be elected?; 1/9/08, 8:45 AM
Meade said...: The word "change" is being held up by her supporters/fans.

The other word she didn't say was "Bill," who walked onto the stage with Chelsea, got a hug, and, most importantly, exited. Chelsea got two kisses; Bill, the kiss off.; 1/9/08, 9:38 AM
Patm said...: "I listened to you when you applauded my tears...and found my voice."

It's gonna be a wet spring.; 1/9/08, 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...: Pogo is right. Dowd was right--it's like a Lifetime movie. I guess she won't be on Oprah talking about it, though. Nor will McCain, who is a man of steel and drew from that experience in his speech. It's shaping up to be 1972 again. I predict a win for Republicans, but not by the same huge margin. Pacifism is much more popular now than then.

Have you noticed that the Dems don't talk about the country much, especially love of country or national defense, but talk about themselves alot? Is narcissism interesting or compelling in a candidate? If so, why?; 1/9/08, 10:27 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Patca:

I noticed last night that both Hillary and Obama spoke of how great this country is (even tho both want to change it and fix it cause it is so bad for all but the super-rich).

I also learned for the first time that John Edwards' father was a mill worker who was promoted to supervisor! And here I thought he was a simple mill worker his whole life.; 1/9/08, 10:33 AM
Zachary Sire said...: Nice to see that after more than 20 years in public and political life (governor's mansion, 2 terms in the White House, 6+ years in the Senate)...she's finally found her voice.

I truly believe she'd do good things for this country (people lose sight of that)...I just don't want to listen to or watch her doing any of them.; 1/9/08, 11:03 AM
TMink said...: I am with ZPS, if she found her own voice now, it is about time.

Does this mean that the shrill, annoying, paint peeling voice is retired or replaced?

Trey; 1/9/08, 11:24 AM
Anonymous said...: "Change" is Obama's meme, and when Obama says it he's tapping into the widely felt sentiment that it's time to flush the likes of the Clintons down the toilet. Obviously Hillary doesn't want to in any way go there.; 1/9/08, 11:31 AM
Anonymous said...: That's what I mean, AJ. They both speak about a country that exists somewhere as a Platonic ideal, and they are going to take us to that promised land. It's the imagined, fetishized America of the ideal, and they foreground themselves as the One to take us there.

McCain, however, spoke about his love for the country as it is, the one in which most of us live now.; 1/9/08, 12:53 PM
Trooper York said...: Dil: I'm tired and emotional.
(The Crying Game, 1992); 1/9/08, 5:01 PM