Hillary Clinton did a campaign stop in the Bay Area on Thursday, and I was fortunate enought to attend a luncheon for her at the Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto. After the Barack Obama Videoconference and meeting Elizabeth Edwards, I had pretty much written off Hillary as my choice for the Democratic primary. After hearing her speak, my views have changed. I'm not 100% sold, but if she gets the party nomination, I can say that I will work to support her all the way back to the White House.
My plan was to try to live-blog it, but there was no wifi in the room, so I resorted to my trusty Luddite
Laptop (a Moleskine notebook and pen), along with a digital camera, and my cool little Flip Video Camcorder
I had gotten the invitation to the lunch from someone in my parents' club Yahoo! Group, so I thought I might run into someone I knew. I was thrilled to see Darcy, a woman whose daughter go to the same after-school daycare as Alex. She sat down next to me, and it was nice to have someone to chat with while we waited. The music playing in the background was Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" and John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change," and I wondered who Hillary's music coordinator was for this event.
Darcy told me that she had voted Republican her entire life, but that she was fed up and thinks the country needs a change. She was hear to see what Hillary has to offer. As a working mom and businesswoman, she thought that a businessperson might be a good choice for President. I've heard that Republican women are the hardest sell for Hillary, so I thought it might be a good litmus test to see how Darcy responded to Hillary's speech.
Hillary arrived in the room without an announcement, but we could tell something was happening by the roar that went up in the crowd. She walked down a long roped-off aisle, and camera flashes started popping everywhere as she reached out and shook hands, waved to people, and smiled. It was like a scene in a movie, only the candidate was not the usual white guy in a blue suit and red tie, but a diminuitive blonde woman in a fetching green pantsuit. Something about that seemed momentous and made tear up, just to see a woman in that position. I wasn't expecting to have such an emotional reaction to the scene.
From my vantage point, I could see her hair, and was immediately impressed by the highlights. As someone who is desperate need of a trip to the hair salon, I notice these things. I still remember her from the Headband Years, when she was a mousy blonde who lost a cookie bake-off to Barbara Bush. She's come a long way, baby.
Hillary took a seat, directly in my line of sight. The stage was set up in the middle, a sort of square-shaped platform with nothing but a stool and a glass of water on it. There were velvet ropes around the perimeter in front of the seats, and it reminded me of a boxing ring without the ropes.
A woman got up to introduce the person who would introduce Hillary. She gave a fairly lengthy speech about inspiring people to enter the political process. She didn't introduce herself, and I guess she figured everyone must know who she was, but I had no clue. She evidently was the event organizer. She did a great job on the event, in my opinion, but I thought she should have been a bit more brief in her remarks. I think her enthusiasm got the best of her, so I don't really fault her for taking her moment in the spotlight.
During the opening speech, I kept looking at Hillary. For the duration of the opening remarks, she had the same beatific smile plastered on her face. She could have been thinking about what was being said, or about what she planned to say, or wishing that she had a cheese sandwich, for all I know. It was sort of an unwavering pageant smile that unnerved me.
Next up was Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, a first-term representative from Upstate New York. Kirsten told the story of how her grandmother inspired her by starting a Democratic Women's Club in Albany and would take her along to meetings. She said the second great inspiration in her life was Hillary Clinton, and that Hillary had been a mentor to her on her campaign.
One thing she said initially struck me the wrong way. She said that Hillary "will win this because she is an amazing campaigner." I thought, "Whoa, hold the phone, sister...a great campaigner? Hitler was a great campaigner, but that didn't make his campaign right. That's it?"
She went on to explain that she knew that once Hillary got out there and met people, that people would like her, that people would share her vision, and that Hillary would prevail. I remained skeptical.
Finally, Hillary took the stage, greeted by thunderous applause and a standing ovation. She circled around the stage and waved to everyone on all sides. She started to speak and rattled off a list of thank-yous to Amy (the woman who spoke first), Kirsten, the organizers and to a group called the Hillary Clinton Support Group. The Suppot Group were a large group of older ladies wearing home-made Hillary t-shirts and jackets covered with Hillary buttons. They went absolutely nuts when she mentioned them and pointed them out in the crowd.
She started out her speech by talking about her parents, telling their stories, and the difficulties they had to overcome. She said her parents had saved for her to go to college, and when she decided to go to law school, they told her, "That's not in the budget" and she was on her own. At that time, she was able to get a low-interest loan and worked to pay her way. She talked about the difficulties that students today have in doing what she did. She talked about her work in law school and after fighting for children's rights.
She told a story about how her father was a staunch Republican, and when she was young and wanted to get his goat, she would say, "When I grow up, I'm going to marry a Democrat." Her father changed his tune after meeting Bill Clinton, she said. That drew a big laugh from the crowd, and she even giggled a little, even though I'm sure she's told that story a thousand times.
She talked about her childhood and that she was a woman "from a middle class family, in the middle of the country, who grew up in the middle of the last century." She pointed out that her Brownie leader, a woman aptly named Pixie, was in the audience. She talked about growing up in a community where everyone looked out for each other.
She talked about how life was made up of "mentors and moments" that shape who we are and who we become. She grew up always believing that our country was on her side. When John F. Kennedy said that America would put a man on the moon, she believed it. When Lyndon Johnson said that America would secure the right to vote for all citizens, she believed it. She said that it was her "abiding faith in America" that sustained her.
I was expecting to hear her talk about the campaign issues and maybe pick on George Bush, but was not expecting that she would put it in a personal context. After hearing her speak about her own life, in what was a very personal and moving way, I realized what Kirsten meant by saying she was an excellent campaigner. She figured out what this audience wanted to hear, a roomful of women, young and old, many of us mothers or grandmothers, and told us. This was an entirely different speech than the one she gave to Silicon Valley businessmen at Applied Materials that day, outlining a 9-point technology plan.
After the introduction, Hillary deftly covered a wide range of issues in rapid-fire succesion. I have some video of her speaking about healthcare, and will post that tomorrow.
On the environment, she talked about starting a strategic energy fund to stop global warming. She proposed taking away oil company subsidies.
On education, she noted that we have to fulfill our obligations to children by understanding that the first five years are critical in development, both intellectually and morally. She proposed universal pre-K for all 4 year olds. She said that we need to rethink the "education enterprise" and recognize that children have more stimulation today than ever before, and not just look at the substance of what they are learning, but the process of learning itself. She went on to say that college should be accessible by all, not just the few who can afford it.
On the current state of politics in Washington, she said she wants to "end the culture of cronyism and incompetence" with the "unique idea of actually appointing people who are competent." She illustrated this by saying that she had added a line to an emergency management bill that stated that the Director of FEMA was required to have some experience in disaster management. George Bush signed the bill, but issued a signing statement saying that he "may or may not follow" the provisions of the bill.
On the war in Iraq she said, "If the war is not over by the time I become President, it will be my top priority to end it". She senses that the President may be willing to change course in the fall, heartened by his positive references to the Iraq Study Group. I'll believe that when I see it.
On foreign policy, she said that there is a lot of work to do around the world. She pointed out the nuclear threat posed by Iran ("which needs to be solved by good old fashioned , patient diplomacy"); the failed states in Africa; the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. She said she entered this race with her "eyes wide open" knowing that following the current President and Vice President would be a tough job. She believes that the rest of the world is "waiting for what they view as an aberration to pass."
At the end, she told a story about Madeleine Albright being welcomed by people in the Czech Republic by hundreds of American flags with only 48 stars on them. These flags had been left behind by GIs during World War II, and passed down from generation to generation. When asked why, the people said it was because they loved America and American values. Hillary wants to restore that faith in America at home and around the world.
The crowd rose to it's feet and Darcy (the former Republican) said to me, "Well, I'm sold!"
I don't think it was the content of what she was saying, so much as the passion and compassion with which she spoke that won us over. You can read about her plans and proposals on her website, but that does not have the same impact as hearing it come directly from her.
I felt a great deal of warmth and enthusiasm for Hillary after her rousing speech, and stayed a little longer to try to shake her hand. When I got close enough to her, someone handed her a baby. It was sort of a political cliche, but she looked sort of surprised and delighted by seeing this little one. She posed for pictures with the baby, the mom, and the grandma, and stayed for quite a while talking with people and shaking hands. I got goosebumps thinking that I was standing right next to someone who could be President someday.
There were a number of school age kids there to meet her, and the looks on the girls' faces were priceless. They were in awe having her shake their hands and speak to them. I took the picture at the top of the post of her talking with the kids. She seemed to really soften with he kids, and enjoy talking to them. They all seemed a little awestruck. If nothing else, Hillary's candidacy might inspire more girls and young women to get involved in the political process, to show that their voice matters.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what won me over. I never doubted that she is competent for the job, that she is whip-smart and has a great depth of knowledge. As someone who has been a hiring manager, I know that being competent and being the right fit for a position are often two different things entirely. I don't want to vote for someone just because she is a woman, I want to vote for someone who is the right person for the job. Someone who will bring competence and compassion, who will restore dignity to the office, and who can break through the walls that divide this country and unite us.
She struck me as someone who worked hard to get where she is, and is grateful for the opportunities she's been given. Republicans like to characterize her as cold and calculating, driven by a single-minded ruthless ambition. Even if she is, so what? No one ever called Karl Rove a bitch, though he probably deserves to go to prison and become somebody's bitch.
What was lacking (for me at least) was any kind of personal connection with her, or any sense that she was actually a real person. She doesn't have the good-ole-boy, aw-shucks-ma'am disarming charm that her husband has to fall back on, but she has a different kind of charisma. I can see how they complement each other. I doubt that she's someone you instantly bond with and want to invite over for coffee and cake to have a heart-to-heart with like Elizabeth Edwards. As Kirsten Gillibrand alluded to in the opening, she's someone you want in your corner, someone who could be a mentor to a new generation of women leaders.
I suppose my biggest problem with her going into this event was the sense that she is not electable. She may win over the democratic faithful, but how will she play in the south and the heartland? Would my dad or my cousins in Ohio vote for her? Not likely. I don't know how she will ever overcome the PR deficit she has with Nascar dads. If she can win them over, then I think this woman can probably rule the world.
As I was leaving, I was waiting at the stoplight exiting the hotel when her car caravan passed. I could see her pensively looking out the window. A elderly man was sitting at the bus stop and looked at her. She waved at him and smiled. He did a double take, as if he couldn't believe that he was seeing what he was seeing. It seemed like a genuine moment, a small attempt to reach out. It was not done for the cameras, or for a crowd's approval; it was done for that one tired man waiting for the bus. For me, it's the little things that speak volumes.
