By the time I went to bed this morning, election officials from Lake County, Indiana, had still not reported results in the Democratic primary race.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were still fighting it out in the heartland.
By the time I awoke, Hillary had emerged the winner by about two percentage points.
Barack had earlier swept North Carolina.
His victory speech popped with emotion and confidence. He seemed a little too smug to suit me, but that’s nothing new. Barack was back on track, the political analysts said.
I’m not so sure.
Hillary’s words in a speech that wasn’t yet a victory speech strengthened the connection to voters who comprise what the experts call her base. White women and working class white men have more and more rallied around her promise to fight for them and help improve their lives.
With husband Bill and daughter Chelsea by her side, she vowed to fight on, despite losing North Carolina by a larger than expected margin and not winning Indiana by the margin her supporters expected.
One talking head on CNN observed that Chelsea looked heartbroken and on the verge of tears.
I didn’t see despair in this young woman’s face.
I saw a younger version of her mother, somebody ready, willing and able to go the distance.
Yet, reality sometimes dictates our next move.
Moxie and motivation only take you so far. Even the best competitors sometimes can’t go on when a sucker punch lands. The pundits have been ambushing Hillary for years.
In recent weeks, the media horde has piled on the criticism, much of it unfair.
Last night, downright delusion accompanied an edge in the commentators’ voices that surprised me. And, when it comes to politics, I’m surprised by very little.
But last night, watching cable networks loaded with commentators, I expected more balance from a variety of people.
Barack had his army of insurgent cheerleaders and apologists.
Hillary had long-time friend and advisor Lanny Davis, who made a well-thought out case for her continuing the race and moving into the party’s nomination.
But the pundits would have none of it.
Watergate hero Carl Bernstein railed. Political operative David Gergen whined. Democrat superdelegate Donna Brazile fumed and snipped about uniting the party, as long as her candidate was the unifier.
Although Brazile said she was undeclared, she leaned heavily toward Barack.
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards might even be leaning toward Barack, as well. But his wife, Elizabeth, who knows the health care menace that kills many Americans as well as anybody, seems to be tilting toward Hillary, whose proposed health care policy will save more lives than Barack’s.
I’m still with Hillary.
And I want her to do what’s best for her and her family. I want her to do what she needs to do. I want her to make her own decisions, as she has done so well during this campaign.
If she does that, America will benefit.
And so will she benefit.
I’ve learned much from Hillary Rodham Clinton’s drive, energy and example. I will continue to learn from her as she moves forward, no matter what she decides to do with the race.
I still believe she can win the nomination and the White House. I still believe that she’d make a better, stronger president than Barack.
But the decision is not up to me.
The decision is up to Hillary.
I trust her judgment.
From me, that’s the ultimate candidate compliment.
Coast 2 Coast with George Noory
