Everybody is speculating about what you will do tonight, and whether you'll do what's necessary to bring the party together. But I'm not worried. You've been in the public eye for a long time, and though I haven't always agreed with you, as a New Yorker I have seen you exhibit grace under fire on many occasions. The close primary contest has left everybody on edge, and the news media is hungry for blood, but you have been very eloquent on the urgency attending this election and I know that you are probably more keenly aware than anyone of what we've lost since you and Bill Clinton were in the White House.
I did not support your candidacy (the vote authorizing the Iraq war ruled out many strong candidates for me), but I have a lot of respect for your leadership. Your conduct after 9/11 in New York, the quiet, self-effacing guidance you provided during that time of trauma in this region, showed you to be a woman who cares deeply about people and the policies that shape our lives.
Yes, there have been some false notes in this hard-fought primary. Many of us cringed when you seemed to praise Senator McCain over Senator Obama during that contest, because we felt that it would fuel the Republican opposition. It seemed unthinkable that any candidate would hobble the frontrunner in that way, but perhaps it was so unimaginable for you that he would win the primary that the danger seemed miniscule. In any case, your forceful rebuke to the McCain campaign ads airing that praise is impressive, and I see it as a sign of how well you understand the significance of your speech tonight. All the hand-wringing and second guessing by talking heads have not clouded your very clear vision.
I trust you. I know you'll remind your ardent and devoted supporters about the issues that we all share as Democrats. We share a conviction that the last eight years have been a terrible mistake, and we share common goals to shape a better future. As pundits pointed out again and again throughout the long primary, you and Senator Obama have very similar policy proposals on education, jobs, the war, and health care. I have faith in your leadership tonight, in your conviction that the principles at stake transcend personal feelings. The stakes are so high, and the differences are so small, I know you'll remind everyone watching of what really matters in this election.