Jun 9, 2008 11:11 am US/Eastern
Cracks In The Glass Ceiling
Web-Exclusive Column
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
On Thursday, Yves Saint Laurent was laid to rest in Paris and on Saturday Hillary Clinton officially suspended her presidential campaign.
It was a tough week for pants suit lovers everywhere.
Saint Laurent, of course, was the legendary designer who empowered working women with a sense of style epitomized by the female trouser. "He really understood the social changes at the end of the Sixties and gave freedom to women," fellow designer Jean Paul Gaultier said following Saint Laurent's death last week from a brain tumor.
Hillary Clinton's contributions to women will be remembered as no less revolutionary. Although she did not win the Democratic nomination, she made it seem possible, even likely in our lifetime, thanks to the "18 million cracks" in what she described as "the highest, hardest" glass ceiling of them all.
"When I was asked what it means to be a woman running for president, I always gave the same answer, that I was proud to be running as a woman, but I was running because I thought I'd be the best president," Clinton said during her 28-minute concession speech Saturday. "But I am a woman and, like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious, and I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us."
There were those that criticized Clinton for not giving this address on Tuesday. They argue she should have endorsed Obama after the polls closed in Montana, the nation's last primary.
The problem wasn't the timing of Saturday's speech. It was perfectly reasonable for her to take a couple of days before making her formal endorsement, just as every Republican candidate took a few days or even weeks before they endorsed John McCain. The fairer criticism directed at Clinton was more for the tone of her speech on Tuesday than the timing of the speech on Saturday. There was an irrational nature to the Tuesday speech, a disconnect from reality that was troubling.
But all that was gone by Saturday as she made the case to her supporters why they must now work just as hard to elect Barack Obama.
"This election is a turning-point election," she said. "And it is critical that we all understand what our choice really is. Will we go forward together, or will we stall and slip backwards?"
"To those who are disappointed that we couldn't go all of the way, especially the young people who put so much into this campaign, it would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way discouraged any of you from pursuing yours," she said. "Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you're knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on."
Her support for Obama was convincing and unequivocal as she made the case for why Democrats need to unite, arguing the differences between her and Obama pale in comparison to the differences between Obama and John McCain.
"We will stand united for the values we hold dear, for the vision of progress we share, and for the country we love," she said.
And for those who harbor resentments or despair, she urged them to keep focused on what is truly important.
"When you hear people saying or you think to yourself, `If only,' or, `What if,' I say, please, don't go there. Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward," she said. "Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure that Senator Obama is our next president."
She also sought to remind her supporters that the historic nature of her campaign and the historic nature of Obama's should be a source of inspiration to each.
"Think of the suffragists who gathered at Seneca Falls in 1848 and those who kept fighting until women could cast their votes," she said. "Think of the abolitionists who struggled and died to see the end of slavery. Think of the civil rights heroes and foot soldiers who marched, protested, and risked their lives to bring about the end of segregation and Jim Crow.
"Because of them, I grew up taking for granted that women could vote and, because of them, my daughter grew up taking for granted that children of all colors could go to school together. Because of them, Barack Obama and I could wage a hard-fought campaign for the Democratic nomination. Because of them and because of you, children today will grow up taking for granted that an African-American or a woman can, yes, become the president of the United States."
And when she does, she'll almost certainly be wearing slacks.
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