The other 18 million

Now that Obama has won his history-making bid, it's time for him to start winning over all of Hillary Clinton's constituencies, especially women.

By Joan Walsh

Read more: Joan Walsh, Democratic Party, Women, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Opinion, Barack Obama, 2008 election

June 5, 2008 | NEW YORK -- Hillary Clinton's speech Tuesday night got a lot of attention for what she didn't say, and little for what she did. Most of it was standard fare, with talk about healthcare, the mortgage crisis, ending the war in Iraq. She praised Obama and his supporters more warmly than in prior speeches, but her only reference to the end of her historic race came fairly late:

“I understand that a lot of people are asking, 'What does Hillary want?'" She ticked off three or four policy priorities, but her real answer was this: "I want the nearly 18 million people who voted for me to be respected, to be heard, to be no longer invisible."

The pro-Hillary crowd at Baruch College roared, and so did the pundits on television. But it was a different kind of roar. They were outraged that she hadn't conceded. Over on MSNBC they had the vapors all evening over Clinton's refusing to die. Chris Matthews doubted she could be Obama's running mate no matter what she said Tuesday night, because for him the question is: "Can she obey? Can she accept the subservience?"

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According to reports, Clinton is going to bow out of the race; she will make it official Saturday. I can understand some of the irritation about Clinton's refusal to do it Tuesday night. Barack Obama's win is a thrilling, historic achievement. The nomination of our nation's first African-American presidential candidate, a man of extraordinary political talent who beat the anointed Democratic front-runner with a tactically and strategically brilliant campaign, is such a towering event, it deserves to be savored on its own, without any split-screen coverage. But after winning almost 18 million votes and essentially tying Obama in the popular vote, I think Clinton earned at least 24 hours to think about her next move.

Obama himself was gracious to Clinton in his victory speech. He also turned his attention to the general election, giving John McCain a fantastic pounding. But Obama has one more big task left to unify his party: He needs to spread his graciousness among his supporters, in the media and the blogosphere and beyond. The self-described "hope-monger" now needs to be a grace-monger, in a word, to win back Clinton supporters proud of what she's accomplished in this race and angry over her mistreatment.

Here's why: Hillary Clinton, the Goldwater girl turned '60s liberal turned ultimate insider, the former first lady and current senator, has become the belated, almost reluctant leader of a movement, mainly of women but also of white working-class voters, Latinos, seniors and others who feel left out. They don't just feel left out by George Bush's America, but also by the Obama coalition. The women in that movement are especially volatile and angry, over the sexism Clinton has faced all along the way, right up to her final election night.

And women are the largest Democratic constituency. Winning without overwhelming support from white Democratic women wouldn't be easy for Obama. I have no doubt Obama and his supporters can reach these women, but first he has to try. I'll start with a few simple pointers for how to do it: Don't call them racist. Or old and irrelevant. And don't say Hillary Clinton has to do all the work to heal the breach; Obama has plenty he can do himself.

We saw the face of the angry white female backlash against Obama over the weekend, and it was hard not to turn away. On Friday, Geraldine Ferraro complained in a Boston Globe Op-Ed that she's been demonized for saying that Obama's presidential run benefited from his being black, and called her treatment "reverse racism." On Saturday, Harriet Christian replaced Ferraro as the overwrought voice of white female resentment. There she was at the Democratic National Committee meeting, screaming at reporters that Democrats were about to nominate "an inadequate black male who would not have been running had it not been a white woman that was running for president."

Beyond Christian's deplorable reference to Obama as an "inadequate black male" was a wail worth hearing. She also said, "I'm proud to be an older American woman!" I can feel her pain. Reading the sexist attacks on Clinton and her white female supporters, as well as on female journalists and bloggers who've occasionally tried to defend her or critique Obama, has been, well, consciousness-raising. Prejudice against older women, apparently, is one of the last non-taboo biases. I've been stunned by the extent to which trashing Clinton supporters as washed up old white women is acceptable. A writer whose work I respect submitted a piece addressed to "old white feminists," telling them to get out of Obama's way. I've found my own writing often dismissed not on its merits (or lack thereof) but because as a woman who will turn 50 in September, I'm supposed to be Clinton's demographic. Salon's letters pages, as well as the comments sections around the blogosphere, are studded with dismissive, derisive references to bitter old white women.

Next page: The most destructive, divisive refrain in the attacks on Clinton has been the demand since February for her to drop out of the race