Yep. I thought the speech wasn’t that great an endorsement. She talked a lot about herself and her campaign, and the history of women getting the right to vote. But she didn’t talk much about Obama.
She could have given the same exact speech if the nominee was John Edwards.
She was more human and less shrill than previous efforts. She did herself more good than she did good for Obama.
Obama's objective was to convince Hillary supporters the they could conscientiously, even enthusiastically, transfer their support to Obama. I think Hillary delivered in the sense that her followers can now in good conscience transfer their affiliation to Obama. I do not think they will do so enthusiastically.
Hillary's objective was more nuanced. Her task was to propitiate expectations for party loyalty and to avoid criticism for being a sore head but not to generate enough enthusiasm to get Barak Obama elected. I think she probably succeeded in both of these objectives.
Despite Hillary's repeated exhortations to elect Obama. I did not get the feeling that the enthusiasm she generated was anything but transitory, without legs, and did not reach beyond the hall. In other words, television viewers, the only ones who count, will not have been moved enough to walk their precincts or even take out their billfolds.
Best case analysis for the Obama forces, Hillary might have moved sentiment a point or two but it is not a groundswell, it is not permanent, and will not have markedly improved Obama's chances.
It was all me, me, me. And Mrs. Obama did not look happy at all.