Lady's night

By Samantha Hayes, for NEWS 9

August 26, 2008

DENVER -- A year ago, it seemed inevitable. The polls and the Democratic party were pointing to Hillary Clinton as the probable nominee.  This could have been her convention. Or at the very least, it could have been their convention.

That's the feeling many of Clinton's supporters are trying to reconcile this week in Denver. Their candidate, who 18 million people voted for during the primary season, missed winning the nomination by a very slim margin.  Her supporters may have been willing to make peace if she could have joined him, but Obama did not invite her to be his running mate. That position went to a man she very much respects, Senate colleague Joe Biden.

 Clinton will take the stage tonight. And on this, the eighty eighth anniversary of the day women won the right to vote, she will urge her supporters, many of them female, to vote for Barack Obama.  Even after all the talk of unity within the party, it will still be a hard sell.

On Wednesday, Clinton will meet with her convention delegates in a reception where she will praise their commitment and thank them for their support. While her name will be in nomination, it is understood as a symbolic gesture to her historic campaign, and not an attempt at a convention coup.  Wednesday's roll call is even further orchestrated, where apparently some votes will be cast for Clinton before a call for Obama to be nominated.  That call may even come from Clinton herself.  And there's a bit of marketing going on as well. Some of her supporters are wearing red pins that say "Hillary supports Obama, and so do I."

It may seem that at this point, Clinton has nothing left to lose, or win for that matter. But she does have the opportunity to be the one to bring her party together. And if she executes that role effectively, and the party truly leaves Denver united, she could be the star of the convention.