Absolutely. My head kind of spun at little at Fineman's analysis -- it made no sense! Also, dead on with 'she wants her moment'. I think to a certain extent rightfully so. But the sooner she wants to take that moment, the better.

Agreed on all counts, Todd.

Give her credit--there's never a dull moment!

but she could have been graciousness.  It was his night but she tried to grab the spotlight.  The idea of encouraging a petition drive for her as VP makes it impossible to believe she is psychically fit for the job.

I dont thinks it a big deal she didn't concede tonight either.

Maybe she could coordinate something with all the higher ups (like Pelosi, Dean, Reid, Roosevelt) in the party and do some kind of big endorsement of Obama later this week. this ways she shows she is moving with the party. It would be pretty cool.

I thought the night went well, no concession and all.

As a die-hard Obama supporter I concur completely.  While it would have been nice for her to conceed tonight, I understand why she didn't... and thankfully I don't think it will impact the historic nature of the night.

And yet as you said, if she hasn't conceded by the end of the week, the party (and especially the prominent Clinton supporters) need to step in and try to force the reconciliation that we desperately need.

the party together against McCain.

She chose to widen the chasm.

I hope she somehow pressures him into agreeing to let her push her health care plan in the 111th Congress.

I have a feeling its more about making back a little of that campaign debt, however.

tonights speech did nothing to get her there. Obama can't make her VEEP now that she's threatened to take her ball home if she doesn't get what she wants (and that was exactly what the speech was). It would be a sign of weakness... so tonight Hillary has ruined her own best shot at being on the ticket.

...people have been "wondering what she's thinking" for months now.

that won't change.

I do hope she conceeds but it doesn't really matter if she does or doesn't.  She'd just be hurting herself.

i don't have a problem with her not conceding as much as i have a problem with her making it sound like she's still fighting and willing to take it to Denver.

Most candidates in this position just give a short speech that doesn't address the issue and just quickly thank their campaign staff and give credit to the nominee.  And then, you expect the concession speech the next day.  The problem was, her speech sounded nothing like that.

But, you are right.  If she concedes within the week, it won't be that bad.

" I don't really get that, since VP would make her the presumptive nominee in 2016 and would enable her to have a high profile post from which to champion such issues as universal healthcare. "

Isn't being in the Senate a good place to champion issues since  she will actually be able to write the legislation instead of just asking for it as would be the case if she is in the exec. branch?

Tonight was about a historic moment, she made it all about her.

What candidate, forget Obama, put another face in his place, want to deal with that?  Really, who does?

She is just too much.  She is angry at not getting this nomination and she just need to be angry at herself for what happened.

Comparing Obama to Clinton is apples vs. oranges, don't see NO VP SLOT offered to her.

Fineman's an idiot. He always says some source told him something that turns out to be false. Everyone else close to Hillary says she wants VP.

I personally hope it doesn't happen.

I'm hoping for:

Schwietzer
Sebelius
Warner

the pundits said she would concede tonight ,

they were wrong again.

She would continue to run circles around them , defy them against the odds and march to her own beat.

Fineman's theory makes no sense.  He has proven himself to be full of shit on many other occasions as well, so I wouldn't give it much credence.

In the past I've doubted whether Hillary wants to be VP, but tonight convinced me.  That's what she is after.  We'll see what happens - huge upsides and downsides.

I cannot speak for other men or for other Obama supporters. What I can say is that when any candidate, male or female, adopts the position, "I'm entitled," they lose my respect and support.

"Personally, I don't think it's a big deal that she didn't concede tonight. Come on, tonight was Obama's night; she wants her concession to be her moment and hers alone."

The point is she distracted from "his" moment and continued to undermine him.

"I won, I won, I won and I'm not getting out." becomes the story. She had the opportunity to pass the torch, unify and strengthen the party in one master stroke while still holding on to her power and even increasing her power.

She blew "her moment".

Also by enumerating "what she wants" she gives the impression that Obama doesn't want the same thing when nothing could be further from the truth.

All this over the back drop of McCain's pitiful prebuttal speech in NOLA.

This would have put him back on his heels big time.

I feel for her, but when she pulls crap like this to undermine the party's nominee for "her moment" my blood boils.

there's only three days left this week.

start wondering.

If she really doesn't want to be Veep, then why is Lanny starting a petition?

start wondering.

....to put it mildly, has come to hold Senator Clinton in minimum high regard. she can do a lot more for the one issue where she has some credibility, (health care) and her reputation, as a Senator than as Vice President.

She wants to be president.  What she's going to find out is that there is no consolation prize which will compensate for this loss.  It will be a great sign if she's realizing that the VP slot would be a guided cage.  This wouldn't necessarily make her the presumptive nominee in 2016.  She doesn't need the bump in name recognition an unknown would.  This would, however, make it impossible for her to participate in the great issues of the day for the next eight years as anything more than a loyal soldier.  Sign of respect?  Not in the way which matters.

Now that the last race has been run, I think people will be surprised how fast she drops out of the news (if the Dems are smart would give her two weeks, tops).  She'll have her big night at the convention.  And her political future, to no small extent, will depend upon what happens in November (that she'll have one seems obvious, but what it will be is something I don't think anyone can predict today).

But there was a need to train her guns on McCain.

It was perfectly fine to tout her accomplishments and her never-say-die attitude. As Obama graciously put it, he is a stronger candidate because of her.

But she gave no indication that the real opponent moving forward is John McCain.  She acted as if she was still making a case for superdelegates to come to her. Her tone was ungracious.

She did not need to concede the election - not in a setting like that. But she should have been much more gracious toward the nominee. Instead, she looked like a sore loser. And that's something that will haunt her for a very long time unless she redresses that soon.

Nobody really cares if she concedes tonight or a week from now, just as long as she concedes soon and we can unite the party.

Oh and as far as VP.

She shouldn't take it and she shouldn't insist that it is offered to her.

She'll have much more power in the Senate now and can use it to leverage for her UHC plan, insuring her place in history for eternity.

She would also walk, into the White House in 2016, scratch that, be carried into the White House on velvet pillows.

VP would be beneath her and if I were Obama, I wouldn't want her around after she tried to undermine me in every way possible.

Lanny Davis is floating a petition to have her as VP.

But, here is a thought.  All of these Clinton people suggesting she has to be his VP are really realizing that there only path to continued power is to have her as VP.  There is a big difference to having a friend as VP and being friends with the Sen. from NY.  Even if it is Hillary.

I don't buy this notion that she wants her concession speech to be her moment alone. I mean, it is a concession speech! This is something you want to spit out and then go on your way.

Tonight was the night to give the concession speech. You give the concession speech when you lose. It was official tonight. Obama is the Democratic nominee. You may not like it, but you put a smile on and give your full support to your party.

This should have been Obama's night. We should not be focused on  Hillary. It is a historic night. Hillary basically blew it by not recognizing his victory.

It was interesting that in Obama's speech he stressed her work on Health Care and the poor which could be paving the way for a Secretary of Health and Human Services as a much more important cabinet position.

I used to think that Hillary wanted the VP slot to set herself up for 2016, but, I agree with Incognito, and I think Fineman may ultimately turn out to be right.  

Fineman convinced me when he said that