Hillary Clinton's 2008 DNC Address (Full Speech with Narration)

The political wound here was still fresh: Clinton had just lost a hard-fought Democratic primary to Obama months earlier, and this speech required her to set that loss aside publicly and rally her own supporters behind the man who'd beaten her. Narration covers the bruising 2008 primary and the state of the general election against John McCain, along with a biography of Clinton's Senate career and historic primary run, before the complete August 26, 2008 address plays in full. The rhetorical challenge is the core of what makes this speech notable: Clinton has to simultaneously validate her own supporters' disappointment and firmly redirect their energy toward Obama, repeatedly using the refrain "whether you voted for me or voted for Barack" to fold both camps into a single audience rather than pretending the primary rift never happened. Included in this program: Context on the 2008 Democratic primary and the general election ahead A biography of Clinton's Senate career and historic candidacy Analysis of the speech's dual-audience rhetorical strategy The complete convention address, unedited Subscribe for more complete historical addresses with narrated context. #HillaryClinton #2008DNC #FullSpeech #Rhetoric #BarackObama #DemocraticParty