As the early morning hours ticked away and the 2016 presidential race was called for Donald Trump on election night, some critics on social media pounced on Hillary Clinton for not giving a concession speech. While she phoned Trump to officially concede, she did not appear in front of her supporters at the Javits Center in New York, instead letting her campaign manager John Podesta make a brief appearance under that massive glass ceiling so many had thought she was going to shatter.
Yet her delayed remarks Wednesday morning offer one possible reason she waited. This was not just a concession speech, even if it had the gracious calls to her supporters to give Trump "an open mind and a chance to lead." It was also an inspiring message aimed directly at young people, particularly young women and young girls, who Clinton seemed to feel a responsibility to address in the wake of her historic campaign -- and ultimate loss.
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"To the young people, in particular, I hope you will hear this," Clinton said, pausing for emphasis. "I've spent my entire adult life fighting for what I believe in. I've had successes and I've had setbacks -- sometimes really painful ones.
"Many of you are at the beginning of your professional, public and political careers. You will have successes and setbacks, too. This loss hurts. But please never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it," she said, to cheers and applause. "It is. It is worth it."
Hillary Clinton is joined on stage by her husband, Bill Clinton, and her running mate, Tim Kaine, as she addresses supporters in New York City the day after the election. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
Certainly, anyone could have watched a video later online of the speech had it been delivered in the middle of the night, on that vast stage, under that still intact glass ceiling. Yet the importance of the message, and who it was aimed at in particular, allowed for the composure and restraint that was required at such a pivotal and historic moment, even in her loss. And delaying it allowed its message to break through in ways that might have gotten lost in the early morning hours.
