Bill Clinton was once asked why he generated such ire from conservatives, and he said, "Because I won." That's the whole deal for conservatives. If they get beat, the people who beat them are, by definition, unprincipled and power-mad.

At the same time, while this galls the conservatives, they also have a grudging admiration for it. This is the kind of thing they can understand, and--credit where credit is due--they at least view the Clintons as worthy adversaries.

Conservatives I can understand. It's the liberals who baffle me. The Clinton administration was the most progressive administration since FDR. You'd think people would appreciate that more than they do.

Viewed from the perspective of a Clinton supporter, it appears that many people are clueless at the level of misogyny in this campaign as well. The crudeness and immaturity of it was especially disheartening. NBC, in particular, was a major offender, and my estimation of the pompous windbag, Keith Olbermann, could hardly get lower. He's in Bill O'Reilly territory.

The list of incidents of blatant sexism in the media is both exceptionally sorry and depressingly long. I must add that, in all my participation in the Clinton campaign, not one time did I ever hear any racial remark made about Sen. Obama. Yet, many of Sen. Obama's internet and media supporters engaged in sexist name-calling at an incessant and near hysterical level. You would see that if you looked at the campaign from the Clinton point of view. Otherwise--it appears--not.

People say that Hillary inspires them to be able to say to their daughters, "You can grow up and do anything you want, even become President of the United States." After seeing what Hillary Clinton has gone through in the campaign, any father would be out of his mind to want his daughter in that position.

Incidentally, the idea that the Clintons are racists? Who really believes that? Yet, this was trumpeted about with great fanfare to the point that a good portion of the Democratic Party actually believes the Clintons--the Clintons--played the "race card" in the campaign. It's interesting that African-Americans, according to recent polls, continue to hold the Clintons in high regard. It's the other part of Obama's coalition--affluent liberals--who apparently really believe that the Clintons are racists.

From the point of view of a Clinton supporter, the Democratic establishment weighed in against her--not all of it, of course, but certainly enough to dispell another myth, i.e. that the Clintons have exceptional power and secretly control things behind the scenes. This was expressed, one way or another, nearly every dang day. It obviously wasn't true as evidenced by Sen. Obama having two-thirds of the Democratic Rules Committee, and, from the point of view of a Clinton supporter, significantly more influence than she had at the higher levels of the party.

I've expressed my support for Hillary in other posts. In addition to what I've said before, one of the factors that weighed on my personal decision in the first place was the candidates performance in debates. Hillary was always on her game--absolutely thorough, professional and well-spoken. I always thought Bill was smart, but Hillary is smarter. This is a good quality in a president, I don't care what people say.

As the campaign moved on, I came to appreciate other qualities of Sen. Clinton. She's tougher than a box of nails, for one thing. After Iowa, with Obama on a roll through February, she righted herself and fought back with verve, grit, and style. That picture of her hoisting a beer with the boys in the bar in Phillie is, for me, an iconic image. If you're going to be in a fight, you'd want Hillary on your side. I'm honored to be a Clinton delegate to the national convention. She did her supporters proud.