DNC: Bill Clinton on Wednesday

I don't know how much the floor reaction comes across on television, but, inside the Pepsi Center, tonight's reception of President Bill Clinton was rapturous.  Three or four times, the reception seemed to just start to flag and then it would fire up again.  As he began motioning people to settle down, the crowd roared back--again, three or four times.  Clearly delighted, he admitted, "I love this, and I thank you." 

He didn't wait any on the endorsement of Obama.  He put that out there right off the bat, and returned to it throughout the speech, each time full-throated and without equivocation.

He recognized his wife's campaign--and her superb speech--and said that both she, and he, would work for Sen. Obama--"that makes two of us"--and so would another 18 million people.  It was a stroke on behalf of unity, and a reminder that Hillary actually received more actual votes than Sen. Obama.

Clinton worked both foreign and domestic policy.  Earlier in the week, some in the press had speculated that the Obama campaign was trying to rein in Clinton and get him to limit his remarks to foreign policy.  In response, the Obama campaign said that "Bill Clinton can say whatever he wants."  They alloted him 10 minutes, but told him it was all right to go over, which he did by 10 minutes--10 minutes for Bill Clinton?  Best line:  The rest of the world is more likely to be impressed by "the power of our example than by the example of our power."

In his attack on the GOP domestic policy, he reminded people of the broad-based prosperity of the 90's.  This is a message for inside the Democratic Party as well as one outside to the general public.  Sometimes Democrats have forgotten that life in the 90's was pretty good.  Then, he moved to comparing what's being said about Obama today with what had been said about Clinton himself in 1992--too young, too inexperienced.  At the end of the speech, he used Obama's theme of "hope" in a tie to Hope, Arkansas.  It was a pretty deft way of baptizing Obama into the Clinton legacy.

Clinton, as did all the speakers tonight, made a point to say that John McCain is a "good man."  Clinton went on to say of McCain--"He loves his country as much as we do," neatly stealing the patriotism card from the other side. 

In other notes, Clinton said that when Sen. Obama picked Joe Biden for vice president, Obama had "hit one out of the park."  Is this is a signal that it was all right not to vet Hillary?  He then declared Sen. Obama "ready" to be president, making clear what he had failed to make clear in an interview a couple of weeks ago.  He referred to the "fight against HIV/AIDS" twice.  (The Clintons have wide support in the gay community.)

It was classic Clinton.  Unlike, say, Ted Kennedy, Clinton is not an orator of the old school.  Clinton's style is more conversational.  He frames issues in clear, easily understandable language, and seems to come at the issues from the point of view of the working and middle class.  In fact, Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to do well with the working class, which is why he won.

Comments

[Joyce McNeill]

John, still writing at 3:30 a.m.? You must have been as "wired" as I was over last night's fabulous speeches! And Ray and I were thrilled to see the tv camera hone in on you for a few seconds. I've watched President Clinton's speech 2 more times just so we could see "you!" So glad you and Julie are at this historic convention in Denver, and am especially enjoying your accounts of the events on your blog.

[Hypatia]

I wandered over to a few of the more prominent Obama blogs,(not the nutjob ones) which I rarely do these days – too depressing -- to see what they had to say about Clinton’s speech. Mostly grudging or little praise, and one prominent blogger summed up the convention without mentioning the speech of either Clinton. Very nice.

I bet the Republicans were thanking their lucky stars for the 22nd Amendment last night. Aimed belatedly at Roosevelt, it hit a Republican target in Eisenhower initially, but finally got to a Democrat in Bill Clinton.

[John Petty]

Here's the dirty little secret: African-Americans still love the Clintons. They just love Obama more. It's the not-dry-behind-the-ears-yet Young High Liberals who don't like the Clintons, and that's because they don't know much about either history of politics. Obama can have those little twirps.

I'm torn. I'm happy that African-Americans are happy. I have three black neighbors, and they've had a little extra spring in their step for the past six months. It saddens me that, for the first time in my life, I wasn't on the same side as them.

On the other hand, I don't get on that well with the (white) High Liberals who are also in the Obama coalition.

[John Petty]

Hi Joyce. No, you don't get much sleep at a national convention. I didn't in Boston either--the nights are too late, and the mornings too early.