Bill Clinton’s a great speechifier, if not a bit long-winded. He’s sure capable of giving a fire-up-the-troops-type speech. I just wonder if he will tonight.
Will he give the conventions’s first highly-watched “red-meat speech,” as the kids are calling it nowadays, shredding the ballsack of John McCain with rusty nails? And I’m trying to remember, is he known for going for the opponent’s jugular in his speeches, or is he more about hope and highlighting the positive?
My opinion is that he needs to say something like, “Barack Obama wants the job I held for eight years, and Barack Obama is ready to hold that job.” To me, anything less is still going to be seen as a half-endorsement by the Clintons.
The New York Times said his speech is slotted for 10 minutes - less than half of Hillary’s, although I don’t know how much time she was officially gives - and that he hasn’t shared a draft of his comments with Obama’s people. Hillary didn’t allow for much input either and that worked out well. I think the “fear” of a trainwreck will actually cause more people to pay attention and perhaps allow it to have more impact.
The torch has been passed. Goody-bye, Bill. You may still be able to accomplish a lot, but the Party has moved on. Do something non-political if you want to still be out there.
IIRC the Obama campaign gave him some pointers on what they would like the speech to be about and Clinton (Bill) did not like it. Scuttlebutt was he wanted it to be more about his accomplishments (e.g. how great everything was while he was in office) to contrast with how much Bush sucks.
Can’t remember where I read that but I’ll look for a cite if someone wants it. Mostly I guess we just have to wait and see. I am surprised in such a tightly scripted event as the Conventions they’d let a wild card on the table. Guessing the ten minute time frame is to allow Obama to not pass out from holding his breath till it’s done.
What I heard (again, no cite) is that the Obama people want him to talk about national security stuff, but that he wants to talk about the economy, which he considers to be his strong point.
I’ve also heard (on cnn.com, I think) that he’s not planning on attending Obama’s speech on Thursday, although Hillary is. No reason was given. I hope it’s because he’s going to go home and make some Obama/Biden signs to stick on his front lawn.
“Do you not think that my bridge to the 21st century would lead to this? When women and African Americans would fight it out to be elected President of the United States?” "There has been a Bush (Boo) or a Clinton (Yea!) in the White House since 1980! “This is two thousand OOOOOOOOOOOOh eight! And it is time for Barack Obama…!!!”
That was a fine speech – his speeches are always fine – but all the way through, I had to wonder if that wasn’t pretty much the same speech he’d have given for whomever won the nomination. He responded to Republican criticism, yet I didn’t get the sense that he thought Obama was special.
Maybe that’s a good thing, not treating Obama like a “deity” or a “rock star”. I dunno. It’s hard to believe him now, after the things he said during the campaign. Politics sucks.
Bill did well by the Party and Obama; I can see that it was painful when he and Hillary wanted to be the candidate. Gotta say I was a little dazed and shocked to see a President who can actually give a great speech, been a long eight years…
I was proud of the crowd for behaving themselves when Bill called McCain a great American who loves his country and is capable of going past totally partisan politics (but happens to be wrong on the war and economy).
