Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, September 5, 2012
2012 Bill Clinton Just Blew the Doors Off Charlotte at the DNC
Posted by Paul Constant on Wed, Sep 5, 2012 at 8:34 PM
I had never seen Bill Clinton speak in person before; he really killed this room dead. Barack Obama has his job cut out for him tomorrow night. What do you think, Slog? Will anybody remember Elizabeth Warren and Sandra Fluke's speeches after Bill's tour-de-force? Was Bill as good as I think he was? Can President Obama up his game? Will any of this speechifying matter come election time? Will I ever get back to my bed through this mob of 25,000 Clinton-drunk Democrats? Tune in tomorrow—same Slog-time, same Slog-channel.
3
That was amazing. I have no words. I have never seen a speech this good, from anybody in any party. There was so, so much substance, so many details, every argument in the book was presented or countered, and he was so entertaining. Every criticism the Republicans have used he analyzed, one-by-one, and refuted. Even the driest economy or budget issue he talked about. He closed the book one everything. And it was all perfectly easy to follow. THAT is art. He just put on a clinic for how to deliver a speech, and nobody's going to top it. Obama's not going to top it tomorrow, or ever. (Sorry.)
4
You're really saying that it's a shame we don't have such a competent president as opposed to our nig-nog-in-chief.
Face it. Obama doesn't have a vision of the future for the American people. There will be no "the only thing we have to fear" or "ask not what your country can do for you" or even "the great silent majority" out of our classist pot-smoking yet pot-smoker punishing nig-nog-in-chief.
Shit, there's enough evidence to put his ass in prison. Yet he will more than happily doom legions to prison-rape for the same things he's absolutely culpable for.
Face it. Obama doesn't have a vision of the future for the American people. There will be no "the only thing we have to fear" or "ask not what your country can do for you" or even "the great silent majority" out of our classist pot-smoking yet pot-smoker punishing nig-nog-in-chief.
Shit, there's enough evidence to put his ass in prison. Yet he will more than happily doom legions to prison-rape for the same things he's absolutely culpable for.
6
Obama is different than Clinton in his delivery, and he is every bit as wonky as Clinton but he does not brink a litany of policy concerns to his general speeches. Obama has a more measured sense of span and he understands the arc of speech like no one else. I don't see how you can't consider Obama as the best orator in post-war American politics.
9
No sleep for Obama's speech writers tonight.
The Big Dog brought the fight right to the Republicans door, through it, into the living, jumped up on the couch and made himself at home. They got nothing and Bill made that clear.
Of course tomorrow we'll have to listen to the Republican's complain that the Big Dog is licking himself while laying on their couch. But that's our Big Dog and we love him for that too.
Obama has been successfully playing rope a dope with the Republican's his entire term, tomorrow he comes off the ropes, once again.
Their styles are different but Obama and Clinton both know how to play this game.
The Big Dog brought the fight right to the Republicans door, through it, into the living, jumped up on the couch and made himself at home. They got nothing and Bill made that clear.
Of course tomorrow we'll have to listen to the Republican's complain that the Big Dog is licking himself while laying on their couch. But that's our Big Dog and we love him for that too.
Obama has been successfully playing rope a dope with the Republican's his entire term, tomorrow he comes off the ropes, once again.
Their styles are different but Obama and Clinton both know how to play this game.
10
This is the first big Clinton speech I've seen as an adult. It was beyond description. He is truly a tour de force. Obama is amazing but Clinton is better. i think Obama will be comparably amazing but MAN does he have his work cut out for him.
11
I was picturing Obama watching and going "Oh God, get him off." Obama's going to have to suppress his law professor stuff tomorrow night and be the preacher. Even so, nobody can preach like Bill.
13
@8,
He's a racist, shit-brained fuck. I actually went to the trouble of looking at his profile and got all of 26 words into his most recent post (he's posted something since his comically ignorant rant there @4) before he called Charles a "darky."
Stay classy there, dawg.
He's a racist, shit-brained fuck. I actually went to the trouble of looking at his profile and got all of 26 words into his most recent post (he's posted something since his comically ignorant rant there @4) before he called Charles a "darky."
Stay classy there, dawg.
14
OK, @6 is right. Obama is an orator; Clinton's a schmoozer. And Obama's got really good timing. But the O campaign better get Clinton out on the trail, along with Julian Castro and the rest of the crew who don't have their own campaigns to run.
15
Clinton blew it...too long too rambeling more about himself than Obumble ! Not one word about a new well thought out policy ...nothing to rival romneys 5 point plan, bloviating spin for 50 minutes ! Sad day for you Dems, talk and speeches do not create jobs, real business men do ! You have lost this election, thank God !
18
Never mind. I don't need you slackers. I'm pulling myself up by C-Span's bootstraps: http://www.c-span.org/DNC/Events/Bill-Cl… .
19
@13: It's a shame such a shithead got such a great handle. Everytime I hear Frank Zappa saying "this is the central scroooooootinizer" on Joe's Garage I have to laugh.
@15: will you guys ever learn that the ever more puerile Obama name calling does nothing but make you look like a bunch of fucking morons?
@15: will you guys ever learn that the ever more puerile Obama name calling does nothing but make you look like a bunch of fucking morons?
21
Amazing speech. That was the most substance and facts I've heard in a political speech... ever? And for its depth, he also worked in such great lines. "To sum the surplus up in one word: Arithmetic." "Don't double down on trickle down." I loved it.
22
I'm with @3. Obama talks pretty but just doesn't connect like Bill does. Obama lectures; Bill explains. I figure the crowd will get sufficiently riled up to hide the deficiencies.
Elizabeth Warren was pretty damn good too.
Elizabeth Warren was pretty damn good too.
23
Tim Keck and Dan Savage are racist fucks for publishing hate speech like #4. Act like every civilized blog on the planet and ban white supremacist idiots. A spam ad gets deleted in 30 seconds, but you happily allow this shit - there's no way it's a coincidence that your staff is almost exclusively white.
24
@15 - I'm sure you're right. Certainly Obama won't get nearly the convention bump that Romney got after Tampa. What with this Charlotte party being such a sucky mess and all. Here's to real business men, indeed! Go industry! Yay!
25
And thank you Tim Keck and Dan Savage for *respecting free speech*, even when you don't like what someone else is saying. When a white supremecist's First Amendment rights are taken away, mine or yours might be next...
26
I turned it on just because I thought I should watch, figuring I'd probably doze off after about 15 minutes, but I was mesmerized! It was a brilliant speech--historical context, actual facts, analysis, knowledge-- charisma! I was sorry when it ended (except by then I had to pee).
Unfortunately I'm not sure how much of an effect rationality and logic like this will have on the "anyone but Obama" crowd. I suspect not much.
My biggest worry is when (not if!) Obama enters his second term he will be subjected to the same 4-year 24/7 Republican witch hunt that Clinton had to endure.
Unfortunately I'm not sure how much of an effect rationality and logic like this will have on the "anyone but Obama" crowd. I suspect not much.
My biggest worry is when (not if!) Obama enters his second term he will be subjected to the same 4-year 24/7 Republican witch hunt that Clinton had to endure.
28
@ 22 -- On a related note: something that came to mind while watching Clinton was that politicians should be more like those professors I had who were well steeped in their subject.
29
25- You've got to be kidding. Blog comments aren't protected by the first amendment, and Slog is already censoring the content of speech through registration and deleting advertising. They've just decided bigotry is completely acceptable on their private property (as long as it's aimed at black people).
If someone was kicked out of the DNC, or McDonald's, or your house for spouting hate speech, would you seriously think it was a freedom of speech issue?
If someone was kicked out of the DNC, or McDonald's, or your house for spouting hate speech, would you seriously think it was a freedom of speech issue?
30
@8 In case you haven't yet figured it out, it's highly offensive Brit slang for any person with dark skin.
33
@23 dude.. whatevs.. let them foam at the mouth all they want, here or anywhere else, i feel much much better hearing @4 call our president a 'nig nog' instead of all them other mugs dress that shit up as something else . from romney on down this is what they think but won't say. dude says so there can be no doubt that the entire of the opposition's view on the president is deeply rascist. deeply
and tim keck and dan savage and the rest of them ain't racist for letting them say it here. put a light on this shit and watch it shrivel, wither and die.
and by the way i got called anig nog for the first time in these hallowed halls and it almost made me cry. fooled me once.won't get fooled again.
and tim keck and dan savage and the rest of them ain't racist for letting them say it here. put a light on this shit and watch it shrivel, wither and die.
and by the way i got called anig nog for the first time in these hallowed halls and it almost made me cry. fooled me once.won't get fooled again.
35
Blog comments certainly are protected by the First Amedment, just not from site administrators.
Whence comes this assumption that the nominee has to be the most captivating speaker at the convention? Is Bill Clinton on the ballot? No? Then what the fuck are you guys talking about? You're gonna vote for Romney cause Obama couldn't match Clinton's speech? Gimme a break.
Whence comes this assumption that the nominee has to be the most captivating speaker at the convention? Is Bill Clinton on the ballot? No? Then what the fuck are you guys talking about? You're gonna vote for Romney cause Obama couldn't match Clinton's speech? Gimme a break.
36
Clinton is a great orator and don't forget also a scholar from way back. Anybody would have trouble giving a better speech than the one he gave tonight. I'm a wonk and I learned a thing or two tonight, because Clinton explained is so easily and seemingly effortlessly. What's pissing me off is the Republicans saying how much they love Willie now ("he worked with us!") after trying to impeach him. What a bunch of racist liars. And the election is partly about race; why would you make your purpose as a public servant to get rid of the president instead of working on the economy? You don't want no uppity "nig-nog" in the oval office, that's why.
37
Of course Bill slew.
He's Bill.
And yes, I do think Obama will do just fine tomorrow night.
In the first place, he's Barack Obama. Sure, he's the best Republican president since Bill Clinton, but one thing they both have that most Republicans lack is the gift of the gab. Bill is a Rhodes scholar and folksy yahoo. Barack is one of the most lovably charismatic nerds in history. Bill is arrogant enough, to the one, to think to himself, "Top that, Mr. President." And Barack is good enough at this part that he very well might.
To the second, though, I would point to a contrast between the party conventions. The Republicans, whose year this ought to be, celebrated with viciousness. Democrats appear, so far, to simply be celebrating. Republicans whipped up the frenzy with nastiness. Democrats seem to be having an easier time building enthusiasm. It's as if things are backwards, and an incumbent party in a bad year has come to the realization that this is their game to lose.
Like Michelle Obama's speech. She's getting high marks from every corner of the media world for tearing Mitt to shreds without mentioning his name. It's a comfortable position to be in. For some reason Republicans are acting like they have something to prove, and Democrats seem happy enough to let them.
One would think Bill walked on water. Barack very well might fly. I'm expecting some degree of transdimensional coolness from Obama.
He's Bill.
And yes, I do think Obama will do just fine tomorrow night.
In the first place, he's Barack Obama. Sure, he's the best Republican president since Bill Clinton, but one thing they both have that most Republicans lack is the gift of the gab. Bill is a Rhodes scholar and folksy yahoo. Barack is one of the most lovably charismatic nerds in history. Bill is arrogant enough, to the one, to think to himself, "Top that, Mr. President." And Barack is good enough at this part that he very well might.
To the second, though, I would point to a contrast between the party conventions. The Republicans, whose year this ought to be, celebrated with viciousness. Democrats appear, so far, to simply be celebrating. Republicans whipped up the frenzy with nastiness. Democrats seem to be having an easier time building enthusiasm. It's as if things are backwards, and an incumbent party in a bad year has come to the realization that this is their game to lose.
Like Michelle Obama's speech. She's getting high marks from every corner of the media world for tearing Mitt to shreds without mentioning his name. It's a comfortable position to be in. For some reason Republicans are acting like they have something to prove, and Democrats seem happy enough to let them.
One would think Bill walked on water. Barack very well might fly. I'm expecting some degree of transdimensional coolness from Obama.
38
@19
I figure that the monicker is just a self-congratulatory indulgence for the poster's self-appointment as watchdog of black people in the CD.
I figure that the monicker is just a self-congratulatory indulgence for the poster's self-appointment as watchdog of black people in the CD.
39
@37 Tonight Bill walked on water. Last night Michelle flew. All eyes and hopes are on the Pres tomorrow.
41
One more question for your list: Will Paul Constant be able to recover his journalistic bon fides after admitting he "had never seen Bill Clinton speak in person before"?
42
Bill Clinton gave one of the best political attack speeches that any of us have seen in our lifetimes or are likely too. That was his job, to blast down the walls of the citadel of false conservatism that is today's Republican party. He was the perfect man for the job, is and always has been more liberal then Obama.
Clinton, center left, Obama, center right. It is a reality of both time and circumstance. It well may be that Obama in his heart of hearts hews more left then his actions have demonstrated but even if that is true he could not, can not, play the center left game Clinton does.
Clinton does it, has always done it and gets called the "first black president". If Obama were to play it the way Clinton does he'd just be an uppity nigger.
But none of that matters. Because the Republican party has gone so radical, that the terms left, right, liberal, conservative, no longer apply.
Four years ago Obama's slogan was "Hope and Change". Today it is simply "Forward". Why? Because after he won the Republicans, led by the Tea Baggers, the Neocons, and the apocalyptic Christians dove head first into irrational fear and despair.
Romney can't lead the Republicans out of that apocalyptic fear and despair, How could he? Romney has never taken a true risk in his life, never felt despair.
Oh sure as a Mormon perhaps he has felt a tiny twinge of outsiderness, but just a pin prick, never to his bone. He can't lift his frightened Republican constituency out of their fear of the future, spur them to act in service to their better natures for the simple reason they are foreign to him.
Romney can't reach out and touch the fears and insecurities he is playing with. That's why he keeps getting jerked all over the place. It's why he flips flops and constantly back peddles,
More...
Clinton, center left, Obama, center right. It is a reality of both time and circumstance. It well may be that Obama in his heart of hearts hews more left then his actions have demonstrated but even if that is true he could not, can not, play the center left game Clinton does.
Clinton does it, has always done it and gets called the "first black president". If Obama were to play it the way Clinton does he'd just be an uppity nigger.
But none of that matters. Because the Republican party has gone so radical, that the terms left, right, liberal, conservative, no longer apply.
Four years ago Obama's slogan was "Hope and Change". Today it is simply "Forward". Why? Because after he won the Republicans, led by the Tea Baggers, the Neocons, and the apocalyptic Christians dove head first into irrational fear and despair.
Romney can't lead the Republicans out of that apocalyptic fear and despair, How could he? Romney has never taken a true risk in his life, never felt despair.
Oh sure as a Mormon perhaps he has felt a tiny twinge of outsiderness, but just a pin prick, never to his bone. He can't lift his frightened Republican constituency out of their fear of the future, spur them to act in service to their better natures for the simple reason they are foreign to him.
Romney can't reach out and touch the fears and insecurities he is playing with. That's why he keeps getting jerked all over the place. It's why he flips flops and constantly back peddles,
43
Dang, I wish I was at the DNC. Looks like y'all are having a high time in Charlotte.
Sandra Fluke was great. All the speakers have been great so far. Clinton is a pro and he did not disappoint last night.
Looking forward to another late night.
Sandra Fluke was great. All the speakers have been great so far. Clinton is a pro and he did not disappoint last night.
Looking forward to another late night.
44
@43: I think the best part of Fluke's speech, was when she said that where republicans just tried to shut her up, the democrats gave her a microphone. Could not have framed the two options better.
One is truly the party of freedom, one the party of oppression.
@29: So you have some kind of special constitution that specifically says that blog comments are not speech? If you can not handle other people saying disgusting, horrid things, then you should not be an American, and certainly not on the internet.
How dare you enjoy a right and try to take it from other people at the same time. I revile stupid, racist comments as much as anyone, but people have a right to say them. Just like I have the right to tell you to fuck off and clutch your pearls elsewhere.
One is truly the party of freedom, one the party of oppression.
@29: So you have some kind of special constitution that specifically says that blog comments are not speech? If you can not handle other people saying disgusting, horrid things, then you should not be an American, and certainly not on the internet.
How dare you enjoy a right and try to take it from other people at the same time. I revile stupid, racist comments as much as anyone, but people have a right to say them. Just like I have the right to tell you to fuck off and clutch your pearls elsewhere.
45
So Paulk, what about the whole:
"God was in the Democrap Platform,
right before He was out of it..." Fiasco?
And that floor vote?
Democrapsy is action, Right?
AWESOME!
Sadly, it is a "Worst of Both Worlds" Shitstorm.....
The Angry Atheist Secularists are not happy.
(are they ever?...)
In fact they are Pissed.
Over the Shitty Humiliating way the were screwed over.
Reamed.
God is not Happy.
He can count.
He is not deaf.
He knows the Democraps really voted to kick him off the Island.
He will not forget.
Priceless.....
"God was in the Democrap Platform,
right before He was out of it..." Fiasco?
And that floor vote?
Democrapsy is action, Right?
AWESOME!
Sadly, it is a "Worst of Both Worlds" Shitstorm.....
The Angry Atheist Secularists are not happy.
(are they ever?...)
In fact they are Pissed.
Over the Shitty Humiliating way the were screwed over.
Reamed.
God is not Happy.
He can count.
He is not deaf.
He knows the Democraps really voted to kick him off the Island.
He will not forget.
Priceless.....
48
47, Again, that is also only in your head. I'm casting a wiccan curse on you!
Light of day. Dark of night. May you never stop trolling on this website!
Light of day. Dark of night. May you never stop trolling on this website!
49
@42: Do I understand you right? You think Obama is to the right of Bill Clinton? I think most would say its the other way around, given Bill's work on welfare reform and declaring that the era of big government is over.
Or do you think because Obama agreed to extend the Bush tax rates in 2010 (or 11?) puts him in that column?
Or do you think because Obama agreed to extend the Bush tax rates in 2010 (or 11?) puts him in that column?
50
@49: Crazy! I agree with Gay Dude for Romney about something! (ie, that I am not sure how you would come to the conclusion that Obama is to the right of Clinton)
I am actually an old person who remembers the entirety of Clinton's presidency, and I definitely recall it being kind of a truism on the left that Clinton was very middle right and his first term was like Reagan's third term.
But maybe it always goes that way. If you are a Republican, the last Democratic president was much better and less left wing than the current guy. The current Republican is never right wing enough, unlike the last guy who was perfect.
If you are a Democrat, the current Republican is always much worse and more right wing than the last guy, while the current Democrat is never left wing enough, unlike the last guy who was perfect.
I'm still pretty sure that president Romney would instantly reset the bar, so ably established by W, of "worst president ever." But then that record would only stand until the next Republican...
I am actually an old person who remembers the entirety of Clinton's presidency, and I definitely recall it being kind of a truism on the left that Clinton was very middle right and his first term was like Reagan's third term.
But maybe it always goes that way. If you are a Republican, the last Democratic president was much better and less left wing than the current guy. The current Republican is never right wing enough, unlike the last guy who was perfect.
If you are a Democrat, the current Republican is always much worse and more right wing than the last guy, while the current Democrat is never left wing enough, unlike the last guy who was perfect.
I'm still pretty sure that president Romney would instantly reset the bar, so ably established by W, of "worst president ever." But then that record would only stand until the next Republican...
51
Wow, this was actually my first time watching Clinton speak (I'm a youngin) and godamn I regret never getting a chance to vote for him.
That was incredible.
That was incredible.
52
@49 What you fail to look at is the fact that Obama has embraced nearly the entire Republican platform reguarding Foreign wars, indefinite detention, torture, also moving far right by grabbing the power to execute American citizens without due process, etc. By most measures Obama has governed like a Reagan or Nixon era Republican, just on surveillence powers alone he is to the right of either of them. If you notice there is no debate being had over Romney and Obama's stances for currently foreign policy or domestic surveillence powers, they are virtually identical minus key things like Romney getting confused about which global powers are actually a threat to us.
53
@41:
FWIW, Clinton left office in early 2001, when Paul would have been maybe 13 or 14 years old, so it's not at all surprising he wouldn't have seen him speak in person before now.
FWIW, Clinton left office in early 2001, when Paul would have been maybe 13 or 14 years old, so it's not at all surprising he wouldn't have seen him speak in person before now.
54
DNC highlight reel ----
1- Clinton making the case that:
Obama hasn't gotten the job done-not even close- but, hey!- even a demigod like me couldn't have done it.....(plus reminding everyone how much they miss Bill and what a limp noodle Obama is)
2- The vicious snarling angry rank and file Democraps rejecting God and Jerusalem (with the yummy icing of the total fiasco hamfisted clumsy way in which it was handled, managing to Piss Off and Disgust, literally, every band on the ideological spectrum- the Godless Heathens know they had the votes to defeat the measure but were screwed over and ignored and humiliated and Godfearing Real America not at all fooled by the cosmetic repair to the platform.)
Priceless.........
3- Obama's limp speech, confirming the impression of inadequacy created by Bill's boffo performance and hinting at the job numbers to come....
4- the truly frighteningly GRIM job numbers that rushed in before the hangovers were even gone mocking the Democraps party.
damn. You couldn't make up stuff this good.......
1- Clinton making the case that:
Obama hasn't gotten the job done-not even close- but, hey!- even a demigod like me couldn't have done it.....(plus reminding everyone how much they miss Bill and what a limp noodle Obama is)
2- The vicious snarling angry rank and file Democraps rejecting God and Jerusalem (with the yummy icing of the total fiasco hamfisted clumsy way in which it was handled, managing to Piss Off and Disgust, literally, every band on the ideological spectrum- the Godless Heathens know they had the votes to defeat the measure but were screwed over and ignored and humiliated and Godfearing Real America not at all fooled by the cosmetic repair to the platform.)
Priceless.........
3- Obama's limp speech, confirming the impression of inadequacy created by Bill's boffo performance and hinting at the job numbers to come....
4- the truly frighteningly GRIM job numbers that rushed in before the hangovers were even gone mocking the Democraps party.
damn. You couldn't make up stuff this good.......
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