2012 Democrats Obama Republicans Wahlkampf

Still Bill: Clinton’s enduring appeal

von unserem Gastautor Jordan Schneider

As Former President Bill Clinton took the stage in Charlotte, only the Big Dog knew what he was going to say. Campaign speechwriters had barely been able to vet his remarks and journalists were unable to get advance copies. When the printed speech was finally handed out to the media it was not particularly helpful: it contained only two-thirds of the words Clinton was to say. Sitting to the side of the stage, I was able to see the teleprompter stop its scroll for minutes on end as the former President ad-libbed. With his half-improvised address Clinton delivered best speech of either Convention, crystallizing the distinctions between Obama and Romney on domestic policy.

The President’s speech turned back the clock on political dialogue. Most other addresses of both conventions ran on the same template: the politician began with a story of their personal life (“I struggled with a health challenge”) then connected back to one talking point (“I support Obamacare because Obama cares!”). These ‘microtargeted’ speeches were aimed at voters who have one particular interest issue. While they lend themselves to the 24-hour news cycle and may deliver a clever sound bite or two, they don’t provide a comprehensive view of the election. Clinton’s speech did just that, summing up the whole race in just two sentences.

“In Tampa, the Republican argument against the president’s re-election was actually pretty simple — pretty snappy,” he said. “It went something like this: We left him a total mess. He hasn’t cleaned it up fast enough. So fire him and put us back in.” To rebut this, he summed up Obama’s claim to reelection: “He inherited a deeply damaged economy. He put a floor under the crash. He began the long, hard road to recovery and laid the foundation for a modern, more well- balanced economy that will produce millions of good new jobs, vibrant new businesses and lots of new wealth for innovators.” In months of campaigning Obama has yet to deliver such a crisp and convincing defense of his first term.

Equally impressive was Clinton’s ability to defuse Republican critiques by explaining policy nuances usually drowned out by distorting rhetoric. For example, take his gutting of the GOP critique that Obama allegedly robbed Medicare of $716 billion. He explained in plain English “what really happened”: that the President cut “unwarranted subsidies to providers and insurance companies that were not making people healthier and were not necessary to get the providers to provide the service.” He then used this money to help get more Americans coverage and make sure the Medicare trust fund remained solvent until 2024. Next, he flipped the accusation back on the Republicans, accusing Ryan of being the one to propose a $716 billion cut to Medicare. Clinton then delivered his best improvised line of the night: “You got to get one thing,” he said with a broad smile, “it takes some brass to attack a guy for doing what you did.”

Clinton was also notable for his praise of ‘reasonable’ Republicans, a theme absent in every other DNC speech. “Maybe just because I grew up in a different time,” Clinton said, “but though I often disagree with Republicans, I actually never learned to hate them the way the far right that now controls their party seems to hate our President and a lot of other Democrats.” He praised the other party in a way no other Democrat or Republican dared during either of the two conventions, and somehow coaxed die-hard liberal delegates to applaud George W. Bush for this commitment to combatting AIDS abroad. Clinton made today’s Democrats look like the sane ones in a broken system.

Convention speeches are not as important as they used to be in America. With hundreds of channels the potency of National Conventions has been diluted. Though network stations carry one hour of the convention a night, only twenty million Americans tuned in to watch Clinton’s speech—mostly Democrats looking to cheer on their hero. The first game of the American Football season aired at the same time as Clinton as drew nearly as many viewers. However this speech and the former President’s clear commitment to supporting Obama will have significant ramifications over the next two months. Anointed the “Secretary of Explaining Stuff” by Obama, Clinton will travel to battleground states to support the Democrats’ cause. In particular, he can reach out to middle class White males that the President has been struggling to win over. Clinton’s southern twang, finger wagging, and country schoolteacher charm may just be enough to return Obama to the White House.

Jordan Schneider is a senior at Yale University and former White House intern. He volunteered with the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, blogging for the official Convention website.

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