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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

My Take on Bill Clinton’s Speech

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  September 6th, 2012 at 12:47 AM  | 

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Bill Clinton always gives a great speech. I’m not going to knock his speech. Yes, it was filled with factual errors. But this was a convention speech. He played to the crowd and they were putty in his hands.

I do think the delivery and pacing were a bit slow. I do think he shined best when either beating up the GOP, which he clearly enjoyed, and waxing poetically about the nation. He seems most off when he defended Barack Obama.

The speech was a solid Clinton speech that plays well to the crowd, is personable, is so freaking long, and is funny. But there is a serious problem in the speech.

Bill Clinton asked the crowd if they were better off than they were four years ago and they all cheered back “yes.”

That was not wise. The Romney campaign and outside groups are going to use that. The Democrats, trying to paint the GOP as out of touch, are increasingly out of touch or just denying reality. That’s going to hurt them.

Bill Clinton, in that one moment, undermined Barack Obama’s whole re-election effort.

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  • piquerish

    Yes, but remember, they have God on their side. They just allowed Him into the tent through the servants’ entrance a little while ago, along with some disheveled looking Israelis.

  • stumpy

    5 5

  • Melody Warbington

    Erick, do you think he did that on purpose?

    I thought the fake charm failed to mask the insincerity. Just don’t think he believed his own lies.

  • http://www.erickerickson.org Erick Erickson

    I think most of what Bill Clinton does he does on purpose.

  • ctredstater

    it was classic Clinton – in every respect. Krauthammer’s summary had a lot of good points in it. Cynics will note that the truly “prime time” stuff highlighted his bouquets to bipartisanship, friendship with the Bushes, praise for Hillary, etc.
    It was only when he had exhausted his audience, and probably lost a lot of viewership, that he got into the real heavy endorsements of Obama. Also interesting that he didn’t tear into Romney at all – but rather the generic “Republicans”.
    Watch for him to go back to the undermining of Obama with “accidental” comments to the media between now and the election.
    A speech that was fantastic for his core convention-going audience, gave him full “cover” to say afterwards he had done everything he could for Obama, make clear that he makes a better case for Obama than Obama does for himself, and a speech that I don’t think will do much beyond exciting the Dem base.

  • commonsenseobserver

    Bill Clinton hid the Democrats’ ideology of dependency on government in terms like “we’re all in this together”, while accusing Republicans of advocating a “winner-take-all”, “you’re on your own” philosophy. Nothing could be further from the truth. I think Margaret Thatcher had the best reply for such garbage.
    “there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It’s our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour.”
    Does Romney understand that, and does he want to communicate that? Does he want to make the case that his policies are what will truly help the most vulnerable who are struggling, and that compassion and social justice is not measured by how much money is spent, or by whom, but rather through purpose and results? And does he want to reject the entire premise of class warfare, and show how a rising tide lifts all boats? Trickle-down economics was the wrong name, what we need is “trickle-through economics” that offers everyone opportunity and security, as the basis of true prosperity for all. Democrats, and Americans in general, must realise that they can’t share the proceeds of growth if growth does not exist.

  • lakeshore

    I went to bed very early Wednesday night. Exactly what time did Clinton start and finish his speech, and what was happening during the Giants-Cowboys game at that time? For channel surfers, I’m wondering whether he was holding their attention at all, or at least long enough to keep them watching him instead of football for more than 2 minutes.