Clinton Speech: Good On Style But Will It Last
In considering Senator Clinton’s speech tonight, I have tried to take a few minutes to let things absorb before I posted my reaction.
There is little doubt that her speech was powerfully-delivered with a good deal of soaring words and rhetoric. Her review of the people she met along the campaign gave the speech more of a human touch. The decision to cite the memory of two recently-fallen Democrats helped to bring an energy to the room.
The closing segment discussing the anniversary of votes for women and quotes from Harriet Tubman helped to wrap together the historical theme of her address. Her call for her supporters to support Obama and her words about whether voters entered the race to support her or to support the issues that she and Obama agree on was compelling.
But in the end I think the reaction in the days to come will be more muted than the initial reaction tonight. In examining the text of her speech, I find that about 20% of it offers support for Obama while over half is a recitation of the Clinton campaign and what ‘she did’ or ‘her supporters did’.
The words of endorsement are even somewhat backhanded, with Clinton saying basically ‘Well here are all the great things my supporters and I did so we should have won but he’s OK on the issues so vote for him rather than the other guy’. Once the glow of the speech starts to wear off over the next few days I suspect that things will not look nearly as positive for Obama.
10 Responses to “Clinton Speech: Good On Style But Will It Last”
You miss the point. It isn't the substance of all the campaign-style anecdotes that matter. It's the public statement of support for Obama and opposition to McCain that matter. It's the anti-McCain zingers that matter. It's the statement that her campaign is not about her but about America. She delegitimized the PUMAs.
Looks like you heard a different speech than I did Patrick. I think Hillary absolutely nailed it. It's easy to see why her supporters have been so impassioned, and she accomplished exactly what was desired. If she brings this kind of focus and passion to Obama's campaign over the next couple months, then John McCain ain't gonna like it. Also what Elrod said.
Well as I said I think it was an excellent speech. But Senator Kennedy gave an excellent speech at the 1980 convention yet it did not do enough to bring his supporters over to Carter.
I think her speech was good and I think it helped with the Clinton delegates in the hall. I'm just not as convinced it did what it really needed in terms of bringing the average Clinton voter at home.
However the nice thing about our system is we are free to disagree, eh ?
Kennedy's 1980 speech was notorious for his refusal to shake Carter's hand. This speech was so different from Kennedy's.
Elrod's first comment nailed it.
The Clinton delegates were screaming Obama's name— not McCain's in the convention hall. That's good enough for me.
Hillary supporters know that theres miles of differences on the all-important issues between their girl and the ex POW, and that it would be a sacrilige to betray what Ms Clinton stands for.
Well I think this will probably be my last comment since we've all pretty much made our points clear and so we should move on.
But my basic point was and still is that it was a great speech and one that served to rally the delegates in the hall but I am not convinced it will reach to the average HRC voter out in the country.
I still think BTW that Obama WILL win in November, so please don't put me in the partisan hack category.
Patrick,
The average HRC supporter isn't a PUMA supporter. They are a minority within that large group of Americans.
Patrick : “However the nice thing about our system is we are free to disagree, eh ?”
Absolutely, and I don't think you're a “partisan hack” either. I just thought the part of the speech you referred to as “backhanded” was actually a necessary step in validating her “core” supporters so they would feel free to move forward.
It was a lousy speech, and now do we really care what Bill Clinton has to say tonight?
Just go fast forward to Obama's spectacle and be done with it. After last night, the Dems currently appear to offer nothing else.
They need to do much better tonight, not only with Bill Clinton but with other speakers.
Shameless attention seeking behavior. Tsk tsk…