« Last Night | Main | Biden on Iraq »
August 27, 2008
Clinton & Kerry
The other day, in a fit of anger and frustration with the media and the polls and that deathless primary and every other damn thing Democratic and political, I wrote that my considerable nostalgic affection for Bill & Hill & the Alien Cajun was perhaps misplaced after these 20 long months.
You know what? I take it all back.
Bill's speech was pure American gold, a beautiful thing, a perfect square of politics, fantastic and precise. Mastery - once activated with the crowd's applause, a presidential Tinkerbell - well, once that happened, Elvis was in the building. He's still the same Bill he was when I argued on his behalf in front of my class in sixth grade debate, still the same Bill I saw speak at the then-new HSBC Arena in downtown Buffalo as a junior or senior in high school. That was major league heat, a once in a generation talent taking it home one more time for you. Like Bruce, Jim, Cornelius, Andre, Shane, and Thurman all could run again, taking the Bills back to the yoffs. Seriously: what a sense of historical perspective, the satisfaction born of nostalgia put to practical use.
I am very happy. Every Democrat should be very happy.
And wow... John Kerry, who may have previously best been described as the "ol Gil" of Democratic politics, just gave a stemwinder of unprecedented power (for him). I am thrilled. Little bit of the best part, cause it's worth it, especially given that the heartbreak of November '04 may be recalled with terrifying ease these days:
I have known and been friends with John McCain for almost 22 years. But every day now I learn something new about candidate McCain. To those who still believe in the myth of a maverick instead of the reality of a politician, I say, let's compare Sen. McCain to candidate McCain.
Candidate McCain now supports the wartime tax cuts that Sen. McCain once denounced as immoral. Candidate McCain criticizes Sen. McCain's own climate change bill. Candidate McCain says he would now vote against the immigration bill that Senator McCain wrote. Are you kidding? Talk about being for it before you're against it.
Let me tell you, before he ever debates Barack Obama, John McCain should finish the debate with himself. And what's more, Sen. McCain, who once railed against the smears of Karl Rove when he was the target, has morphed into candidate McCain who is using the same "Rove" tactics and the same "Rove" staff to repeat the same old politics of fear and smear. Well, not this year, not this time. The Rove-McCain tactics are old and outworn, and America will reject them in 2008.
So remember, when we choose a commander-in-chief this November, we are electing judgment and character, not years in the Senate or years on this earth. Time and again, Barack Obama has seen farther, thought harder, and listened better. And time and again, Barack Obama has been proven right.
Great night. Hope you're digging it, too. Come on, Biden. Come on, Barack. This is it. We're on track now.
Shout to Alex Aranovich, who texted me just as I was pulling out the comp: "You still feel like your affection for Bill might be misplaced after that speech?"
11:39 PM UPDATE: Biden's speech was workmanlike, vice-presidential, shoulder-to-the-wheel, let's get to work. I give it a solid B, up it to a B+ when you consider (a) he's following up Bill Clinton giving the speech of his post-presidential life and (b) the introduction from Beau Biden was outstanding and (c) his mom looked fantastic and (d) stumbles and hair plugs and all, he's authentic and garrulous and, again, a marvelous Democratic inverse of Cheney. When he got on his home turf - when he got to ripping into McCain on foreign policy - that's when it all worked. The second half of his speech took Biden home.
It was a good night. As I was just saying via phone to ol' Dusk, tonight's success makes the other nights look reasoned and logical in presentation; the procession of events - the Michelle kick-off, the choices of two Clintons on two nights - all of that looks perfectly correct in the glow of tonight and the individual successes of the three nights thus far, now combined as tripartite almost-square, ready to be completed and made solid tomorrow by the nominee.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. I just hung up blue & white crepe paper, bought by Finny, and we're set to host our Official Barack Obama Convention Watch Party tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.
Posted by caps at August 27, 2008 09:44 PM