Political Interlude: The Democratic Convention, Day 1

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Wow! What a speech, Bill.

Now I remember why the Republicans fear and hate you so-o-o-o much. Too bad you handed them the cracked mirror and cigar which allowed them to besmirch your image and stamp on you simultaneously. And, they continue to so with new cartoons, charicatures, and diatribes to this very day. There’s a contemporary Shakespeare play to be had by someone as soon as we are far enough removed from the last decade of the twentieth century.

My favorite line from last night’s speech, “Strength and wisdom are not opposing values. They go hand in hand... ...and John Kerry has both.”

President Clinton also reminded us that while we must deal with the threat of terrorism we can’t afford to forget the value that we Democrats place on “good jobs, good schools, health care, safe streets, and a clean environment.” He then identified all of these things including the mitigation and reduction of the terrorist threat as the concerns that John Kerry, John Edwards, and the Democratic Party are best equipped to actualize.

Both before, and after Bill’s speech, I listened to the repeated comment of the pundit-talking heads that went something like the following. “While many Americans are dissatisfied with Mr. Bush’s performance, they don’t know enough about John Kerry to be interested.” Quite frankly, I don’t get it. During the Vietnam War John Kerry turned into enemy fire in order to save the lives of men in his charge. What a defining moment! Start there, and go with it. At the end of his speech, Bill Clinton described John Kerry as always ready to be involved. Using the metaphor of ships captain, he described Kerry with hands on the helm, and convinced me that John Kerry will be ready to redefine and correct the nations course. He created a litany of John Kerry’s strengths and values, and at the end of each, he had John Kerry say, “Send me.”

It was an impressive speech, and with it Bill Clinton eloquently passed the torch to John Kerry.


* “Democratic Donkey,” Democratic Underground.com, “http://www.cafepress.com/du_store/33194” (August 28, 2004, 11:36 AM EDT).



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