That's Why They Call Him 'The Comeback Kid'

Sixteen years since that first Presidential campaign, and Bill Clinton still knows how to stage a comeback. During Hillary's campaign he seemed to take on the role typically filled by a Vice Presidential candidate. He hit her opponent over and over, hard - so hard, in fact, that it hurt Clinton's image among some Democrats and left scars of bitterness on the party's psyche.

After tonight, those scars will probably heal. After this speech, any lingering bitterness toward the former President will probably be replaced by a 'come home, all is forgiven' glow. Obama supporters may differ with Bill Clinton on somepolicy issues, but Bill Clinton has restored his position as the patriarch and elder statesman of the Democratic Party.

"That makes two of us," Bill said of his endorsement and Hillary's. "In fact, that makes eighteen million of us." That was the punchline, the payoff line, and it delivered the emotional wallop everyone was waiting for. Bill went much further than Hillary did in praising Obama, and it made all the past rumors of bruised Clinton/Obama egos feel like nothing more than a dramatic build-up to a satisfying denouement.

Bill may have also been putting out a little "this is how it's done" vibe toward his successor, too. He was the old master, nailing line after line. Well, fine. Obama's going to have to step up his game anyway to nail that 80,000-person crowd. He could do worse than to deliver a line like Bill's about showing the world "the power of our example and not just example of our power."

Bill Clinton endorsed Obama's ability as commander in chief in unequivocal terms, and he laid out a strong argument about his ability to fix the economy. Sure, we could nitpick. The line-parsers are already jumping on his praise for Biden's experience, although I thought that the balance between "experience" and Obama's "insight" was well-nuanced. I did think he was too soft on McCain, overpraising his independence and failing to note the flip-flops and reversals that have marked McCain's campaign.

But these are minor quibbles. Will this speech help Obama in the general election? Almost certainly, and Obama would be wise to draw on Bill extensively in the coming campaign. Will it help heal the Democratic Party? Definitely.

I suspect this speech will fully restore President Clinton's personal stature within the party. After a bruising and bitter campaign, Bill Clinton is on his way to once again being a unifying Democratic figure. The more he helps Obama, the more he will renew his own reputation.

Tonight Bill Clinton did what he had to do - for the party, for Obama, and for the Clinton franchise. You gotta hand it to him: He just made one more comeback.

For more Huffington Post coverage of the Democratic National Convention, visit our Politics @ the DNC page, our Democratic Convention Big News Page, and our HuffPost bloggers' Twitter feed, live from Denver.

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Comments

[BalconesFalk]

The caucuses skewed the outcome against the 4 point Popular Vote lead Hillary had in Texas. It offends me that the Democratic Party dismissed 18 million secret ballot Democratic voters in favor of fraudulently "gamed" caucuses.
The Bandwagon propaganda, citing "The Math" was premature. BHO "won" by 123 delegates, a 3% squeaker. Neither one had the nomination until it was sealed by Super Delegates.
Berating her into dropping out does go to Obama's pattern--to eliminate opponents. I heard Edwards was threatened with outing of his scandal after Iowa--that got him out. By any means necessary?
Nevermind the close delegate count and Hillary's Popular Vote at the end--a call for her to drop out became credible through repetition--that's how Bandwagon Propaganda works. Check Wikipedia.
Though Hillary's campaign validated, educated, and gave Obama the drama of a worthy opponent--she wasn't even considered for Veep! The nomination was stolen. Given all this I lean towards McCain and McAbel.
Then came the Clinton's. When Bill spoke I felt a huge relief, a heavy weight had been lifted off my chest. He gave me reasons to vote Democratic, despite BHO. When I vote for the ticket I'll still need Dramamine. I don't like Obama.
Bill has 18 million votes to deliver including mine. Obama has time to drive me back to McCain--he made a PUMA out of me. Still, right now, if the election were held today, I would vote Democratic--just because Bill Clinton asked me to.

[Jenoah2008]

At least you are honest about why you really do not want to vote for Obama--you do not like him. Has anyone ever considered that voters from every ethnic minority group of color and Native Indians always have had to vote for people who did like them and whom they might not have liked but they had to weigh only what was in their best interest?

[MorpheusXNYC]

I was one that was furious at Bill and Hillary and wanted them banned from speaking at the convention, especially after the news about the Hillary name submission/ballots news broke,

But after watching Hillary the other night (she gets a 7 out of 10 for the speech) and watching the Bill shine as bright as he did in his prime last night and hit it out of the park for Barack, I'm willing to bury the hatchet and welcome them back into the fold.

They were as good in their speeches for him as they were bad in their campaigning against him, so it evens itself out. Let's see what the coming months will bring from Billary. If it's anything like last night, Barack's going to win by a landslide.

[iotakapp]

What I found so amusing about the speech, which was well executed nonetheless, was how angry Clinton was getting at the crowd of people who wouldn't stop clapping for him. A keen observer with a sense of Clinton's past outbursts could just sense the anger building up within him and his total frustration with not being able to spew a vitriol of profanity to silence the crowd that was delaying the delivery of his speech.

However, when listening to a speech such as his, as is the case with everything that has been going on during the Convention this week, was just how prepackaged and pointed the diatribe was.

[MorpheusXNYC]

Hmm.. I don't see it the same way. I think that Bill was putting on the act of being a bit miffed at the crowd because if he didn't, it would make him appear as if he was being a glory hound and stealing the spotlight from Obama.

I think Bill could have stood there and basked in that rainstorm of applause for an hour if it didn't make him look bad to accept that kind of adulation and fan fervor without some display of false modesty.

And even I, who was angry at Bill just before he gave the speech, felt moved, seeing him on that stage, and was transported back to the glory days of his presidency and felt the same, familiar love I felt for him as the first person I ever voted for as soon as I was old enough to vote.

And even I had to bury the hatchet at that point. I was still hesitant to whole-heartedly embrace him and welcome him back into the fold, but after he gave his speech, it was as if we were family again and nothing had ever changed.

[cornflower]

Kudos to Mr. and Mrs. Clinton. They gave great speeches - perfect for the occasion and the circumstances. I still can't help feeling that they took some of the luster off the occasion of the nomination of the first Af-Am to be nominated as a candidate for the presidency. Maybe it's the inevitable consequence of her runnning against OB, but I still think it could have been different. And I'm not sorry that she lost and that it is also inevitable that the Clintons are exiting stage left. They were at best completely insensitive to the historical nature of OB's run and victory and at worst their ambition and egocentrism made it worse than it needed to be.

[banats]

I'm having a little trouble understanding why Hillary Clinton or any of the other candidates should not have run their campaigns with as much zeal and ambition as the position warrants. Hillary often acknowledged the historical nature of Obama's candidacy as did Obama hers. She questioned his experience and he questioned her judgment based on one vote. And I think that Obama has a pretty big ego as well. You have to believe in yourself to run for president. If you don't, who will? As far as Hillary's sensitivity towards his victory, I think that she has done the best she can under very trying circumstances. She had a dream and it slipped through her fingers. I would want to disappear for a long time and nurse my wounds. Continuing to second guess the Clintons' motives does not help Obama. Obama will give a beautiful acceptance speech. This race is his to win or lose and he can decide whether to use the Clintons.

[Texanna33]

Boy! It's pure insanity the way some people just can't be pleased. Please tell me how the Clintons took some of the luster off the nomination of the Af-AM? Maybe Obama took some of the luster off the possible nomination of the first woman! Get real and quit the griping. Both of the Clintons did a superb job which Obama and all of his supporters should be grateful for. If you don't think Obama is ambitious you are really out of your mind and that is not meant as a criticism of Obama. ANY ONE who runs for president is ambitious and has an ego or at least they better or they don't stand a chance of winning. I am so tired of hearing from sore winners! Have a little grace!

[sls642]

Here's hoping that Obama takes advice from the one person who has battled the Republican crazies and beaten them over and over. Whether you like Bill or not, he understands politics and knows that it is not something for the weak or timid.

If Obama doesn't aggresively play offense right after the convention, he is headed for defeat in November. This is not the Democratic primary. Ask Al Gore amd John Kerry. Negative campaigns are run for one reason, they work.

[DBMAC]

I thought the speech was perfect. He is one of the great minds and policiticians of the 20th century. Bill's negatives have less to do with how brilliant he is than with his huge ego. Someone as smart as he is knows it. He sometimes takes it very personally when he does not get the praise he usually rightfully deserves. But I also think he understands politics so well that he flinches for just a split second and then comes around. He was looking for a little more acknowlegment last night from Obama than he got, I think. I noticed an almost inperceptable look of disappointment glance across his face when Obama thanked him. But he knows this is Obama's time now and he respects that, so he recovered. I think both he and Hillary have been very gracious for the most part considering they did get 18 million votes in the primaries. Obama is not a shoo in in this thing and he needs the Clintons to win. Obama would be the first one to agree.

[Mrbig4419]

Bill and Hillary don't need your two bit respect.Its Obama who should be apologizing to them for claiming they are racist.I am a proud black man who supported Sen.Clinton all the way and I am tired of some of you Obama supporters acting like you own the whole damn world so just shut your mouths and be happy your guy stole the primaries from Hillary.By the way I see that Michigan and Florida got full voting rights at convention the very damn thing he kept Hillary from getting.

[terraprieto]

I don't think one speech by Bill can repair all the damage he has done.

A good speech by Bill Clinton.

But it will be a long time before he regains my full respect. Though I hope to get there someday.

I remain disgusted and outraged that a former president went on the primay campaign trail and tried to take out the rising star of his own party.

I hope that in the future, Bill maintains the dignity, decorum, and discretion we expect from former presidents.

[morninmist]

Terraprieto

Its time you educated yourself and got rid of the crap that bill is a racist.

You do NO favor to the Dem party by continuing to say the crap you do.

Grow up and be a leader --not a crapolabar.

[meanguy]

"I remain disgusted and outraged that a former president went on the primay campaign trail and tried to take out the rising star of his own party. "
---------------
how DARE he campaign for his wife and against your 'rising star'...why, the NERVE of the man! doesn't everyone know the nomination was supposed to be handed to obama?


get over yourself-i'm guessing he'll sleep soundly tonight without your precious 'respect'

[terraprieto]

No former president in my lifetime has ever gone out on the trail, during a primary, and attacked a member of his own party. Imo, it was beneath the dignity of a former president, and damaging to the democratic party.

Huffpo is a place where people can state their opinions. I have no doubt that my opinions matter not one whit to Bill -- but that doesn't mean I cannot write them, if I please.

And note that I did not mention racism at all in my post, morninmist.

[BigBen]

Withb18 million votes I don't think he needs your respect or vote.Get over it.As for rising star Hillary got the votes Obama got the caucuses.

[dajay]

terraprieto: Bill has the respect of more than half of the Dem party, as his wife who was the nominee.

He doesn't need yours or the Obamas, or O's hateful supporters who tried to turn him into a racist.

Bill Clinton has class, something you people here know nothing about.

[Jeffomil]

Clinton's speech was CRAP. He totally failed to make the point that our national security is actually McCain's WEAKNESS. Biden did that, but it was Clinton's assigned JOB. His speech was supposed to be about national security. It wasn't it was about just about everything ELSE! He's not onboard. He's in his own world, a legend in his own mind. He better get his act together between now and the election because Obama NEEDS him and Hillary badly. What a crap speech.

[boogygran]

Well Pres. C'linton's speech may not have blown your socks off or done that for a lot of others either, but for me he said a lot of the right things the right way, and dispelled a great deal of the nervous vibes floating around among Dems, who really weren't sure what to expect. I give kudos to both HRC and President C'linton on their speeches.

[maab76]

Do remember that his speech was not previewed by the Obama campaign so that it was not edited nor scanned for better vocabulary than he might have chosen to use. This campaign must keep all players on the same page: the same platform, the same ethical stance.

[Levittown]

Bill Clinton, except for personal failure, was one of the best Presidents since FDR. Truman became great because of his courage, Kennedy wasn't around long enough but showed us strength through his actions. Clinton fought a Republican Senate and Congress and succeeded in creating many programs for Americans. Unfortunately, Bush, a wanna be dictator led a Congress into a " no oversight and no accountability "eight years of downhill destruction, here and abroad. He erased many gains and installed the worst people to run the departments that dissolved many programs.We are in the well known crapper but with a new administration we will rebuild America at home and abroad. Bill Clinton will do what is best for America. He knows how.

[banats]

Oh my gawd.....Clinton didn't tow the party line! Exile him to the provinces! Silence him! He's just an old goat whose opinion isn't worth squat. Seriously, I really would hate to learn that every speaker had an assigned job and that the Democrat party no longer tolerates variations and diversity in thought.

[pachecoben]

Lucky for you Jeffoil the Clinton's gave me permission to vote for your crapola candidate which I will do based on their recommendation only

[moxieme]

After all the spinning and psych-babble by the pundits who expound ad nauseum about "what's inside the Clinton's head", they have eloquently demonstrated they are people for the party. Why would anyone believe otherwise. I suspect they both recognize that the probable Dixiecrats who can't bring themselves to vote for Obama, were never going to do so under any circumstances. If and when the time presents itself Hillary and Bill's postion in this campaign will be rewarded. The Repubthugs have enough on their plate with the own convention and campaign. Its amazing that they choose to ignore the division in their own party much the way they have ignored the deplorable conduct and performance of their administration over the last eight years. As much as I read newspapers, the net, the blogs, and view cable and networks, I cannot for the life of me recall anything PaPain has said that would make me vote Republican in this election. And I have voted primarily Republican for longer than I care to acknowledge! All I see and hear is his constant trashing, lying, and villifying an opponent who has the same equal right to run for POTUS as he. What they aren't getting is that for legions of us, Barack Obama could be the Flying Purple Eater, he would still be more palpable than PaPain. make no mistake about it, those same legions, had HRC become the nominee, would be right with her.

[Daisy1111]

Well said - I especially liked this line of yours:

"All I see and hear is his constant trashing, lying, and villifying an opponent who has the same equal right to run for POTUS as he."

That's what gets me - it's as if she was supposed to NOT try to win the primary.

Meanwhile he has picked a VP who, during the primaries, had also said he's not ready to be president.

Yet all that is forgotten.

[Texanna33]

Than You!!

[treelake]

It was an okay speech. Nothing spectacular.

[Eoin45]

It was a pitch perfect speech.

[banats]

Bill Clinton would be a definite asset to the Obama administration as some kind of ambassador-at-large to improve the standing of the US in the eyes of the world.

[meanguy]

barry needs billy more than billy needs barry

[pattio66]

"Bill Clinton has restored his position as the patriarch and elder statesman of the Democratic Party." Ummmmm...no. That position will belong to Jimmy Carter for as long as he's alive.

[pachecoben]

Get serious -either you weren't alive to remember the disaster of the Jimmy Carter years or time has made it seem better to you. He is a fine honorable man and a fine statesman for our party but patriarch? - no way.

[Researchguy66]

While Bill Clinton may have been a great president (I believe he was), those who believe any of the pretty words coming out of his mouth have very short memories.

When Bill said "Obama IS ready to be president", all I could think of was Bill's interminable confusion over the meaning of the word "IS".

Bill didn't like him, doesn't like him and never will like him. This will be the last time you see Bill Clinton stand up in support of Obama. He did this for himself and for Hillary, not for Obama.

[Eoin45]

"Bill didn't like him, doesn't like him and never will like him." Are you a personal friend? How do you know any of this? It's pure speculation based on what you've seen in the media or read. "This will be the last time you see Bill Clinton stand up in support of Obama." I hope that they taste like crow when you have to eat these words.

[dajay]

I hope he did it only for Hillary. Obama doesn't deserve Bill or Hillary to do ANYTHING for him.

He and the DNC party are lucky they showed up and gave such great speeches.

[Mrbig4419]

Joe Biden said Obama wasn't ready,where is your anger for Joe Biden?

[elizaW]

We want better because we ARE better.

Whatever person posted that, (and they meant better than the Clinton generation, the baby boomers) needs to go to re-hab for acute narcissism and an inability to deal with reality.

[scottman1085]

BO is the man.

Can't wait until he gets elected, I know my life will be better. Free health care, housing, good job, no crime, and NO rich people.

Just can't wait.

[banats]

Do I detect a note of sarcasm? Having a democrat in the White House is definitely the change we want, but no one can recreate the world.

[scottman1085]

I disagree, Cuba has free health care and no rich people. Everyone is equal.......equally dirt poor.

[Eoin45]

But everyone together can.

[Mrbig4419]

My stars,I thought Barack was going to put steak on our tables,cure all our ailments,walk on water in his spare time while saving the rest of the world in 15 minutes.

[boogygran]

LOL - What a nice, positive assessment of what the future can be if you, I and everyone else work hard to make America Number One again - :-) O'bama and B'iden for America

[scottman1085]

LOL - Those crazy republicans, with their free market baloney. Can you believe it?

I just can't wait until Barack gets elected. I just know the federal government can take over the oil companies and health care and manage them so much better.

And with Barack in office, no more wars and we will all be equal. Thank god for Barack. I just know he can make my life better.