Bill Clinton's speech tonight at the Democratic National Convention was very long but it was masterful -- not only in laying out the case for Barack Obama and against Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, but in giving the American public what they most want and need in this election season: details, facts, and logic.
Republicans have eschewed all detail, all fact, all logic. Theirs has been a campaign of ideological bromides mixed with outright bald-faced lies.
Therein lies the importance of what Bill Clinton accomplished tonight. But, just as importantly, it wasn't a wonky talk. He packaged the facts in a way people could hear. This is the highest calling of a public educator.
The question is not how many undecided voters saw the speech (I doubt many did) but whether it galvanizes Democrats -- giving them the clarity of conviction and argument they need over the next nine weeks to explain why Obama must be re-elected, and why a Romney-Ryan administration would be a disaster for this country.
I believe Clinton's speech accomplished this perfectly. We shall see.
ROBERT B. REICH, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, was Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration. Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the last century. He has written thirteen books, including the best sellers "Aftershock" and "The Work of Nations." His latest is an e-book, "Beyond Outrage." He is also a founding editor of the American Prospect magazine and chairman of Common Cause.
Follow Robert Reich on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RBReich
Bill Clinton is the reason I am no longer a Democrat. It is my opinion that the guy moved the party of Franklin Delano Roosevelt too far toward the center/right. But I am forced to humbly concede: Politically it doesn't get much better than Clinton. As my brother Jeff posted on my Facebook page this fine September morn, "Bubbah delivers". Indeed he does. The Dems are damned lucky that he and they are on the same team. Pity the poor GOP. There's never been a politician like him. There will never be another. Politically he is the old maestro. I can't help but admire and, yes, even love the man - grudgingly, I assure you.
If Obama wins this thing in November historians will pinpoint Clinton's address last night to the Democratic National Convention as the reason. He knocked it out of the park and into the next town. His performance was all-the-more impressive (and noble) because, by all accounts, the two men loathe on another.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
I also hope that Democratic leaders will do the fact checking and will re-iterate Clintons most helpful points to assure they are creditable.
The Republican just want all the rich to get all the money and they say so.
The Democrats want you to support them while they change the rules so all the rich can get all the money.
They are transporting their big campaign contributors to the same place all the money, and they'll both pass TPP, tripling down on the NAFTA failure for the American People.
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The GOP has diddly.
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Rubin (Goldman Sachs alum) helped convince Clinton to go along. It was a big mistake, but it was still a bi-partisan mistake..
BTW: How many YEARS did the Bushies and the GOP Congress have to get it repealed??? . . Hmm?
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