Bill Clinton On Barack Obama's Potential Greatness

I just watched Tom Brokaw's interview with Bill Clinton on Meet The Press. Tom asked Bill if -- given how Bill refers to John McCain as a great man -- he would say the same thing about Barack Obama. I thought Bill Clinton's answer was very instructive... and very appropriately supportive of what an Obama presidency would mean for America.

Bill Clinton said Barack Obama is potentially great and that his greatness will come out... will be demonstrated... in what he does once he becomes president. Bill essentially said that you cannot be a great man until you have done great things. Bill acknowledged that Barack has accomplished a lot from a standpoint of seeing the political future and, as a result, being able to win the battle to become the Democratic nominee. (And Bill actually appeared to be at peace with the fact that Hillary lost to Barack.)

But what he was saying was that Barack's true greatness will arise in what he does as president, not as a candidate for president. And this I agree with 100 percent.

Bill Clinton said that John McCain is a great man for what he's done in the past, including coming back from Vietnam and deciding to continue serving his country as a politician rather than getting a medal and just living the (potentially marginal) life of a former POW who had been horribly tortured. He did not say that John McCain was a great man for what he could do for American as president.

By saying Barack Obama is potentially great... by saying Barack Obama sees the future and is very capable of leveraging that vision for political success, Bill Clinton was saying that Barack Obama knows where he thinks America needs to go... where American can go... and where, from Bill and Hillary's perspective, American must go.

Bill Clinton sees that both Barack Obama and America's best days are ahead... and that both Barack and America's future greatness are linked.

This was about as great an endorsement as I can imagine Barack Obama getting.

Our best days are ahead of us, as we all work to clean up the mess that the Bush/Cheney/Rove/McCain wing of the Republican party have made of America.

There are individually great people in the Republican party (including John McCain).... but what Bill Clinton was saying is it's Barack Obama who has the potential to lead America to a new and better place. Here is the video of Bill Clinton's interview...

And here is the text of the relevant part of that interview...

Mr. Brokaw: You know, we like to keep track of records here on Meet the Press, as you're well aware of. We looked at this interview that Tim did with you a year ago at the Clinton Initiative -- Global Initiative, and at that time you predicted that John McCain would be the Republican nominee, at a time when a lot of people thought he was...

Pres. Clinton: He was dead.

Mr. Brokaw: ...toast, in political terms. But you said as well, at that time, "I've disagreed with him, but I have admired him." And then to Maria Bartiromo last week you said, "I have never concealed my admiration and affection for Senator McCain. I think he's a great man. But I think on the issues, that matter to our future, the Obama-Biden team is more right."

Pres. Clinton: I do believe that. I think Senator Obama has shown a remarkable ability to learn and grow in this campaign. He always was highly intelligent and always a very good politician. He, he got the change--the fundamental change in, in the calendar of this Democratic primary process of which we were engaged, his energy program kept getting better through the campaign, his healthcare program kept getting better. I, I, I think what you want in a president at a time like this is somebody with good instincts who generally starts in a right position and then just keeps getting better and that's what he's done.

Mr. Brokaw: Would you use the same words for him that you have used for Senator McCain, that you admire him and that you think he's a good...

Pres. Clinton: I certainly...

Mr. Brokaw: ...and that he's a great man?

Pres. Clinton: Well, I don't, look, I had my first conversation with him in my entire life in Harlem.

Mr. Brokaw: You had never talked to him before that meeting.

Pres. Clinton: No, I'd talked to him, but always in passing. I did a fundraiser for him when he ran for the Senate in 2004. I saw him briefly at Senator Kennedy's 75th birthday party. I had always, you know, I always--Hillary's the one who told me to go help him. She said, "This guy's got real skills. He's got almost unlimited potential." And I--she--so I did and I've always thought he was a really commanding presence. What I mean by saying that about McCain is, you know, most people would've been broken by what he went through. Oh, we would've been happy just to give him an "atta boy" and a medal and let him wander through life. I, I think his greatness is that he keeps trying to come back to service without ever asking people to cut him any slack or feel sorry for him or any of that stuff because he was a POW. But I, I genuinely, you know, I am developing a really good relationship with Senator Obama and I certainly admire him. And I know he saw and imagined the way this thing could develop, this political year and this, and this economic situation in a way that is left him in a position of leadership that he's in now. And I think that the rest of us should admire that. That's a big part of leadership, being able to sense, as well as see the future.

Mr. Brokaw: But I get the sense that you think that he has the potential for greatness, but he's not yet arrived at that station.

Pres. Clinton: Well, he would probably agree with that. I mean, he was, you know, until he was in the State Senate until 2005 and then he began a campaign for president, which is, in all probability, will be successful, and those are very great accomplishments. But those are personal accomplishments. When he becomes president, he'll be doing things for the American people and for the world and he is--and the greatness will then become apparent because of the good he'll do. And I, I think that's what I very much believe is going to happen.

Follow Steven G. Brant on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SteveBrant

Comments

[DBC]

DEAR MR. BRANT,


YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD . PRESIDENT CLINTON , IS REALLY GREAT . MY RESPECT FOR HIM AND SENATOR CLINTON GOES HIGHER EACH DAY .

[lynnn]

Interesting perspective. I didn't think Bill's answers were all that bad actually. I liked his answer about Africa and how the media portrays it very much. I think Bill could do good things for the continent.

[SeriousBlack]

"This was about a great an endorsement as I can imagine Barack Obama getting."

Man, you are WAY off.

I couldn't disagree with your take on this more. You are being way too intellectually nuanced (and that's coming from someone who regularly celebrates intellectual nuance; you are simply taking it way too far).

Most "regular" people watching that interview will come away with one and only one impression: That Bill Clinton called John McCain a great man and DECLINED to call Barack Obama a great man.

Now, I don't even care if the way that Bill Clinton answered that question is in fact how he actually feels about it in HIS bulbous head. The fact is that in an election THIS important, only about a month until the election, Clinton should be castigated for coming across as anything else than wildly enthusiastic about Obama.

Oh, but you're saying he should have lied or been "disingenuous" in his answer, others would say to me. Right. All Clinton had to do is answer immediately that Obama is in fact a great man and that we would see more and more evidence of that once he is president, blah blah blah. Would that have been so freakin' difficult?

That was the last straw for me with Billy boy. All the respect I used to have for him is now gone for good.

[Steven G. Brant - Huffpost Blogger]

I understand where you're coming from. Given Bill Clinton's reputation for giving long answers to most questions, I think expecting him to go for a quick "sound bite" answer is unreasonable.

Yes, he gave an answer that requires people to think....which not as many voters do as should. But, then again, how many non-thinking voters watch Meet the Press??? I still think Bill spoke honestly and appropriately, especially given the context of where and to whom he was speaking.

[foreffectivegovernment]

The posts on this Blog support my idea that Obamabots will only be satisfied if President Bill Clinton, head of the Democratic Party, expresses the same idol worship of Senator Obama that they do. I hope that never happens because it will indicate to me that he has sold out to the Left Wing Liberals who selected Obama to be the candidate over Hillary. He can support the Democratic candidate now because Joe Biden is there to promote the Democratic policies that were developed by Bill and Hillary Clinton in the 90s and in the 2008 primaries. Thanks President Clinton for forcing Obama to adopt more Moderate stances and wresting the puppet strings away from the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean. If Obama continues to the middle, I might even vote for him.

[Blk independant]

Obama is the clintons worst nightmare, they know damn well they dont want to support him but they have too. They know in order to make sure Hillary can run in 2012 they have to seem like they are supporting him as to not alienate Obama's side of the party. There goes the problem the party is fractured. The Clintons could heel it but they are going to wait until the election has passed. By this they are hoping Obama loses so they can come back around and be seen as the great party dividers, uh I mean, healers they are!

[Whinger]

Huh! The wayward wind is blowing again!

[alienufo]

I didnt really see it that way but its nice to hear a different perspective.

[fromsa]

Clinton has a very good relationship with Nelson Mandela and MUST recognize their similarities

[shelby35]

Mandella and Obama. Please. Mandella gave thirty years of his life (and two failed marriages) to the cause of civil rights and ending apartheid. Oh and Obama is half black and Mandela is African (Xhosa to be exact). There is no comparison.

Obama/Biden 08

[MPeter]

I am always nervous whenever that man speaks into a microphone or on camera. You never know what will come out. So, I am glad he seems to have been helpful to the ticket.

[jdbid1]

How about asking Bill to be a little bit more enthusiastic about Barack. I have seen numerous interviews where Bill was asked about Barack's chances and the most he could muster was, "I think he will win." I agree that he may have gotten over Hillary not getting the nomination but he hasn't gotten over himself.

[mommadona]

Bubba does passive-aggressive like an art form.

Fooled you, huh?

"I'll do anything asked of me"...

(*sound of crickets)

[Steven G. Brant - Huffpost Blogger]

What Bill will do is not as important to me as what he said.

Plus, all Barack needs to do is ask Bill to do certain things and it sounds as if he will do them. If I was Barack, I'd ask for plenty... but also take what Bill said today an turn it into a campaign commercial about both his and America's best days being ahead of us.

[Dynamohum]

I agree Steven. I saw the interview this morning and I think that Clinton did a fine job describing an Obama Presidency. He very clearly drew the distinction between Obama and McCain. It was definitely more upbeat then some of his press on the matter over the past few weeks.

[Freesia2]

That would make a very good ad. The words are forward thinking and echo what Obama is all about. They sound strong and fresh like the candidate.

I don't know what Bill is or is not up to, I don't want to go there. I have a nasty cold and it's Sunday and I'm still in church mode (i.e. trying to have a good outlook) but I watched part of Bill's interview and did it peeking through my fingers because he's been a thorn over the past few public appearances. But that was a good comment and it could and probably should be used in a campaign ad.

[SeriousBlack]

ummmm... More likely that we'll see a Republican commercial where they've lifted all the stuff Clinton said about McCain being a "great man".

Duh.

[HTN]

If I was Barack, I would tell Bubba to stay the h*ll away.

[Dynamohum]

momma, once again your pessimism is front and center. One wonders if momma ever has a optimistic thought? I saw the interview this morning and Bill Clinton was convincing and did leave the impression that Barack was going to be a GREAT President.

Also, you have to understand that he has been tied up with CGI conference, which by the way went on at the same time last year. So it is an annual event whether it is an election year or not. He will be freed up from that in a few days and out on the trail for Obama.

[SeriousBlack]

Oh, so the CGI conference is more important than the most critical election in 50 years? And your very point, the CGI conference is an annual event. Wow, it'll be great if next year it'll be occurring at the same time, UNDER A MCCAIN-PALIN administration, huh?

Think about it, geez!