Live Blogging Bill Clinton at the Democratic Convention

I’ve never blogged live before but I’m sitting in a Whole Foods watching the convention on my computer and Bill Clinton has just been introduced, so why not?

6:03: Damn, Bill looks good. How much weight did he lose? Dear God, will someone retire that song “Don’t Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)?” Fleetwood Mac should sue.

6:07: Wow, the crowd won’t let him talk, they are cheering so loudly and waving their American flags. How do they pass out the right props to so many people so quickly? The delegates are very obedient, they’re always holding the right signs! Chelsea and Hillary are waving furiously but Chelsea looks more sincere. When did Chelsea get so beautiful? A little too made up maybe. She looks like a 1940s movie starlet.

6:09: Bill is begging the crowd to quiet down. “I am here first to support Barack Obama and second I’m here to warm up the crowd for Joe Biden.” Enthusiastic cheers.

6:10: Michelle looks fabulous, as always. Is she only wearing green at this convention? First mention of Hillary by Bill but not by name. He’s talking about the contentious primaries. “That campaign generated so much heat it increased global warming.” Not funny. He’s still not saying Hillary’s name. She…she…she. Yikes, my father used to yell at me whenever I called my mother “she.”

6:12: Thank God, he said her name. Hillary’s smile looks plastered on. Who is Michelle sitting next to? She looks like a cross between Fran Drescher and Polly Bergen.

“I want all of you who supported us to vote for Barack Obama in November.” Supported US?? I find this assumption that Bill and Hillary have to instruct their former supporters to vote for Obama a bit offensive.

That video system behind the podium is incredible. I wonder what the technology will be like at the Republican convention. I’ve already heard them complaining about the Democrats’ “glitz.”

6:13: I truly believe Bill Clinton is a brilliant man, but when he talks about the issues, he sounds like the smart kid in class who knows damn well that he’s smarter than everyone else.

6:14: “Everything I’ve learned during my eight years as President has convinced me that Barack Obama IS the man for this job.” Hmm, those are the right words but something is missing in Bill’s delivery.

Now he’s listing Barack’s accomplishments…I hope he revs up better than this….he’s trying but I believed Hillary more even though her delivery isn’t nearly as good.

6:15: It’s a Clinton-Biden lovefest. This all sounds very scripted which of course it is…

6:16: Clinton is doing his part. Hillary’s face must hurt from that fake smile. Michelle looks strangely somber…

“Barack Obama IS ready to be President of the United States.” As if he’s trying to convince himself. Wild applause.

6:17: Bill is detailing what Barack will do as President…he’s losing the crowd. Come on, Bill, bring it home. Time to start hittin’ on McCain and Bush.

Bill mentions AIDS…will anyone mention the anniversary of Katrina and the federal government’s appalling response?

6:20: The speech is sounding a bit generic. Is he really talking about Barack Obama? “Most important of all, Barack Obama knows that America cannot be strong abroad unless it is strong at home.” Hillary keeps nodding her head, as if to say, “Good boy, Bill.”

6:21: “Look at the examples the Republicans have set.” Here we go…declining wages, less jobs, decreased health care and pensions, rising poverty. Oy, when he mentions rising poverty the camera shows Hillary laughing. Not good.

If Bill is such a better speaker than Hillary, which I believe he is, why was I moved so much more during Hillary's speech last night? Ah, Bill finally mentioned Katrina, thank you…

“America can do better than that…and Barack Obama WILL do better than that.” What is the crowd chanting? Oh, right: “Yes, he can.” God, I hate group chanting.

6:22: Like Hillary, Bill is setting up McCain as a good man and a good American before he knocks him down. “He loves his country every bit as much as we do…but he still embraces the extreme philosophy of his party…” I’m sure we’ll hear the E-word (“extremist”) a lot next week.

6:23: “Four more years of the same? Let’s send the Republicans a message: Thanks but no thanks...In this case, the third time is NOT the charm!”

Oy, Hillary, that smile…Yikes, now Michelle has Hillary’s smile on. Her reaction to Hillary last night seemed more sincere.

6:26: “The Republicans said I was too young and too inexperienced to be Commander-in-Chief.” Good point. Hillary looks like a Stepford Wife. I only wish the new season of "Saturday Night Live" had started so we could see Amy Poehler do this face.

“It didn’t work in 1992 because we were on the right side of history, and it won’t work in 2008 because Barack Obama is on the right side of history.” What does that even mean?

6:28: I’m finally starting to be swayed by Bill’s public speaking abilities.

“If, like me, you believe that America must always be a place called hope…join Chelsea and Hillary and me in making Barack Obama the next President of the United States…thank you!!”

Wow, that was incredibly short for Bill. That’s all the time they gave him? Hillary looks crazy waving her flag. Bill was a way better audience member last night. He looked like he practiced the “proud” look over and over in the mirror and he had it down perfectly, complete with tears in his eyes whenever Hillary mentioned Chelsea. Not that the tears weren’t real…

6:30: Hillary looks depressed, like she just realized it’s really over.

I can’t find an outlet here and my power is about to run out so I better run. I won’t be able to watch Joe Biden live because I’m going to a centennial salute tonight at the Motion Picture Academy for special effects master George Pal. After a panel discussion that includes people like Barbara Eden, Russ Tamblyn, Ann Robinson, and Alan Young, they’re showing a new print of Pal’s 1953 version of “War of the Worlds,” a movie about evil aliens taking over the United States and brutally killing its citizens. That screening would be much more appropriate next week during the Republican Convention, don’t you think?

 

Comments

[Yury]

Excellent entry. Felt like I was there. "Hillary looks like a Stepford wife"... when I saw bits and pieces of the convention on CNN, Hillary wore that total look orange piece and looked like a giant carrot :) She did well under the circumstances, I guess.

[Dorise]

I thought Clinton's best line was the one about leading by the power of our example rather than the example of our power. Otherwise, many of your thoughts were dead-on to what I had been thinking. "What are they chanting?"

Also, for the "right side of history," I think that may be a nod to the social side of politics as well as the economic side - that the policies are right place right time and his thinking is progressive, whereas conservative policies are outdated and backward thinking.

[Ian]

Thanks for the commentary.So much better than the networks. I missed the speech last night so this helped me get an idea of what really happened. Chelsea...vavoom! Is that wrong?

[churlita]

Oh my god. I loved your commentary. You should make money off of that. It's so much better than the people who do.

[Jeff]

I love the stream-of-consciousness play-by-play! Maybe you could cover the Republican convention Hunter S. Thompson style.

[Elisabeth]

Overall, I thought that Bubba's speech was a bit lackluster. But maybe it's just me. The crowd seemed to love him, though.

Thanks for the fun commentary, I laughed so hard at times, that I almost fell of my chair!

[Jane]

I'm in the minority, I know, but I love both the Clintons, and I am sorry that Hillary wasn't nominated. I suspect that politicians of any stripe are salespeople at heart, and I understand there was a lot of marketing of both Obama and Clinton, but chants and slogans aside, I will always believe she would have made the better candidate, so this whole convention was rather depressing for me -- and I'm sure many other HRC supporters.

I'm going to try to buck up, but I'm just not moved by Obama at all. Instead of voting for somebody, I'll just be voting against McCain...which kinda lowers my happiness quotient.

I'm sure it's how many of Obama's supporter would have felt if the situation was reversed.

pssssst. your blog is loading very slowly. Is it just me?

[Patsy]

Loved the live blog. HMMMMM My dad must have know your dad. I remember mine asking me a few times who she is. He wouldn't stop asking till I said mom said. So when is it you will be hosting SNL?

[Suki]

I watched both of the Clinton speeches and thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and comparing it to my own reactions. I'm an Obama fan so perhaps I'm tainted, but I was not impressed with Hillary's speech. It came across to me as very self-centered; much more about her accomplishments than an endorsement for Obama. She clearly did say she was backing him and told her followers to do the same (thank goodness) but it seemed to me her rationale was not because of Obama's accomplishments but rather because he's the Democratic nominee.

By contrast, I loved Bill's speech. Maybe I was expecting less because of the conjecture that he would be somewhat non-committal but I thought he made his case very forcefully. I was in in his camp the whole way and it seemed to me he had the crowd eating out of his hand.

[scooterzz]

great commentary....i don't remember what it was that originally linked me to your site but, over the past few months, i've become a real fan...always enjoyable posts...it just occurred to me that a note of thanks would be the least i should do....

[Mary]

Danny - One thing I learned from reading this post is that real-time bloggers are nitpicky ;-)

[Ivan]

As far as reffering to your mother as "she" goes..you're not the only one that had problems...my father still jumps at me when I call my mother she..still getting that usual she is your mother crap (pardin the language).. And as far as the convention goes...I don't think Bill was too sincere when he talked...and the fake smiles on the Clinton women..well they should definitelly work on their fake smiles that's all I'm gonn say about that..but in the end the most important thing is that Obama became the president all else will get forgotten.