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Speaking to Politico's John F. Harris about the rah-rah-Obama speeches being given by Bill and Hillary Clinton tonight and Wednesday night, a veteran of the Clinton White House who remains close to both of them said "they are both going to do what they have to do...that does not mean they will enjoy it."
In other words, the words in their speeches aren't in question; it's the tone and the pizazz that Billary will put into the delivery that people will be examining tonight (and tomorrow night) with a fine tooth comb.
If Hillary feels she can deliver tonight's speech with 80% passion levels without anyone accusing her of being a wee bit half-hearted, she'll give it 80%. And if she senses on the podium tonight that she can give it 70% without anyone saying she's half-hearted, she'll give it 70%. But there's no way in hell she'll give it 100% or even 90% -- no way. Because she'd be very much at peace with saying "I told you so" on 11.5.08 if and when Obama loses. She'd love to run again in 2012. All she has to do is play the Obama game in subtle cutthroat fashion. Put on the show and do just enough so people can't accuse her (or her husband) of undermining, blah, blah. Make no mistake -- she's The Beast and always will be.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 26, 2008 at 2:29 PM
comment #1
corey3rd says ...
"they are both going to do what they have to do...that does not mean they will enjoy it."
sounds like their honeymoon night.
Posted by corey3rd at August 26, 2008 3:14 PM
comment #2
NotImpressedYet says ...
Boring!
Posted by NotImpressedYet at August 26, 2008 3:23 PM
comment #3
JaggedUnderpants says ...
^ ZING! Nicely done...
Posted by JaggedUnderpants at August 26, 2008 3:24 PM
comment #4
MariaMaria says ...
Basically, the Clintons will not have done their job unless they throw themselves on the pyre for Obama. Frankly, that's ridiculous and it's just obfuscation. Most of her voters will come home. Not all. No one expected them all to vote Democrat. In fact, there's no guarantee that her 18million would have voted for her in November.
The statistics to worry about are the white working folks making less than 50,000 and the suburban white folks who have more money and who find Obama strangely, indescribably unpalatable and who will not vote at all this year.
Frankly, I think there's s small case of buyer's remorse out there. People fell in love with Obama, perhaps too quickly, and now they are getting to know him and slowing things down. Will they vote for him once they see him warts and all? His morning breath and evasive pragamatism?
Most likely, unless he strikes a major chord on Thursday, he will have to win with non=traditional Democratic voters and that's a bit of a long-shot (but not impossible.)
Posted by MariaMaria at August 26, 2008 3:30 PM
comment #5
kidkosmic says ...
You heard it here first: Ayers will derail Obama. Mark it down. Let it be written, let it be done.
Riddle me this: Was it a Repug or Demoncrat who predicted that America will not elect an "angry black man" as president???
?????????
Posted by kidkosmic at August 26, 2008 3:36 PM
comment #6
NotImpressedYet says ...
MariaMaria, interesting comment, but I think Obama will have an easier time of it than you think. He has run what so far is perhaps the greatest campaign in modern history and I have confidence it will see him through to the White House. He's not gonna pull a Kerry (thank God).
Posted by NotImpressedYet at August 26, 2008 3:40 PM
comment #7
DarthCorleone says ...
Funny. Reminds me of that Zelda Rubinstein line from Poltergeist...
"To her, it simply is another child. To us, it is the Beast."
corey3rd >> Witty.
Posted by DarthCorleone at August 26, 2008 3:45 PM
comment #8
Three says ...
Why does anyone pay attention to Politico, or MSNBC, or any of the news organizations have to say about this? It's their job to drum up controversy and create a storyline. Especially that rag Politico.
This is a non-story.
Posted by Three at August 26, 2008 4:36 PM
comment #9
spoiled says ...
And ironic since Wells keeps linking/sucking up to a right-wing site determined to bring Obama down.
Posted by spoiled at August 26, 2008 4:46 PM
comment #10
Richardson says ...
"it's the tone and the pizazz that Billary will put into the delivery that people will be examining tonight (and tomorrow night) with a fine tooth comb"
I don't think that's really true; I think that everybody has already decided what they expect Bill and Hillary to come off as, and the Clintons will get up and do their thing, and then everybody that hates her will say they threw it and everybody that loves her will say she did great (some will even say she came out TOO strongly). I would say that the last thing that will happen will be any serious discussion of what actually takes place.
I remember when they decided that Hillary wasn't going to acknowledge that Obama had won South Carolina (I think -- maybe I have the wrong state), and the first thing out of her mouth was a congratulations to Obama for winning South Carolina. When they cut to the commentators, every single one of them criticized her for not acknowledging Obama's victory in South Carolina (Pat Buchanan was especially hard on her).
Posted by Richardson at August 26, 2008 4:47 PM
comment #11
Richardson says ...
"He has run what so far is perhaps the greatest campaign in modern history"
Can I ask... huh?
I thought he ran a fantastic campaign against HIllary, but since securing the nomination, it seems as if he's doing everything he can to be another Kerry or Gore [campaign wise]. Can you give me an example of one thing in the last month that he has done to justify your label?
Posted by Richardson at August 26, 2008 4:49 PM
comment #12
Todd says ...
Obama ran a Great campaign in caucus states. I agree on this, but he looked very poor and wimpy against Hillary in the debates. If Mccain could use the old Hefty bag commercials of "Hefty, Hefty Hefty, Wimpy, Wimpy, Wimpy." Mccain will pull ahead even further with the dumbed down american voting public. I personally don't want Mccain to win but Obama still has not convinced me why he is the better Presidential candidate than Hillary. There is one thing I've learned this year that sexism is much more prevalent than racsim. Even as I watch the convention it seems that wimpiness permeates through this convention. Russia is setting the back drop to the american voter that they don't want to vote for a wimpy candidate even though what's going on in Georgia is bullshit anyway it will set a tone of we need a Pit Bull dog in office to control the evil empire Mccain will present himself as that Pit Bull while Obama comes off as sweet and affable. (People pay attention to what BIg Brother Media is formulating for the back drop when the elections happen). Also how come no news organization or PAC campaign keep reminding poeople that a Prisoner of War does equate a War Hero. So I don't have to come back and respond to DZ types. I personally don't feel the Clintons have any sway on why I feel about Obama as I do. They can campaign their asses off for him and it still won't change the fundamental belief that Obama is a "Being There" type candidate.
Posted by Todd at August 26, 2008 7:23 PM
comment #13
BurmaShave says ...
Hillary is giving a stemwinder and is totally supportive of Obama. How is that crow tasting Wells?
Posted by BurmaShave at August 26, 2008 7:55 PM
comment #14
raygo says ...
Hillary rocked. Too bad she isn't on the ticket.
Posted by raygo at August 26, 2008 8:16 PM
comment #15
LYT says ...
Hillary nailed it tonight. Hope Bill does likewise.
Though Olbermann would have called it "a grand slam" no matter what.
Posted by LYT at August 26, 2008 8:17 PM
comment #16
FeydAway says ...
Dunno what speech you were watching...
Not once did she say Obama would make a great/good President.
Not once did she say he was a great leader.
Not once did she say she had confidence in him.
Not once did she say she respected him.
She did what she had to do, and she did it while talking about herself. Anyone who watched that speech who didn't know the circumstances might think she was the one running for President if not for the "vote democrat" mentions.
That was a 'vote for me in 2012' speech. And, it was a damned good one.
Posted by FeydAway at August 26, 2008 8:23 PM
comment #17
DarthCorleone says ...
FeydAway>> When you put it in those terms, you make a compelling point.
However, those semantics aside, I feel like the the vibe and the delivery were overwhelmingly pro-Obama and anti-McCain. It might not have been a 100 percent retraction/endorsement, but I don't see how any supporter of hers could come away from that speech thinking anything but "I should vote for Obama and keep McCain out of office."
McCain's camp released a statement immediately after her speech with a sentiment similar to yours. It'll be interesting if Bill reacts to this critique tomorrow night.
Posted by DarthCorleone at August 26, 2008 8:31 PM
comment #18
MariaMaria says ...
Nothing less than the future of our chilldren...
She didn't touch any of your checklist, LYT? How about a closer reading?
She said all of those things, in a very clever and rhetorically stirring way.
Posted by MariaMaria at August 26, 2008 8:32 PM
comment #19
MariaMaria says ...
Sorry, not directed to LYT, but to FeydAway
Posted by MariaMaria at August 26, 2008 8:34 PM
comment #20
Todd says ...
To FeydAway
Not Once did she misrepresent the truth which why she would have been the BETTER candidate.Thanks for proving my point.
Posted by Todd at August 26, 2008 8:35 PM
comment #21
Gaydos says ...
As one of the millions of voters disgusted by Bill and Hillary during the primaries, I would say her speech tonight, on a scale of one to ten, was a hundred. Greatest speech of her life at exactly the time her party and its candidate needed it.
To those parsing her words and complaining, I would say put down the bile for a moment and listen again.
She linked women's suffrage and the freeing of the slaves in a way that was poetic and powerful and called on Americans to live up to the courageous acts of their bravest and most noble ancestors.
She ripped McCain a new orifice.
She endorsed but she did more than endorse, she inspired. And if she inspired me, unofficial King of the Hillary Doubters, I have to guess there were a few more folks out there surprised and impressed by her powerful call to action.
And you think it was half-hearted support?????
Didn't you see Bill mentally tearing up HIS speech and saying to himself, "SHHEEE-IT. I GOT WORK TO DO!!!"
Posted by Gaydos at August 26, 2008 8:46 PM
comment #22
jeromejohn says ...
long time reader, first time poster, former Hillary supporter, been with Obama since it became inevitable she wasn't gonna do it. I actually hoped for a Clinton/Obama ticket that I felt would guarantee 16 years of democratic rule.
Anyway, my only comment on tonight is I DID NOT LIKE THE HARRIET TUBMAN QUOTE - unnecessary, too much racial coding in there. I know whoever wrote that speech questioned it, and included it anyway. Its being celebrated as a deft stroke, but I see it as insidious as it has the potential to do more damage (by reminding racists of "the main issue in the campaign") than any good it brought to the table. Hillary's eyes are 2012, and her speech was too much about her (and not enough about Barack).
Posted by jeromejohn at August 26, 2008 8:50 PM
comment #23
Todd says ...
Gaydos I agree with you wholeheartedly on your critique of her speach. Not sure why you dislike her so much though but to each his or her own.
Posted by Todd at August 26, 2008 8:52 PM
comment #24
Nate West says ...
What Hillary Should Have Said:
"I know Senator McCain. He's a friend of mind. And given what I know of him, I want to declare, without reservation, that the qualities of calmness and cool rationality--both strong attributes of Barack Obama--are the qualities I want in the Oval Office when crisis strikes. Have your henchmen stick that in an ad, John."
Posted by Nate West at August 26, 2008 8:57 PM
comment #25
FeydAway says ...
Hey, I think she would have been the better candidate too. I think the speech made her look that way. How is that good for Obama? Let me say again: if she looks and sounds inspiring, that is good for Obama HOW??
He needed her to say he will be a good leader. He needed her to say she has confidence in him. She purposefully did not. The McCain campaign will use that, and she knows it. So, no Maria, she was not clever...at least not in a pro-Obama sense. She was very clever in selling herself without looking like a traitor or sore loser.
I'll vote for her in 2012.
Posted by FeydAway at August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
comment #26
corey3rd says ...
deep down, Hillary doesn't want the VP slot - she wants the Supreme Court seat if Obama wins.
Posted by corey3rd at August 26, 2008 9:00 PM
comment #27
Nate West says ...
A vote for any Clinton is a vote for pathology.
Posted by Nate West at August 26, 2008 9:06 PM
comment #28
D.Z. says ...
Todd: "I personally don't want Mccain to win but Obama still has not convinced me why he is the better Presidential candidate than Hillary."
Well, for one thing, Bill is not pulling his strings...
"Russia is setting the back drop to the american voter that they don't want to vote for a wimpy candidate even though what's going on in Georgia is bullshit anyway it will set a tone of we need a Pit Bull dog in office to control the evil empire Mccain will present himself as that Pit Bull while Obama comes off as sweet and affable."
Last time I checked, the only thing McCain's done is scold Russia while defending our war which leaves us too limp to even threaten Putin.
Posted by D.Z. at August 26, 2008 9:11 PM
comment #29
Gaydos says ...
Todd: To answer your question about my disdain for Hillary in a few words -
"Obama's support among working, hardworking Americans, white Americans, is weakening."
Oh and Bill's "Jesse Jackson also won South Carolina."
And Hillary's "John McCain is ready to be president, Obama is not."
And Bill's "Obama is playing the race card on me!"
Oh, and Terry McAulliffe, Harold Ickes, Sid Blumenthal, James Carville, Harold Wolfson, Gloria Allred, the Democratic Leadership Council.
Did you see that reptile Carville on TV after the first night of the convention, trashing Obama and the convention to anybody who'd listen to his partisan poison?
I don't want the Clinton wing of the party running the show. End of that explanation.
(But I would vote for Hillary against McCain. With enthusiasm.)
HISTORICAL NOTE: Does anyone remember the crappy tepid speech she gave for Kerry at the convention four years ago? Please, somebody replay and compare. And get back to me when you've seen what a half-hearted Hillary REALLY looks like....
Posted by Gaydos at August 26, 2008 9:21 PM
comment #30
shanana says ...
"Hey, I think she would have been the better candidate too. I think the speech made her look that way. How is that good for Obama? Let me say again: if she looks and sounds inspiring, that is good for Obama HOW??"
Maybe you haven't heard, FeydAway, but Barack Obama is not too shabby at giving inspired and stirring oratory. It helps him because it raises the bar, it makes the convention worthy of watching, and if he lives up to his reputation - you won't even remember what Hillary said by the end of Thursday night.
Posted by shanana at August 26, 2008 9:26 PM
comment #31
FeydAway says ...
I'm not talking about what Obama may or may not do on Thursday. I'm talking about what Hillary did/didn't do tonight.
What she didn't do is deliver votes to Obama. We'll see what the polls say. He didn't get a bump with Biden and he needed one, he didn't get a bump last night (he dropped in some places), so he really needed one tonight. I don't think she gave it to him.
Posted by FeydAway at August 26, 2008 9:49 PM
comment #32
shanana says ...
Oh, he'll get a bump. The most important thing this convention needs to be is worth watching. If it gets bogged down, people will lose interest in both the convention and the candidate. She made this convention worth watching. Hopefully Bill will deliver tomorrow. You said Hillary sounded inspiring, so much so, that she looked like the better candidate. Hopefully, after Obama's speech on Thursday, you will see what an inspired candidate really looks and sounds like. Because he is trying to convince people just like you, he is worthy of your vote during this convention.
Of course, there are those who say that is the problem with Obama, he is all pretty speeches. But, right now, the speech is the only thing that counts.
As far as the polls go, up until last Friday, Obama has been lying low, going on vacation and attending fundraisers. McCain has spent millions on commercials during the Olympics. He spent tons of cash on attack ads in July. He has SPENT MORE THAN HE HAS RAISED. He raised 22 or 26 million dollars in July, he spent 30 million.
No, Obama is flush with cash and ready for the REAL campaign, which begins now.
Posted by shanana at August 26, 2008 10:33 PM
comment #33
Terry McCarty says ...
Gaydos wrote:
Did you see that reptile Carville on TV after the first night of the convention, trashing Obama and the convention to anybody who'd listen to his partisan poison?
I don't want the Clinton wing of the party running the show. End of that explanation.
Al From and the Democratic Leadership Council (the "Clinton wing") have a lot to answer for, to put it mildly.
Posted by Terry McCarty at August 26, 2008 11:43 PM
comment #34
Todd says ...
Gaydos I hear what you're saying but all those quotes you bring up are just statements of fact pulled out of a larger discussion that in it's minimal presentation can come out negative to the reader or listner. They can also be observed as "so what " statements .
As for Carville thats his personality he's a political bullldog that speaks bluntly so I would be surprised if he said something more "party unified (politically correct)" in his presentations. That's just not him.
Posted by Todd at August 26, 2008 11:54 PM
comment #35
QQPPPP says ...
I saw the related news about it at interracial dating for blacks&whites @@@@@@@@@ mixedcupid .com'. Many sexy girls with nice videos are discussing it
That's funny . LMAOOOOOOOOOO
Posted by QQPPPP at August 27, 2008 12:38 AM
comment #36
AuggieBenDoggie says ...
FeydAway says ...
"Dunno what speech you were watching...
Not once did she say Obama would make a great/good President.
Not once did she say he was a great leader.
Not once did she say she had confidence in him.
Not once did she say she respected him."
Hillary Clinton : "Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president"
errr.......
Posted by AuggieBenDoggie at August 27, 2008 8:28 AM
comment #37
FeydAway says ...
[quote]Hillary Clinton : "Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president"
errr.......[/quote]
Man, I keep reading that over and over. Can you help me? I can't seem to find where she says respect, leader, confidence, belief, or great. Where is it again?
Posted by FeydAway at August 27, 2008 10:14 AM
comment #38
FeydAway says ...
Shanana:
"Oh, he'll get a bump. "
He didn't. Rasmussena and Gallup daily tracking shows he is either stagnant or lost ground after last night.
Look, I get it - you're an Obama supporter. I'm not here to debate or fight for a candidate. I chose to post because I'm a political junkie who finds the whole thing fascinating. But, you clearly are looking through filtered glasses. Pull back, take a look.
Posted by FeydAway at August 27, 2008 10:18 AM
comment #39
shanana says ...
"Rasmussena and Gallup daily tracking shows he is either stagnant or lost ground after last night."
People don't change their minds 10 seconds after one speech in a four day convention. The SPIN is what makes the shift, and all the spin is positive. C'mon, if you are SERIOUS "political Junkie" you would know daily tracking is a joke and a bump happens after EVERY convention, even McCain's camp has conceded that. That's not filtered glass that is a pragmatic conclusion.
Posted by shanana at August 27, 2008 6:36 PM
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