Obama Defends Hillary's Judgement
She has made the mistakes you make and carries the scars you carry when you spend 40 years under a microscope held by opponents.
Frequent Guest Post writer Thad Guyer was critical of the Democratic speeches at the Convention so far. While they were "inspiring to my Democrat blood", Guyer wrote, the speeches were "universally unresponsive to the central issues framed by Republicans-- Hillary's judgment, integrity and open borders. While Trump tries to persuade undecideds of Hillary's "incompetence", that has gone nowhere. "
Guyer said Hillary needs a defense and an advocate, something she has has not received. "The FBI director's assault on her has gone unanswered at the convention so far. To Sanders and independent voters who say they they are having a hard time swallowing fear of Trump as the reason to vote for a corrupt establishment politician, no speech has thus far been responsive."
Obama did not directly put his reputation on the line in a point by point defense, but he praised Hillary and they appeared, hands together, at the end. Obama could not make a point by point defense of Hillary. He is the nation's chief law enforcement officer. But he put it into the context of a long career and asked voters to put it onto a scale and balance achievement versus mistake. She was in the arena and should be judge in the totality.
People make mistakes, and they are the inevitable result of 40 years in "the arena", citing Theodore Roosevelt: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again."
Hillary is not crooked. She is embattled. Her scars and admitted mistakes are not the result of bad character but of good character--er effort to do good in the world. Sports fans understand this. Even the greatest teams sometimes lose games. Obama's framing of this seems realistic, at least to people who are not already firmly anti-Hillary. People look at Hillary Clinton, think of things they like and don't like, and figure all-in-all she is OK, or at least good enough.
Guyer said Hillary needs a defense and an advocate, something she has has not received. "The FBI director's assault on her has gone unanswered at the convention so far. To Sanders and independent voters who say they they are having a hard time swallowing fear of Trump as the reason to vote for a corrupt establishment politician, no speech has thus far been responsive."Obama did not directly put his reputation on the line in a point by point defense, but he praised Hillary and they appeared, hands together, at the end. Obama could not make a point by point defense of Hillary. He is the nation's chief law enforcement officer. But he put it into the context of a long career and asked voters to put it onto a scale and balance achievement versus mistake. She was in the arena and should be judge in the totality.
People make mistakes, and they are the inevitable result of 40 years in "the arena", citing Theodore Roosevelt: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again."
Hillary is not crooked. She is embattled. Her scars and admitted mistakes are not the result of bad character but of good character--er effort to do good in the world. Sports fans understand this. Even the greatest teams sometimes lose games. Obama's framing of this seems realistic, at least to people who are not already firmly anti-Hillary. People look at Hillary Clinton, think of things they like and don't like, and figure all-in-all she is OK, or at least good enough.
Obama gave a civics lesson. Democracy is hard, slow work. Obama also put into context the slow hard work of politics, criticizing Trump-ism harshly and Sanders supporters gently and indirectly. Obama referred directly to Trump's assertion that he and he alone could fix America--the authoritarian promise. "Our power doesn't come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. We don't look to be ruled."
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But he also chided the left for its failure to do the hard work of progressive change by showing up in off year elections and for down-ballot voting. The 2008 electorate did not show up in 2010 losing the Democratic House, re-establishing a filibuster bloc in the Senate, and turning statehouses across the country so Republican that they were able to control redistricting for a decade. It ended hope and change and initiated gridlock.
In a message for Sanders voters who hope and expect political revolution Obama cited the "hard and slow and sometimes frustrating, but ultimately enduring work of self-government. And that's what Hillary Clinton understands. She knows that this is a big, diverse country, she has seen it, she's traveled, she's talked to folks and she understands that most issues are rarely black and white. She understands that even when you're 100 percent right, getting things done requires compromise."
Obama is leaving for Hillary Clinton to make the argument about American borders and how to address the widespread--possibly majority--unease about immigration from Latin America and the Middle East. Obama spoke of the value of diversity and tolerance. Hillary Clinton will need to shape and defend her own policy. It is a centerpiece of the Trump campaign, combining economic and physical security. A Democrat needs to project a different tone from Trump. Less harsh, more inclusive, supporting lawfulness but allowing mercy, attempting to be realistic, addressing polarized public support for different points of view. Hillary needs to do this herself because it will reflect her own effort to create a nuanced politically viable approach.
Obama's speech was inspiring. He is enormously gifted, and persuasive to people open to persuasion. It's contrast to Trump is dramatic. Obama is elegant, Trump blunt. Obama as long sentences, Trump has short. Obama speaks of unity and progress, Trump of danger and its defeat. Obama speaks of slow democratic process, Trump of authority and results.
Obama's speech had a goal: to rehabilitate Hillary. She is a warrior, not a crook. She made mistakes. No big deal. And then to endorse her. And then to bring the Sanders idealists aboard. My own sense is that he did as good a job at that as can be done. But like the democracy he described, getting it done is a long, slow process and it takes more than a great speech. It takes time and effort and the will to do it.
Obama's speech was inspiring. He is enormously gifted, and persuasive to people open to persuasion. It's contrast to Trump is dramatic. Obama is elegant, Trump blunt. Obama as long sentences, Trump has short. Obama speaks of unity and progress, Trump of danger and its defeat. Obama speaks of slow democratic process, Trump of authority and results.
Obama's speech had a goal: to rehabilitate Hillary. She is a warrior, not a crook. She made mistakes. No big deal. And then to endorse her. And then to bring the Sanders idealists aboard. My own sense is that he did as good a job at that as can be done. But like the democracy he described, getting it done is a long, slow process and it takes more than a great speech. It takes time and effort and the will to do it.
1 comment:
Watching Joe Biden fire up the base, then the little known Tim Caine introduce himself, then President Obama produce a grand finale was like the orchestras I play in. The first movement or work loosens the audience up, the second work or movement exposes the new ideas and the closing movement brings all the emotional forces together, and ultimately inspires us to want to make more music.
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