Sunday, August 30, 2009

President Clinton's Jackson Day Speech

It was an awesome evening, so glad I went, black eye and all!

Vibinc has video of the entire speech posted. Head over there and watch it, you will be glad you did.

I was struck once again by what an inspiring speaker Clinton is, how good he is at making his point without being mean or alienating people. Clinton said he understood why people were showing up at town hall meetings scared and angry, he didn't attack them or call them stupid (and yes I've done that a-plenty).

I thought of Sarah Palin and her mean-spirited, snide RNC speech, where she sarcastically said being mayor of Wasilla was "a little like being a community organizer except I had actual responsibilities." I thought of Pat Peale and her purple-heart Band-Aids distributed by long-time Republican Party activist Morton Blackwell.

The Republicans can be arrogant, even vicious, when the cameras are turned on. Clinton didn't do that. Perhaps that's why so many Americans liked him, and why he still gets under the skin of so many Republicans.