I have just finished watching President Obama’s speech at the DNC. Not surprisingly, he talked a great deal more about himself than he did Hillary Clinton. Indeed, it took him a good 15 minutes to even mention her name. When he did talk about her, it was as an extension of himself rather than to praise her virtues such as they are. In short, Obama basically preached to the choir. I don’t think he’s changed too many minds.
When Obama talks about protecting coal miners he’s referring to the people Hillary bragged she was going to put out of business. When Obama says Hillary is respect by the world who exactly is he talking about? The Russians? What with that whole reset business? When Obama praises her judgement does he mean the judgement which set up a homebrew server and a private e-mail account to conduct government business including top secret matters?
Obama spent most of his time bragging about himself. Bragging about killing bin Laden when ISIS controls most of Iraq, Syria and Libya and is making its presence felt in this country in attacks on San Bernardino, Orlando and Chattanooga. Bragging about a Iran nuclear deal that is unraveling before our very eyes. Bragging about reforming a health care system where people are paying more and getting less.
When Obama mentioned the Republican Convention, he said it wasn’t conservative and he’s right. But conservative or not, Obama hates Republicans just the same. Let’s not forget this is a man who said Republicans opposition to admitting Syrian refugees was a useful recruiting tool for ISIS. As if that excuses murdering people at an office Christmas party or patrons of a gay nightclub or for that matter beheading a Catholic priest in France.
While I share some of Obama’s criticisms of Trump, it’s hard to take his accusations of “demagogue” seriously when he surrounds himself with Greek columns and describes himself as one who can calm oceans. With this in mind, I found it odd that he left the stage to Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed Delivered I’m Yours”. A great song, but it’s first line begins, “Like a fool I went and stayed too long.”
I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on Joe Biden and Tim Kaine’s remarks. Biden was more focused on criticizing Trump than praising Hillary. While Biden’s criticisms of Trump weren’t without legitimacy, I’d take him more seriously if he hadn’t accused Mitt Romney of planning to put blacks “back in chains” four years ago.
I’ll say this for Tim Kaine. His Spanish is more passionate than his English. I also found it interesting that he made reference to both Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson given how out of favor both figures are on The Left these days. Like Biden, he made a better case against Trump than he did for Hillary. He did try to endear himself to Bernie supporters on a couple of occasions but it’s going to take some work.
At the outset of his speech, Kaine mentioned that his son had just deployed overseas. Later, Kaine stated he’d trust his son’s life with Hillary. I’m betting the parents of those who lost sons at Benghazi would beg to differ. It’s also difficult to take Kaine seriously when he says that Hillary will stand up to thugs and dictators when she called Syria’s Assad “a reformer.”
As I argued last night, Hillary has got to sell herself tomorrow. And if she can’t do that she can only try to scare the hell out of people over Trump. The problem is that people are plenty scared as it is and Trump, for all his faults, is inspiring confidence in a way that she isn’t.
