The votes are in and we have a winner. Bill Clinton's speech on Wednesday night at the Democratic national Convention was a complete knockout.
President Barack Obama's wife Michelle gave a riveting speech about family and values on Tuesday night that was considered a tough act for the former President to follow. But Clinton was more than up to the task offering substantial attacks on the Republican Party, substantial defense of Obama's presidency, and even the same level of emotional depth that preceded him the night before. The speech was long (almost 50 minutes in length), but Clinton had the entire audience in Charlotte, North Carolina going berserk at every line he managed. Many are already declaring Obama the President after such an event, but is this really all that awful for the Republicans?
Yes Clinton blasted Paul Ryan's economic plan in a way that no one else has been able to. He poked at the fact Ryan won't specify which exemptions and loopholes he would be getting rid of in his budget cuts and questioned if there will even be any notable cuts to speak of. In response to Ryan's question of "Are you better off?" Clinton gave a resounding response "Are we better off than we were when he took office, with an economy in free fall, losing 750,000 jobs a month? The answer is yes!" Then he went on a tirade to substantiate his answer and promote Obama's Presidency by talking about the Recovery Act, the Affordable Care Act, and the auto-industry bailout.
But the virtuosity Clinton put on display may have given the Republicans an Ace in the Hole; one that will be revealed tonight: President Barack Obama. Obama may be thrilled by Clinton's rhetoric (which is far superior than his own) and defense of his four years, but Obama should have been the one to do it. He should have been the one to showcase the numbers surrounding his policies. But now he can't because doing so would make him sound like Clinton's copycat. And it will make Obama look weaker for it. On CNN last night, commentators made mention of how Clinton's speech almost made it seem as if it was still 1994 and he was still the leader of the Democratic Party.
And that is exactly what the Republican Party wants. If Obama falls into the trap of repeating Clinton's speech, the Republicans will turn around and say "who is the real leader behind the Democrats? Is it Obama or is it Clinton?" We all know how polarizing a figure Clinton can be outside his own party and with his exertion of power last night, the Republicans may be ready to just use Clinton's Presidency as one of their new sound bites. If Obama decides not to rehash the Clinton speech then what does he have left to say? Clinton pretty much covered anything that Obama would need to say to defend his four years in office. But If the President avoids rehashing Clinton's detailed facts, then his enemies will question his substance. Either Obama jumps on other points Clinton missed (which weren't many) or he will need to rely heavily on that high flying rhetoric that got him elected four years ago.
For Obama the goal of his speech tonight will not be simply getting voters excited about his next four years. It will also be about reasserting himself as the leader of the Democratic Party. Because if he doesn't the Republicans will not only start questioning whether he is the true leader of the Democratic Party, but whether he is the true leader of this Country.