Former President Bill Clinton made it clear from the start of his speech tonight that, at least while standing under a spotlight in front of a national audience, he’s put the divisive bitterness of the Democratic primary behind him.
“I am here first to support Barack Obama,” he said.
The floor of the Pepsi Center turned into a sea of waving American flags and the band played Clinton’s signature tune: “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow” as he walked on stage at the Democratic National Convention.
The standing ovation and cheers lasted so long Clinton struggled to start his speech. When he finally started, chants of “Bill! Bill! Bill!” cut him off one more time.
“I love you, but we have important work to do tonight,” he said.
Hillary Rodham Clinton gave a rousing endorsement of Obama last night and tonight was Bill Clinton’s turn to peel back the line of attack he used against Obama during the primary campaign.
Clinton reminded delegates that Republicans said he was “too young and too inexperienced to be commander-in-chief” when he ran for president.
“Sound familiar?” he asked. “It didn’t work in 1992 because we were on the right side of history. And it won’t work in 2008 because Barack Obama is on the right side of history.”
Republicans dispute that contention.
“It is indicative of the concern among Democratic voters about Barack Obama’s inexperience that after three full days of the Democratic National Convention, President Clinton was finally forced to testify that Senator Obama is ready to be President, despite his previous arguments to the contrary,” said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.
His speech came just hours after Hillary Clinton walked on the floor of the Pepsi Center to join the New York delegation and move that delegates suspend the roll call vote and name Obama the presidential nominee.
“Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she’ll do everything she can to elect Barack Obama,” Clinton said, talking about his wife’s speech last night. “That makes two of us. Actually, that makes 18 million of us. I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November.”
Clinton said he was grateful for the chance that he and his daughter had to talk about his wife all over America during her campaign.
“In the end, my candidate didn’t win,” he said. “But I’m very proud of the campaign she ran.”
Clinton offered high praise for Obama, saying he has a “remarkable ability to inspire people” and the “intelligence and curiosity every successful president needs.”
“The long, hard primary tested and strengthened him, and in his first presidential decision, the selection of a running mate, he hit it out of the park,” Clinton said. “Barack Obama is ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world.”
Obama will fight to reduce nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and to stop global warming, Clinton said. “He will choose diplomacy first and military force as a last resort,” he said.
After spending much of the day talking amongst themselves and mingling, the crowd was in rapture during Clinton’s speech. They listened quietly, frequently popping out of their chairs to cheer wildly and wave American flags. Hillary and Chelsea Clinton watched from the third level of the Pepsi Center, above the delegates. The arena was on security lock down just before Clinton’s speech.
The crowd booed when Clinton spoke of the GOP agenda. He ripped Republicans for an exploding national debt, tax cuts for the wealthy and a weakened economy.
“In spite of all the evidence, their candidate is promising more of the same,” Clinton said. “They actually want us to reward them for the last eight years by giving them four more.”
Clinton called Obama “a 21st Century incarnation of the American dream,” saying the freedom and equal opportunity that “have given him his historic chance will drive him as president to give all Americans, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability, their chance to build a decent life, and to show our humanity, as well as our strength, to the world.”
