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| 'An artful response to Trump': the verdict on Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech | 'An artful response to Trump': the verdict on Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Richard Wolffe: ‘After a weak start, she found her foil: Trump’ | Richard Wolffe: ‘After a weak start, she found her foil: Trump’ |
| It wasn’t just one tough act to follow. On the biggest stage of her career, Hillary Clinton faced the daunting task of following several nights of the best speakers her party could muster: from Michelle and Barack Obama, to Bill Clinton and Cory Booker. | It wasn’t just one tough act to follow. On the biggest stage of her career, Hillary Clinton faced the daunting task of following several nights of the best speakers her party could muster: from Michelle and Barack Obama, to Bill Clinton and Cory Booker. |
| The truth is that Hillary Clinton spent the first two-thirds of her acceptance speech applying a sledgehammer to every applause line on the prompter. She didn’t deliver soaring rhetoric so much as a high school paper on the presidency. | The truth is that Hillary Clinton spent the first two-thirds of her acceptance speech applying a sledgehammer to every applause line on the prompter. She didn’t deliver soaring rhetoric so much as a high school paper on the presidency. |
| But then something turned inside the Democratic nominee: she found her foil, and his name is Donald Trump. Instead of trying to sound like another president, she found her voice tearing apart a wannabe president. | But then something turned inside the Democratic nominee: she found her foil, and his name is Donald Trump. Instead of trying to sound like another president, she found her voice tearing apart a wannabe president. |
| Clinton ripped Trump for his long convention speech: “He spoke for 70 odd minutes, and I do mean odd.” She pilloried him for outsourcing an endlessly strange line of Trump-branded products. “Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again,” she said. “Well he could start by actually making things in America again.” | Clinton ripped Trump for his long convention speech: “He spoke for 70 odd minutes, and I do mean odd.” She pilloried him for outsourcing an endlessly strange line of Trump-branded products. “Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again,” she said. “Well he could start by actually making things in America again.” |
| But she was strongest in her comfort zone of national security and American values. “Now Donald Trump says, and this is a quote: ‘I know more about Isis than the generals do.’ No Donald,” she said, shaking her head, “you don’t”. | But she was strongest in her comfort zone of national security and American values. “Now Donald Trump says, and this is a quote: ‘I know more about Isis than the generals do.’ No Donald,” she said, shaking her head, “you don’t”. |
| “A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons”. | “A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons”. |
| If you listened with your eyes shut, you might have thought you were at another party’s convention, at another time. | If you listened with your eyes shut, you might have thought you were at another party’s convention, at another time. |
| There was a barnburner of a sermon by a man of the cloth from North Carolina. There was a stage full of veterans, led by a retired four-star general who barked like a drill sergeant. There was a hall full of delegates chanting USA! And there were the proud parents of a captain who died in Iraq as he saved the lives of his own unit. | There was a barnburner of a sermon by a man of the cloth from North Carolina. There was a stage full of veterans, led by a retired four-star general who barked like a drill sergeant. There was a hall full of delegates chanting USA! And there were the proud parents of a captain who died in Iraq as he saved the lives of his own unit. |
| Hillary Clinton’s Democrats claimed the social platform of Bernie Sanders at the same time as they stormed the old Republican citadel of patriotism and the armed services. And that feat was far more impressive than her speech. | Hillary Clinton’s Democrats claimed the social platform of Bernie Sanders at the same time as they stormed the old Republican citadel of patriotism and the armed services. And that feat was far more impressive than her speech. |
| Jill Abramson: ‘Her speech was an artful response to Trump’ | Jill Abramson: ‘Her speech was an artful response to Trump’ |
| In her convention speech, Hillary repeated a story she’s often told about her mother. Dorothy Rodham insisted that her daughter stand up to bullies, saying “Cowards don’t live in this house.” Her mantra was hit back when someone hits you. | In her convention speech, Hillary repeated a story she’s often told about her mother. Dorothy Rodham insisted that her daughter stand up to bullies, saying “Cowards don’t live in this house.” Her mantra was hit back when someone hits you. |
| Her daughter clearly took the lesson to heart and enjoyed every punch she delivered on Thursday night in Philadelphia. It was payback time for all of those “Crooked Hillary” jabs from Trump and the Republican convention refrain, “Lock her up.” | Her daughter clearly took the lesson to heart and enjoyed every punch she delivered on Thursday night in Philadelphia. It was payback time for all of those “Crooked Hillary” jabs from Trump and the Republican convention refrain, “Lock her up.” |
| It was an effective performance, spoken not in anger, but in a tone of humorous sarcasm. Clinton often and proudly talks about how she gets under Trump’s skin and judging from his tweets after the speech, she surely did. Besides getting a kick out of kicking Trump, she’s quite good at ridiculing him. Her script was scrupulously factual, making her case against her opponent all the more devastating. | It was an effective performance, spoken not in anger, but in a tone of humorous sarcasm. Clinton often and proudly talks about how she gets under Trump’s skin and judging from his tweets after the speech, she surely did. Besides getting a kick out of kicking Trump, she’s quite good at ridiculing him. Her script was scrupulously factual, making her case against her opponent all the more devastating. |
| Running against Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries and Barack Obama, she never seemed comfortable going negative. Politically, it was risky for a female candidate, especially her, to seem mean as she’s already viewed as unlikeable by a significant portion of voters. | Running against Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries and Barack Obama, she never seemed comfortable going negative. Politically, it was risky for a female candidate, especially her, to seem mean as she’s already viewed as unlikeable by a significant portion of voters. |
| But Trump has been so vulgar and mean himself, the political risk seems minimal. His temperament and crazed policy proposals, which have only become more preposterous lately, make him an easy target. | But Trump has been so vulgar and mean himself, the political risk seems minimal. His temperament and crazed policy proposals, which have only become more preposterous lately, make him an easy target. |
| Hillary’s best speeches in the campaign have been the ones in which she tears apart Trump’s proposals. Her speech in San Diego before the California primary was a triumph with its tight focus on Trump’s dangerous international and national security proposals, including banning Muslims from the country and reviving torture. | Hillary’s best speeches in the campaign have been the ones in which she tears apart Trump’s proposals. Her speech in San Diego before the California primary was a triumph with its tight focus on Trump’s dangerous international and national security proposals, including banning Muslims from the country and reviving torture. |
| Her convention speech was an artful retort to Trump, contrasting President Reagan’s “Morning in America” with Trump’s “Midnight in America.” She portrayed Trump’s boasts of being able to fix the country’s problems himself as un-American. The American way, she stressed repeatedly, is working together to fix the ills of society. | Her convention speech was an artful retort to Trump, contrasting President Reagan’s “Morning in America” with Trump’s “Midnight in America.” She portrayed Trump’s boasts of being able to fix the country’s problems himself as un-American. The American way, she stressed repeatedly, is working together to fix the ills of society. |
| Her performance in Philadelphia also showed that she’s become more media-savvy. A witty put-down is sure to receive more coverage than a dry policy lecture. Maybe Clinton has finally learned that she can’t let Trump own every news cycle. One of her funniest lines was: “There is no other Donald Trump. This is it.” The delegates roared. | Her performance in Philadelphia also showed that she’s become more media-savvy. A witty put-down is sure to receive more coverage than a dry policy lecture. Maybe Clinton has finally learned that she can’t let Trump own every news cycle. One of her funniest lines was: “There is no other Donald Trump. This is it.” The delegates roared. |
| The speech was well calibrated with hope, too. Her picture of America’s future is bright, so unlike Trump’s dark convention address. The contrast couldn’t have been clearer. | The speech was well calibrated with hope, too. Her picture of America’s future is bright, so unlike Trump’s dark convention address. The contrast couldn’t have been clearer. |
| It’s going to be fun to watch Clinton drive Trump bonkers over the next 100 days. | It’s going to be fun to watch Clinton drive Trump bonkers over the next 100 days. |
| Lucia Graves: ‘A message of motherhood rang through the speech’ | Lucia Graves: ‘A message of motherhood rang through the speech’ |
| In her speech, Clinton mentioned the word “mother” no fewer than 10 times. The message of motherhood and empowered women is deeply personal for Clinton. But it is not really about her, so much as what being a woman has taught her to see: namely the discrimination of others. | In her speech, Clinton mentioned the word “mother” no fewer than 10 times. The message of motherhood and empowered women is deeply personal for Clinton. But it is not really about her, so much as what being a woman has taught her to see: namely the discrimination of others. |
| “When any barrier falls in America it clears the way for everyone. After all, when there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit,” she said. It was a reference to a famous line from her 2008 resignation speech. “Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it,” she said at the time. | “When any barrier falls in America it clears the way for everyone. After all, when there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit,” she said. It was a reference to a famous line from her 2008 resignation speech. “Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it,” she said at the time. |
| It was tellingly that her daughter Chelsea, speaking ahead of Clinton, would define her mother as a fighter in her speech: “She fought her heart out and she lost,” the younger Clinton said of her mom. “Then she got right back to work.” | It was tellingly that her daughter Chelsea, speaking ahead of Clinton, would define her mother as a fighter in her speech: “She fought her heart out and she lost,” the younger Clinton said of her mom. “Then she got right back to work.” |
| Chelsea was talking about the health care fight of 1994 but she might well have been talking about any number of times in Clinton’s life – most notably, when she lost the 2008 primary election to President Obama in 2008. | Chelsea was talking about the health care fight of 1994 but she might well have been talking about any number of times in Clinton’s life – most notably, when she lost the 2008 primary election to President Obama in 2008. |
| Her message of women’s empowerment and people’s empowerment is an important point of contrast with Donald Trump. It’s also who Clinton has always been. | Her message of women’s empowerment and people’s empowerment is an important point of contrast with Donald Trump. It’s also who Clinton has always been. |
| But now in 2016, America’s finally ready for her. | But now in 2016, America’s finally ready for her. |
| As Bill Clinton noted in video remarks at the start of Clinton’s speech: “When she said, ‘Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights’ in 1995, that was a radical statement.” | As Bill Clinton noted in video remarks at the start of Clinton’s speech: “When she said, ‘Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights’ in 1995, that was a radical statement.” |
| It still is. | It still is. |
| Steven W Thrasher: ‘The speech left me out in the cold’ | |
| To anyone who is on the fence, Hillary Clinton appeared far more presidential than Donald Trump. The first woman Democratic nominee skewered Trump with her knowledge, temperament and mostly deft jokes. She evoked 9/11 to her advantage better than Rudy Giuliani ever could, and I could picture her as Commander-In-Chief saying to the Joint Chief of Staff, “Send in the Fifth Fleet!” | To anyone who is on the fence, Hillary Clinton appeared far more presidential than Donald Trump. The first woman Democratic nominee skewered Trump with her knowledge, temperament and mostly deft jokes. She evoked 9/11 to her advantage better than Rudy Giuliani ever could, and I could picture her as Commander-In-Chief saying to the Joint Chief of Staff, “Send in the Fifth Fleet!” |
| For this warlike, militaristic, colonizing country, Clinton could be a perfect leader. | For this warlike, militaristic, colonizing country, Clinton could be a perfect leader. |
| I was annoyed that Clinton praised the “compromising” of America’s founders, since maintaining slavery was perhaps their most significant compromise. She did bring up race twice, acknowledging “mothers who lost children to violence and are building a movement to keep other kids safe” and speaking of “young black and Latino men and women who face the effects of systemic racism, and are made to feel like their lives are disposable.” | I was annoyed that Clinton praised the “compromising” of America’s founders, since maintaining slavery was perhaps their most significant compromise. She did bring up race twice, acknowledging “mothers who lost children to violence and are building a movement to keep other kids safe” and speaking of “young black and Latino men and women who face the effects of systemic racism, and are made to feel like their lives are disposable.” |
| But, like Obama, Clinton immediately pivoted to violence against police, as if these problems are equal. She could not say “Black Lives Matter,” and saying “America is great – because America is good” is an insult a day after Freddie Gray’s was denied justice. | But, like Obama, Clinton immediately pivoted to violence against police, as if these problems are equal. She could not say “Black Lives Matter,” and saying “America is great – because America is good” is an insult a day after Freddie Gray’s was denied justice. |
| Part of me would love to get on Team Clinton. It feels so good and warm to be on a team! But the speech left me out in the cold, still being critical. When she said “Wall Street can never, ever be allowed to wreck Main Street again,” I laughed so hard thinking of her record that a colleague wondered if I was OK. | Part of me would love to get on Team Clinton. It feels so good and warm to be on a team! But the speech left me out in the cold, still being critical. When she said “Wall Street can never, ever be allowed to wreck Main Street again,” I laughed so hard thinking of her record that a colleague wondered if I was OK. |
| To be on her team will likely mean having Robert Rubin, Cory Booker, Larry Summers, Goldman Sachs and Citibank as teammates; it will likely include charter schools at home and hawkish empire abroad. | To be on her team will likely mean having Robert Rubin, Cory Booker, Larry Summers, Goldman Sachs and Citibank as teammates; it will likely include charter schools at home and hawkish empire abroad. |
| Is that a team worth playing on? I’m not sure it is. | Is that a team worth playing on? I’m not sure it is. |