Former President Bill Clinton devoted a great portion of his speech to mocking Donald Trump — from his self obsession, his age, even his obsession with Hannibal Lecter.
“President Obama once gave me the great honor of saying I was explainer in chief. I’ve thought through it and I don’t know what to say,” Clinton said.
The former president gave a rousing speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, to the point that many credited it with boosting Obama’s reelection chances.
Now older, his voice has gotten softer, something that he noted in his remarks.
“Now let’s cut to the chase. I am too old the gild the lily. Two days ago I turned 78, the oldest man in my family for a generation. And the personal vanity I want to assert is I am still younger than Donald Trump.”
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Most of all, Clinton talked of Trump’s focus on himself versus others — a common theme throughout the week.
“He mostly talks about himself, so the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I’s,” Clinton said. “His vendettas, his vengeance, his complaints, his conspiracies.”
The convention paid homage to Clinton’s 1992 campaign, playing Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop, while the former president anointed her as a successor of sorts to the “man from hope,” saying that she would be the “president of joy.”
That said, he gave a warning of what is ahead.
“This is a brutal, tough business — I want you to be happy,” he said. “One of the reason Kamala Harris is doing so well is you are happy. But you should never underestimate your adversaries.”
Clinton said “we got to be tough,” citing the need to “meet people where they are,” suggesting that there were votes to be had in rural areas.
“Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for the chance the American people gave me to be one of the 45 people who have held the job,” Clinton said. “Even on the bad days, you can still make something good happen. Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race with the vision, the experience, the temperament, the will, and yes—the sheer joy—to do that on good and bad days. To be our voice.”
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