John,
Gee, I’m sorry you’re having such a glum time. You should have come with me to the tribute to the four Clinton chiefs of staff, held in a rather eccentric auto museum. (No half-naked mermaids, but Mack McLarty, Erskine Bowles, and Adam West’s original Batmobile–top that for excitement!) Most Democrats I know were still glowing about Clinton’s speech a day later. I have heard a lot of grumbling, too, but nearly all of it is about Los Angeles. The real fun of a political convention takes place in crowded hotel lobbies, where it should be possible to plant oneself next to a potted palm, meet dozens of friends, and see the world. Here, you have to pick which party you will go to, drive 40 minutes to get there, stay sober for the drive back, etc. W.C. Fields was right: I’d rather be in Philadelphia.
What is a bit disconcerting is the feeling that the “real” convention–the Gore convention–hasn’t really begun yet. That was plainly a choice of the Gore campaign, which wanted to stage this as a weeklong separation drama. Monday night was Clinton night. Wednesday and Thursday night are Gore and Lieberman night. Tuesday, though, seemed a wasted opportunity. It was liberal night, but with no clear message and no sharply or memorably drawn contrast with the Republicans.
Tonight and tomorrow night should be fun. Lieberman’s moment will be emotionally powerful, if nothing else. I will certainly be kvelling. (Like many speechwriters, the first speech I wrote was my bar mitzvah speech. “My fellow Democrats, today I am a man.”) And I won’t be surprised if Gore delivers a great speech. Again, at these conventions, he usually does. His secret weapon may be humor. He is very funny in private, and has done well when he allowed himself to be droll onstage. It’s a deft way to demonize the GOP without looking angry.
I will be interested, among other things, to hear how he makes his case. By late 1995, Clinton and Gore had formed the arguments and language they used in the election a year later. (“Fighting for a balanced budget that honors our values–by protecting Medicare, Medicaid, education, and the environment.” Our shorthand was MMEE.) George W. Bush, too, has been using the same themes and language for a year. Gore, though, is still refining his arguments. I have been most struck by his populist, “the people vs. the powerful” rallying cry. For Clinton, New Democrat values-based language–“opportunity for all, responsibility from all, a community of all”–was a way to cut through cultural static so Reagan Democrats and others would hear his message. Gore enthusiastically denounces Big Oil, pharmaceutical companies, polluters, and so on. It is a way for him to show what he cares about, and can help draw a contrast with Bush and Cheney. Also, it may appeal to disaffected working-class Democrats or the still-untethered Perot/McCain voters. Still, it won’t be easy to make it sound fresh to New Economy voters. And Gore will have to be careful not to undermine his own argument that Democrats can be trusted with prosperity, while the Republicans can’t.
Happy Days Are Here Again!!
