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Hillary Clinton is back. And this time, it’s personal.
At least that’s the subtext of a statement just released by the Clinton press office:
We should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin's historic nomination, and I congratulate her and Senator McCain. While their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to the debate.
If there were any lingering doubts as to the enthusiasm with which Hillary and Bill Clinton would campaign for Barack Obama—even after "That makes two of us"—let this put them to rest. Clinton is right, Sarah Palin’s nomination is historic. But what would be even more historic is if she won. And that just can’t be allowed.
Hillary has only started publicly describing her candidacy in historic terms since it ended. Fans were overjoyed to hear her speak about the legacy of women’s rights—and her role in it—in her concession speech in June. But even then, many of them weren’t comfortable with the idea of just any woman shattering the glass ceiling in which she had put "18 million cracks." It had to be Hillary.
Sarah Palin’s nomination therefore isn’t a threat to Barack Obama—Hillary voters won’t flock to her for the same reasons they showed discomfort with Kathleen Sebelius. (Not to mention Palin’s pro-life beliefs and the rest of her conservative record.) Rather, she poses a threat to Hillary’s legacy. Palin has a good story but a thin résumé. She considers herself a feminist but hasn’t become a national symbol of feminism like Clinton. After Hillary’s loss and Obama’s decision not to consider her for veep, Palin in the White House would be the final insult. And, for Clinton, unacceptable.
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By Derek Thompson
Al Gore’s speech last night in Denver was the opposite of his failed 2000 presidential campaign—funny, fresh, even a little inspiring. John Kerry’s speech the night before was quotable and downright side-splitting compared with his wooden self in 2004. And Hillary Clinton’s speech on Tuesday? The sometimes chilly candidate was praised for crushing at the convention center.
Why do we love speeches by candidates who lost? Do we lower the bar out of pity? Or do they really jump higher?
It probably has more to do with the bar. Presidential candidates have to be unflappable but human, talented but humble, transcendent but relatable. But if you lost an election, there’s no such requirement. That’s why Hillary got to talk about the "sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits." Al Gore mocked his own narrow loss. Even Kerry snuck in a line about McCain "being for it before he was against" certain policies.
But self-deprecation isn’t why their speeches succeeded. It’s because they transcended the criticisms that dogged them throughout their campaigns. Hillary seemed more emotive and put her legacy in the context of women’s rights and civil rights. Kerry looked comfortable and aggressive, though he was neither in 2004. And Gore flashed the same hip wonkiness he’s rocked for years—that is, the years after 2000.
If there’s a lesson here, it’s not that losing makes you charismatic. It’s that running for president makes you stiff. Message control is paramount to modern campaigns, but it’s also a candidate’s straitjacket hemmed in by voter interests, poll-tested buzz words, and obligatory nods to patriotism and family. In 2004, Kerry played the military card with painful stiltedness, saluting the audience, "reporting for duty," and yammering about Old Glory. In 2008, Kerry played the consummate Obama advocate, mixing direct attacks on John McCain with flairs of humor that electrified the convention center.
Sen. Clinton slouched off the shackles of candidacy even faster. Often criticized for her coldness on the stump, she gave a generous concession speech in June that drew raves. In Denver, she summed up a central issue—the moral smallness of Hillary-first Democrats like PUMA—better than anyone "I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me?" she asked. "Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids?" It was the perfect question, balancing common sense with sentimentality. If she had learned to master that combo eight months ago, Thursday might have represented a different Democratic first.
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By Lucy Morrow Caldwell and Derek Thompson
The Democratic National Convention was about unity, patriotism, and impossible promises. It was also about tearing John McCain into tiny confetti-sized pieces. And this year, the Democrats kept the quips rolling. Some were funny. Some were not so funny. Some we still don’t really understand. But they all infused the notoriously ponderous oratory with a welcome dash of spice. Here are a few of the most memorable zingers from four days of Democratic speechifying.
Best Overall
Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts: "Candidate McCain now supports the wartime tax cuts that Sen. McCain once denounced as immoral. Candidate McCain criticizes Sen. McCain’s own climate-change bill. Candidate McCain says he would now vote against the immigration bill that Sen. McCain wrote. Are you kidding? Talk about being for it before you’re against it."
Best Olympics Tie-In
Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio: "If there was an Olympics for misleading, mismanaging, and misappropriating, this administration would take the gold. World records for violations of national and international laws."
Most Predictable Home-Ownership Joke
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas: "I’m sure you remember a girl from Kansas who said there’s no place like home. Well, in John McCain’s version, there’s no place like home. Or a home. Or a home. Or a home. Or a home."
Best Acknowledgment of Wonkiness
Al Gore: "John McCain, a man who has earned our respect on many levels, is now openly endorsing the policies of the Bush-Cheney White House and promising to actually continue them, the same policies, all over again. Hey, I believe in recycling, but that's ridiculous."
Best Zinger From the Actual Nominee
Sen. Barack Obama: "Sen. McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than 90 percent of the time? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change."
Best Sports Analogy
Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio: "George W. Bush came into office on third base … and then he stole second. And John McCain cheered him every step of the way."
Most Likely To Be Used as a Lame Bumper Sticker
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York: "Now way, no how, no McCain."
Most Strained Metaphor
Gov. Ted Strickland: "And while families are losing sleep tonight trying to figure out some way to make their paycheck stretch through one more day, John McCain is sleeping better than ever. He’s sleeping better than ever because he thinks 'Americans overall are better off,' thanks to President Bush … He has no problem hitting the snooze button on the economy, because he’s never been part of the middle class. And I would say to him: Sen. McCain, it’s time for your wake-up call."
Most Refutable Quip
Gov. David Paterson of New York: "If [McCain] is the answer, then the question must be ridiculous." (How about: Who is the Republican presidential nominee?)
Most Likely To Have Been Written on a Napkin Just Before Going Onstage
Bob Casey: "John McCain calls himself a maverick, but he votes with George Bush more than 90 percent of the time. That’s not a maverick, that’s a sidekick."
Best Use of Pavlovian Allusion
Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York: "When the American people demanded change in Iraq, John McCain and his friends said no. When you demanded legislation to lower the price of gas, John McCain and his friends said no. When you demanded middle-class tax relief, John McCain and his friends said no. When Barack Obama wins in November, John McCain will go back to the senate, and he and his friends will go back to saying no, no, no, to the change our country needs."
Most Likely To Have Been Inspired by Dirty Jobs
Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois: "A strong economy depends on a strong middle class. But George Bush has put the middle class in a hole, and John McCain has a plan to keep digging that hole with George Bush's shovel."
Any great quips we missed? Do you have a favorite? Looking forward to a zingmeister at the Republican National Convention? Send your comments to Derek.Thompson@slate.com.
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After Barack Obama finished his acceptance speech Thursday night before a euphoric crowd of 75,000 in Invesco Field, Slate V's Andy Bouvé sat down with writers and editors at Slate and the Root to gauge their reactions.
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If you've got a moment, head over to WashingtonPost.com, where Slate's Emily Bazelon and I are chatting about "The Road Ahead For Obama."
Ask us anything. Anything!
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In the '80s, a basketball standout nicknamed "Sarah Barracuda" gamely stepped onto the court despite a stress fracture, determined to lead Wasilla High School to a state championship. That Barracuda was Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president (according to her Wikipedia page).
McCain's pick of Palin means a fifth presidential/vice presidential debate should be added to the calendar. A cross-ticket game of horse between Barack Obama and Sarah Palin. Obama has the upper hand because he plays regularly, but Palin has played ball on a bigger stage than Obama ever has. It would rival the Michael Jordan vs. Larry Bird showdown.
Joe Biden and John McCain, meanwhile, can duke it out in the boxing ring. We hear Biden has been known to bloody a few noses in his day.
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In one of her earliest appearances in the Alaskan press, Sarah Palin described her glee at the chance to see the former Mrs. Donald Trump, who was visiting Alaska for the day to peddle purfume.
From the Anchorage Daily News:
"We want to see Ivana," said Palin, who admittedly smells like salmon for a large part of the summer, "because we are so desperate in Alaska for any semblance of glamour and culture."
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Most amazing of many amazing things about McCain running mate Sarah Palin: Her kids are named Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig. She out Romneyed the Romneys!