So the President Gave a Speech Last Night...

Not that President. This one:


[Transcript here.]

There was a lot—A LOT—of good stuff in President Clinton's speech last night. So many soundbite-ready lines. So many riffs off-script. So much hilariously humiliating contempt for the Republican Party. But my absolute favorite line of the speech had to be this one:
Now, people ask me all the time how we got four surplus budgets in a row. What new ideas did we bring to Washington? I always give a one-word answer: Arithmetic!
Ha!

Another favorite moment of the speech was when President Clinton mentioned his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the cameras cut to First Lady Michelle Obama, leading a standing ovation for Hillary. I really hope after that, and this—

image of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama hugging onstage after Clinton's speech

—we can put to bed the tiresome narratives about how the Obamas and Clintons hate each other. They might not be best friends, and they may never be, but they are clearly strong political allies who respect one another and know how to work effectively together, and the reductive gradeschool nattering about whether they're besties elides the powerful narrative of alliance despite differences, which is a centerpiece of the Democratic Party, its diplomatic approach, its diversity, its commitment to consensus, and its rejection of obstructionism.

It is a flawed party, but it also a party that is fundamentally more decent in every conceivable way than its primary opposition, as their respective conventions have made abundantly clear. And nothing more emblematically illustrates what's right with the Democratic Party than the Obamas and the Clintons.

And speaking of good stuff, Elizabeth Warren gave a speech last night, too:


[Transcript here.]

Other stuff from the DNC last night:

Gabrielle Douglas leads the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pelosi!

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on rebuilding the middle class.

Cristina Saralegui, host of the Spanish-language show, Cristina, aka the Cuban Oprah, on dreamers and the choice before Latin@s in this election.

Finally! Here is a State Department photo of Hillary Clinton watching Bill's speech last night from East Timor.

image of Hillary Clinton watching the speech on a small TV in an office

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.

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