I’d like to share a text exchange I had with my mom tonight, and then expand on why I think it matters and why I think Bill killed it.
Mom:
Your Dad thought Bill was better than great. Said he learned so much about Hill. He was very impressed with all she has done.
Me:
Hang on… my dad, told you, he thought Bill was “better than great?”
Mom:
Yes, he thought the speech was terrific. Sold Hillary like a husband could and should. He did not understand Rachel at all. Thought the network blew it.
Here’s why this is a big deal, and why I think it shows just what a great job Bill did.
My folks are both 70 — both born in 1946 like the Big Dog himself. I’m exactly 11 months older than Chelsea. In a lot of ways, for me, Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea were the famous, presidential version of my family — in that I too am an only child, my folks are the same-ish age, I’m the same-ish age as Chelsea, I spent formative years living under the Clinton presidency, and we lived in northern Virginia at the time. Ok, maybe a strech — I guess my gut feeling is that I “grew” up under a president who was my parents’ age, and had a kid my age. But I suppose I’m getting in the weeds here…
My dad served 20 years in the US Navy, retiring in 1988. He was attending college the same time Bill and Hill were. And while Bill didn’t serve, my dad did. That pissed my dad off in 1992. Bill not inhaling pissed my dad off in 1992. In 1992, my dad was a not-so-long-ago retired naval officer working for a beltway bandit — he was pretty conservative. My mom, a staunch, life-long liberal feminist used to joke that she always had to vote so she made sure to cancel my dad’s vote out. (Not actually sure dad was big into voting in those days honestly — but he was more likely than not to vote for HW, and St. Ronnie the Raygun than say Dukakis or Mondale — I do know he respected the hell out of Jimmy Carter...)
I don’t think my dad voted in 1996 — but I know he would not have voted for Bill.
When the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, my dad was disgusted by Bill’s behavior. He agreed that Bill’s impeachment was partisan crap, but at the same time, he would have preferred Bill had resigned office. He has maintained even now that he thinks Bill was a disgrace for what he did. To go along with this, my dad thought Hill should leave Bill, and as recently as a month ago was telling me that he still thought Hill should have left Bill. He thought her marriage was one of political convenience and power plays and all sorts of things — but certainly not really one of love.
As time progressed, I don’t know if my dad mellowed out, or my mom and I somehow got to him, but by 2000, my dad was pretty much a Dem. He voted for Al, because, duh, W is an idiot!
In 2004, he voted for Kerry because, duh, W is an idiot.
In 2008, he was super excited to vote for our president, and yeah, dad shed a small tear that night when Barack made history. Again in 2012, it was a no brainer that my dad was gonna vote for Obama.
So we’re up to 2016. My dad, if anything, has been getting more and more liberal and progressive as time has marched onward. But this time, he wasn’t for Hill. He simply viewed it as a vote against whomever (and now ESPECIALLY Trump) the pubs put forward. And while I’ll take ANY vote for Hillary ANY way I can get it, he was going to be a reluctant Hill voter, more the — “Holy shit I have to do everything I can to defeat Trump, even if I don’t much like Hillary” — kind of guy. Until tonight.
Go back and read the bits from my mom. My dad, not a fan of Hillary, and most assuredly not a fan of Bill, thought Bill was “better than great.” What’s more, he learned what many of us have so long known: that Hillary is impressive. As my dad said, Bill sold it like a husband on behalf of his wife.
I’ve read some speculation that Bill was speaking to women, and different speculation that Bill was speaking to remind husbands that they love their wives. Some think that maybe it was a play at white guys… Well, my dad, an old white dude, married for just shy of 50 years, heard Bill’s message. My mom, an old white lady, married for just shy of 50 years, heard Bill’s message. My wife, a 34 year old white woman, married for nearly 3 whole years (WOW lol!), heard Bill’s message. And then there’s me, a 37 year old wonder-bread white guy, married for nearly 3 whole years, and I heard Bill’s message.
So, while I can’t say this morning that Bill convinced a non-voter, or a republican to vote for Hill since my dad was going to vote for her anyway — he did manage to educate a voter about who Hillary is. And he did it in a way that is both 110% what one expects from Bill Clinton, and at the same time, not a usual Bill Clinton speech at all.
I think Bill killed it. My dad does too.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, Jul 27, 2016 · 6:02:40 PM +00:00
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xomnow
I got this up around 3:30 AM EDT and stuck around a bit before crashing out around 6 AM. Politics is serious business you know?
Anyway, coming back I’m gobsmacked to see all the comments and recs. To everyone who has read and commented, thank you so much for sharing your views and stories.
Oh, and my mom is the one who pointed me back here, got a text saying “read you on Kos.”
