Former President Bill Clinton delivered a powerful address at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, drawing a stark contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Clinton characterised Trump as a self-centered leader who “creates chaos” and “curates it,” while portraying Harris as the candidate with the vision and experience to tackle the nation’s challenges.
“In 2024, we have got a pretty clear choice, it seems to me: Kamala Harris, for the people. And the other guy, who’s proved, even more than the first go-around, that he’s about me, myself, and I,” Clinton said to a packed audience in Chicago on the convention’s third night.
Clinton, who accepted the Democratic nomination in Chicago in 1996, emphasized that Harris possesses “the vision, the experience, the temperament, the will, and yes, the sheer joy to get something done.”
In contrast, he described Trump as someone who “mostly talks about himself,” advising the audience to “count the I’s” the next time Trump speaks, highlighting his self-centeredness.
“If Harris becomes president,” Clinton said, “every day will begin with ‘you, you, you, you,'” underscoring her commitment to the American people. He also took a jab at Trump’s assertion during a debate that nobody respected America like they did when he was president. “Look, you got to give it to him, he’s a good actor,” Clinton remarked, mocking Trump’s claims about respect from North Korea and Russia.
Clinton’s speech wasn’t without humor as he poked fun at Trump’s “endless tributes to the late great Hannibal Lecter,” a fictional character Trump has referenced on the campaign trail. Clinton admitted that even he, once dubbed “the Explainer in Chief” by President Obama, was stumped by Trump’s repeated mention of Lecter.
However, Clinton’s message carried a serious warning calling on Democrats to avoid being complacent.
“We’ve seen more than one election slip away from us when we thought it couldn’t happen,” he said, urging voters to stay focused and not be distracted by “phony issues” or overconfidence.
This marked Clinton’s 12th address at a Democratic convention, a tradition that began in 1980 when he was a young governor from Arkansas. While his influence in the party has waned in recent years due to shifting political tides and reevaluations of his presidency, Wednesday’s nearly 30-minute speech demonstrated that Clinton still has the ability to captivate an audience.
At 78 years old, Clinton acknowledged his advancing age, noting that he is “the oldest man in my family in four generations.”
However, he emphasided that his support for Harris and the Democratic ticket remains unwavering.
“If you vote for this team, if you can get them elected and let them bring in this breath of fresh air, you will be proud of it for the rest of your life. Your children will be proud of it. Your grandchildren will be proud of it. Take it from a man who once had the honor to be called in this convention, ‘a man from Hope.” Clinton said in his closing remarks.
Chioma Kalu
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