Old Pro Steals the Show

Something close to hatred of George W. Bush has lighted a fire under the Democrats. Monday night, in the first big address of the 2004 Democratic convention in Boston, Al Gore gave a speech like the one he should have delivered in 2000.

The former vice president was relaxed and humorous -- yes, Al Gore -- but also serious and sharp. He achieved the Democrats’ seemingly impossible goal in this convention of attacking President Bush relentlessly without seeming negative.

But Gore and another fiery speech-giver, Hillary Clinton, just set the stage for the old master.

When Bill Clinton ended his keynote speech, to thunderous applause and a smattering of tears, Fox News commentators described it as “demagogic.” In Fox-speak, that means, “Dang, he’s good.”

The first half of Clinton was old Clinton. Jobs, taxes, Social Security, medical care all came under his “we will do better” spell. “They need a divided America but we don’t,” the former president said of the Bush White House. “Be not afraid,” he said in biblical invocation, urging the crowd of believers to transfer the fervor to Kerry.

John Kerry must be very afraid.

Clinton, as hard as he tried in the second half of his speech to make Kerry the hero, was a reminder of the old days that Democrats fear cannot be brought back. There is every chance that Clinton’s speech will be the high point of the Democratic convention. But if Kerry can match it, he might rise to a sort of gladiatorial challenge that was thrown down Monday night. His speechwriters, and Kerry himself, should get off the trail and make the message.

Clinton, Clinton and Gore also offered an implicit challenge to Bush: Can you top this?

Conventions speak to the committed, offer no suspense and are remembered more for the parties that are thrown than their speeches. Bill Clinton, however, reminded Republicans Monday night that his word-spinning is one of the reasons they hate him so. His speech will dominate the airwaves and newspapers today.

For half an hour, anyone political geek enough to have tuned in could believe that politics matter, that policies matter and that there’s a real difference between the political parties.

We hope that both conventions show us more of this serious politics.