Denver: Live-blogging Wednesday’s speeches

Posted August 28, 2008 by Adam Hirsch

DENVER — An archive of tonight’s live-blogging for anyone not reading our Twitter stream:

  • Bill Clinton speaking now; “please sit down, seriously.”
  • Pres Clinton is “proud of the campaign” that “his candidate” ran. Opened with “I’m here to support Barack Obama.”
  • “Hillary says she’s supporting Barack Obama.. well, that makes two of us. <cheering> Well, actually, that makes 18 million of us.”
  • “Everything I have learned in my 8 years as president … has taught me that Barack Obama is the man for this job.” <cheering>
  • Pres Clinton says Obama’s positions are “far superior to the Republican alternatives.” Interesting phrasing.
  • Clinton: “In selecting a running mate, [Obama] hit it out of the park.” Explicitly saying Biden’s experience balances Obama’s instincts…
  • Pres Clinton: “People the world over have always been more impressed with the power of our example than the example of our power.”
  • “… unless they quit work, starved, or got a divorce.” Nice rhythm, there.
  • The crowd is chanting “Yes We Can.” Pres. Clinton, unscripted: “Yes, he can… but first we have to elect him.”
  • Clinton has some kind words for McCain, but says “Americans who aren’t hard-core Democrats hadn’t seen the philosophies of the Republicans..
  • … truly played out until 2001.” Here come the critiques, peppered with reminders of where the country was in 1998.
  • “Let’s send them a message from here in the Rockies: ‘Thanks, but no Thanks.’” Lots of very repeatable slogans, here.
  • Pres Clinton: “They said I was too inexperienced to run in 1992 … it didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.”
  • Pres Clinton finishes with a flourish; big smiles from Michelle Obama, Hillary, others in attendance. Leaves stage to U2’s “Beautiful Day.” [CORRECTED: Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love." That's a hoot.]
  • John Kerry takes the podium. “In 2004 we came so close to victory.”
  • Kerry: “We do know what a Bush … a McCain presidency would look like. (There’s a slip.)”
  • Kerry’s hitting the prospect foreign threats pretty hard, and pivoting neatly to shutting down Guantanamo.
  • Kerry: “The United States Does Not Torture, Not Now, Not Ever.” And then another swift pivot to energy independence as security issue.
  • Kerry talks about 20 year friendship with McCain, but compares “Senator McCain” to “Candidate McCain.”
  • Kerry talks about contradictory positions McCain has held, makes self-referential dig…
  • … self-referential dig: “Talk about being in favor of something before being against it.”
  • Kerry asks for salute to Obama’s great-uncle, Charlie Payne, who helped liberate Buchenwald. Between the great-uncle and the half-brother..
  • … and McCain’s mother, we’re seeing an awful lot of the candidates’ families, here.
  • Kerry: “My country, right or wrong. When right, keep it right. When wrong, make it right.”
  • Kerry finishes; stage taken by “only female 3-star Army General,” Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, US Army (Ret.)
  • Nancy Pelosi: Joe Biden has been selected as VP candidate by acclamation.
  • … and less than 15 seconds later, Pelosi says “I’ve been asked to inform you that he accepts this nomination.”
  • Delaware Atty. General, Capt Beau Biden, Joe Biden’s son, now speaking.
  • Beau Biden recounting story of losing his mom and sister early on. “Joe Biden took the oath of office at my hospital bedside.”
  • Beau Biden: “Dad wasn’t afraid to call Slobodan Milosevic a war criminal … to his face.”
  • Beau Biden introduces his dad, Joe. Can’t quite make out what they’re playing for his entrance.
  • Joe Biden: gives shout-out to President Clinton. “Took us so far, I can only pray we’ll do it again.”
  • Biden: “For those honoring their pledge to uphold the law … no longer will the eight most dreaded words in the English language be …
  • … ‘The vice-president’s office is on the phone.’”
  • Family themes are recurring, tonight: Obama’s great-uncle is in the arena, as is Joe Biden’s mom.
  • Biden, like Kerry, makes a George Bush / John McCain slip. These aren’t the gaffes that’ll get pounced on, later. Amusing, though.
  • Biden: he and John Kerry “watched as Obama hit the ground running,” in Washington.
  • Biden pounding on “that’s not change — that’s more of the same” theme.
  • Joe Biden: listing cases of foreign policy where Bush administration has eventually come around to Obama’s position…
  • … leading into the next recurring shouting theme: “John McCain was wrong, and Barack Obama was right.” Contrasting judgements.
  • Biden finishes, pounding on the lectern, “God bless America and God protect our troops.” (His son, Beau, is shipping to Iraq this fall.)
  • “A very special surprise guest” just walked onstage: Barack Obama. Crowd going wild.
  • Obama: “I think Michelle Obama kicked it off pretty well… if I’m not mistaken, Hillary Clinton rocked the house last night.”
  • Obama: shouts-out to Hillary and Bill, both.
  • Obama now working his way down Congressional receiving line as Bidens and others bring children on stage.. rocking out to “We are Family.”

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