Bill Clinton and the power of hope....

[marmar]

I just finished watching Bill Clinton speaking at Georgetown University (on CSPAN2) about the common good. He'd been asked to talk about initiatives his administration undertook to boost the common good.
He rattled off the achievements, just like he would during a campaign speech - biggest % of people moving away from poverty since the New Deal, biggest % increases in wages for those in the lowest income brackets, and so on. But listening to his speech, I was reminded of perhaps the single most important thing he brought with him in 1992 - hope.
Say what you want about some of Clinton's policies - I'm not a big fan of some of them, first and foremost NAFTA - but he had that ability to make you believe anything was possible. When the WTC was attacked (the first time) and the federal building was blown up in Oklahoma City, Clinton didn't rule by fear, urging us to give up civil liberties or risk being blown to bits.
His campaigns always focused on America not having a person to waste, and the whole benefitting when everyone was doing well. And no matter what the issue was - the economy, Kosovo, the Middle East, race relations - he exuded a self-assurance and a reassurance for the rest of us that made you hope it was going to get better.
Today, sadly, I have none. :cry:

[waiting for hope]

1. He's a Democrat......

that's all there is to say - we are the party of hope.

[marmar]

2. Very true...

:patriot:

[tinfoilinfor2005]

3. I heard a small bit of his speech. The msm didn't allow a lot.

He was intelligent and inspiring.

And then the rest was all about how Heather Mills was suing Paul McCartney for billions of dollars for being a wife beater.

And that Foley was going to name a priest.

blah, blah, blah...

[GainesT1958]

4. I will say this...

When often times I am tempted to think that way--that we have no real hope today--I am grateful that I can see things like Barack Obama's appearance on Oprah this afternoon. Now I'm not a big fan of Oprah, but his words, and the confidence with which he delivered them, well, they were enough to fan the flame of hope even on days when Dub & Co. do their level best to squash it.

To paraphrase Pogo, we have seen the future, and--thankfully--it is us!

B-)

[marmar]

5. True, Barack Obama gives me hope, as does Russ Feingold....

and Barbara Lee, and the 30-something Dems....
A big change in November would go a long way toward restoring my hope, I think. (And I hope!)

[BrklynLiberal]

6. Pogo is not quoted often enough.

[Tellurian]

7. Agreed, I saw O'Bama as well..

The common denominator between Barak and Bill is they both came from humble familial backgrounds.
Their intelligence and family upbringing and their love of helping people is what has gotten them
to where they are today.

I could see where Oprah is/was blown away by the man's presence. She was shocked
when O'Bama graciously refused her offering her corporate jet for a trip he
had planned to his hometown in Africa.

Another similarity between the two are their inspirational philosophies of HOPE..
They play well off of each other and learn from each other along the way.

Barak definitely is a rising star in the demo party.. I can see him as a VP hopeful.