Few people ever have logged more time on Democratic National Convention stages than Bill Clinton.
But when the former president delivered his 11th speech to his party’s faithful gathered virtually on Tuesday, it was like none in his four decades of convention moments.
Clinton’s remarks to the fully online gathering were pre-recorded at his home in Chappaqua, New York, like many of the speakers in a political year upended by the coronavirus. And they were brief at just under 5 minutes, which was all the former president was allotted by a party eager to show it is moving out of the politics of the past.
Clinton didn’t mince words. He tore into President Donald Trump repeatedly, making reference to his own understanding of the demands of the role.
“If you want a president who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media, he’s your man,” Clinton said.
Clinton stressed what he described as Trump’s economic failures amid the coronavirus’ spread, arguing that the fallout on families and businesses wouldn’t be nearly as dire had Trump not so bungled the federal government’s response.❐
