PBS - Democratic Convention (post-acceptance speech) - 1992-07-16
Channel: malgent
Transcript
Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)
[0:01] Carolyn Brown, the Illinois Senate
[0:03] candidate, over there on the ride next
[0:04] to Chelsea.
[0:14] >> Go ahead, David. Notice the leaders of
[0:16] Congress are back in the third or fourth
[0:19] row. Tom Foley's on the third row there.
[0:24] >> I can't I couldn't see it.
[0:26] >> They are meant to be there.
[0:27] >> I saw Tom Foley earlier. Yeah.
[0:34] >> But uh let's go on with our analyst.
[0:37] Peter Hart, what did you make of the
[0:38] speech?
[0:39] >> Well, I was looking at it from one point
[0:41] of view if I could, and that was how
[0:44] would the public react? And I thought it
[0:46] was important that he number one
[0:48] challenged the voters, which I thought
[0:50] was important for him. The second thing
[0:52] I think is he gave a sense of his values
[0:55] and who he was in terms of public
[0:58] morality and that was extremely
[1:00] important. And the third is I think he
[1:02] provided an outline for the future. So
[1:05] when Richard Worerland starts endorsing
[1:07] a Democratic uh speech, I think you know
[1:10] that he's hit some responsive chords.
[1:12] Richard Worerland. Um, we asked Clinton
[1:14] yesterday what he thought his goals
[1:17] should be, what he had to do in this,
[1:18] and he said the people need to know
[1:21] clearly when the speech is over who I
[1:23] am, what I believe in, what I want to do
[1:25] as president, and what I want them to
[1:27] do. Did he succeed in that?
[1:29] >> Well, that's an awfully big bill to
[1:31] fill. But, uh, quite remarkably, I think
[1:33] that, uh, he did succeed in in reaching
[1:36] mo most of those objectives. If you look
[1:39] at the issues that uh divide in terms of
[1:42] the issue of leadership, Bush versus
[1:45] Clinton, it's trust versus the future.
[1:48] And I think that uh Bill Clinton helped
[1:51] himself with his speech just as much
[1:54] possibly as much as anyone could
[1:55] possibly expect.
[1:56] >> That's that's a very big statement
[1:58] coming from a Republican.
[2:00] >> Well, Richard Worerland was the
[2:01] principal adviser to Ronald Reagan who
[2:03] carried 44 states one time and 49
[2:05] another. And those
[2:06] >> all because of Worland, right? Well, he
[2:08] he apparently listened to Worland.
[2:10] >> Can I ask a question to Dick Worland, my
[2:12] friend? And that is Dick, I I I heard
[2:14] echoes of Ronald Reagan in this speech,
[2:16] the kind of uh things that Reagan used
[2:18] to reach out to people, to include them,
[2:19] to bring them in.
[2:20] >> Well, I must admit, David, there were
[2:22] times when I squirmed in my chair
[2:23] because I I sense that as well. The
[2:27] thing that I believe that's uh helped
[2:29] Republicans and worked against the
[2:30] Democrats in the past has been the
[2:33] inability to really reach out and touch
[2:35] people by relating values in in
[2:38] something more than simply saying we
[2:41] have hope or we care or we believe in
[2:43] opportunity. For the first time, I
[2:45] believe the Democrats have found that
[2:48] Ronald Reagan was able to do this
[2:50] through anecdote, through through
[2:52] reference to personal experiences. And
[2:55] Bill Clinton did that extremely
[2:57] effectively this evening. And as as
[2:59] noted earlier, he pulled from a lot of
[3:02] different speeches in some cases almost
[3:04] verbatim, but drew it together. The
[3:06] thing that I felt was effective was his
[3:09] reference to the new compact. I think
[3:11] that was a very compelling point and and
[3:13] and provided a center for the other
[3:16] ideas, the other values that he touched
[3:17] upon.
[3:19] >> Uh Wendy Sherman, um if he echoed Ronald
[3:22] Reagan, was it for somebody like you who
[3:24] supported a rather different kind of
[3:26] candidate too much like Ronald Reagan?
[3:27] Has he gone too far that way?
[3:29] >> Oh, I don't think he's gone too far. I
[3:31] think this was really a speech about
[3:34] I've lived a life like yours and I
[3:37] understand what your struggles are and I
[3:39] have some ideas about how together we
[3:42] can get it done. Uh I think part of the
[3:45] the attraction of Ross Perau was a can
[3:48] do spirit that in America we can get the
[3:50] job done and that certainly came across
[3:53] in this speech tonight. It was about
[3:54] opportunity and responsibility and
[3:56] community. And I sat here thinking about
[3:59] the little story, the little engine that
[4:01] could. Yes, I can. Yes, I can. I think I
[4:04] can. And we can. He really is saying the
[4:06] world has changed and America can change
[4:08] too. And I can lead us to do it. It was
[4:11] very inspirational speech.
[4:13] >> Yes. But uh Eddie Williams, even before
[4:15] this speech tonight, uh Republicans were
[4:19] already saying that what we have here is
[4:21] another
[4:23] ticket of liberal Democrats running on a
[4:26] a liberal platform, and that clearly is
[4:29] how they're going to be attacked. Is it
[4:31] going to work? Well, I think that's how
[4:33] it might start out being attacked. It
[4:34] seems to me it's hard to make those
[4:36] charges against this speech uh that
[4:38] we've heard tonight. Uh, one thing that
[4:40] we got was an indication of what this
[4:42] vision thing is all about. And if
[4:44] Clinton can continue to articulate and
[4:47] verbalize his vision for America, I
[4:50] think that that would be an enormous
[4:52] challenge to the Republicans to uh come
[4:55] up with their own vision and their own
[4:57] strategy. I think it's going to be very
[4:58] difficult to do that. the the
[5:00] battleground will be on domestic policy,
[5:03] family life and values, but also helping
[5:06] America to be the kind of America that
[5:08] Bill Clinton sees in his vision.
[5:10] >> Richard Worerlin looking at it as a
[5:12] Republican strategist, where where is
[5:14] the Clinton Gore ticket uh vulnerable?
[5:17] Well, I think we've got to recognize
[5:19] that uh in every presidential campaign
[5:23] uh this is the evening when uh the
[5:25] candidates walk in the brightest of uh
[5:29] of suns. That is uh it's it's their
[5:32] stage. They can craft the message. They
[5:35] can set the scene. But this is only the
[5:38] opening gambit. the Republicans, of
[5:40] course, we're going to have our
[5:41] convention in August, and then it'll be
[5:44] our moment to again create uh the the
[5:48] the setting and the vision for the the
[5:52] Republican agenda. Clearly, if you look
[5:55] at the speech, there are not many points
[5:57] that offer opportunity to exploit
[6:00] politically. But as we get into the more
[6:04] specific components of the policy, what
[6:06] lies behind some of the things that were
[6:09] only uh uh referenced in passing, I
[6:13] think in that regard, there will be
[6:15] opportunity to make a a strong and uh uh
[6:20] comparative uh uh example between the
[6:25] Reagan between the Republican agenda and
[6:27] the Democratic agenda. Jodie Powell. Uh,
[6:30] Bill Clinton made an overt uh, uh, invit
[6:34] offered an overt invitation to the Ross
[6:36] Perau people, as did Al Gore in his
[6:39] speech. How do you think that's going to
[6:41] go down?
[6:42] >> Let me address that a few, but let me go
[6:44] back to this. Okay, they're all a bunch
[6:45] of liberal stuff. I mean, Richard's
[6:47] being very decent and thoughtful and
[6:49] scholarly here tonight. We all know what
[6:51] is going to happen come first thing
[6:53] tomorrow morning is that the Republicans
[6:56] are going to come at this ticket as they
[6:58] have always done. It's the only song
[6:59] they know to sing like junkyard dogs. I
[7:02] think, however, that as a matter of
[7:05] fact, it is going to be very difficult
[7:07] to try to convince the rest of America
[7:10] that the people of Arkansas and the
[7:11] people of Tennessee somehow have gotten
[7:14] into the habit of of electing crazy,
[7:16] wildeyed, radical communists and sending
[7:19] them into into public office. It just it
[7:21] just it just really doesn't make sense.
[7:22] And I think beyond that,
[7:25] the country may be on be be past
[7:29] responding to to to that to that that
[7:32] sort of rhetoric. Let me say a word
[7:34] about about the Perau thing. I think
[7:36] Ross Perau did, I'm sure
[7:38] unintentionally, but maybe not, but I
[7:41] think he did Bill Clinton a tremendous
[7:44] favor here by getting out this morning.
[7:47] if it was going to happen anytime the
[7:49] next 3 or 4 weeks better today because I
[7:51] would imagine that uh given what he said
[7:54] which was this is a revitalized
[7:56] Democratic party. I urge my people who
[7:59] have done so much and worked so hard to
[8:01] stay a part of the process to take a
[8:02] good lot hard look here that a lot of
[8:05] those people were watching tonight a lot
[8:07] more perhaps than would have been been
[8:09] watching otherwise. Lord knows I would
[8:11] not pretend to speak for those folks,
[8:13] but I would guess that the talk about
[8:16] responsibility, the emphasis on the fact
[8:18] that government needs to do its part,
[8:20] but all of us need to do our part. That
[8:24] that that ought to resonate reasonably
[8:26] well there.
[8:27] >> Jody, you weren't suggesting, were you,
[8:28] that maybe somebody might have told Ross
[8:30] Perau, "Well, look, Ross, if you're
[8:32] going to pull out, you might as well do
[8:34] it today and give a little boost to Bill
[8:36] Clinton." You think that's possible? No,
[8:37] I I I I honestly don't think that is
[8:39] what happened. I think that it happened
[8:42] when it happened and when he made when
[8:43] he when he made that uh decision, but
[8:46] whether it was intentional or not, it
[8:48] was uh it was certainly good timing for
[8:50] uh for the Democratic party and Bill
[8:53] Clinton and Al Gore.
[8:54] >> Yeah, Mark.
[8:55] >> Yeah, I'm always curious how how a
[8:56] speech plays in the country beyond the
[8:58] hall. And the biggest cheer that Bill
[9:00] Clinton got in the convention hall was
[9:03] when he made a statement on pro being
[9:05] pro-choice on abortion. And uh that has
[9:09] been the real litmus test for this 4-day
[9:11] convention has been the Democrats
[9:13] pro-choice position on abortion. Just
[9:15] asking,
[9:15] >> are you saying that's good or bad? I'm I
[9:17] curious with with Peter Hart and and and
[9:19] Dick Worerland and uh and Wendy Sherman
[9:23] uh there are three people who play in
[9:25] the political world every day whether
[9:26] it's going to get as big a cheer beyond
[9:27] the hall as it got in the hall.
[9:29] >> Peter,
[9:30] >> basically it will. Mark, uh from the
[9:32] point of view again in our NBC Wall
[9:34] Street Journal poll, overwhelmingly
[9:37] people do not want to uh do away with
[9:40] the pro-choice uh position, outlaw
[9:43] abortion. And I think that's important.
[9:44] But can I go back to something Jody
[9:46] said?
[9:47] >> Just one one second, Peter. But don't
[9:48] those polls also show that when you go
[9:51] down further whether or not you would
[9:53] cast a vote based on that, it it fall it
[9:56] it's not as overwhelming. Is that
[9:58] correct?
[9:59] >> Not not as overwhelming. It's a smaller
[10:01] portion, but in this year, I think with
[10:04] the Supreme Court decision, it becomes
[10:06] more relevant and more important. It's
[10:08] not something that's abstract anymore.
[10:10] >> Okay. Go ahead. Can I go and pick up one
[10:12] point on Jod's, which is I like the fact
[10:15] that they each told personal stories
[10:18] rather than sit out there and talk only
[10:21] about public policy. I thought that was
[10:23] extremely helpful. The other thing that
[10:25] I thought is that they didn't pander to
[10:27] the Perau voter. There was a single
[10:30] message there, but it was really talking
[10:33] to the ideas about responsibility,
[10:36] economic growth, and change. And that's
[10:38] what's going to bring parole voters over
[10:40] in the end.
[10:41] >> David Bur,
[10:43] >> can I raise a somewhat different point?
[10:46] >> I'm not sure. I I I I think Jod's makes
[10:48] a good point about the the question
[10:50] whether you can make it a successful
[10:51] attack upon Bill Clinton and Al Gore's
[10:54] liberals. I I I I'm a little skeptical
[10:56] about that. I
[10:57] >> skeptical. What do you mean
[10:58] >> about whe still be done?
[11:00] >> Well, I think they'll make the attack.
[11:02] I'm not sure that's really what is going
[11:03] to be getting to people. Dim, I think
[11:05] the question that many Americans will
[11:06] have in the next few weeks is this.
[11:08] We've heard a lot of inspiring speeches
[11:10] from politicians over the few last few
[11:12] years. People have become quite cynical
[11:14] in this country about politicians. And I
[11:16] think the big question for Bill Clinton
[11:17] is not whether he's going to be a
[11:18] liberal or not, but whether people trust
[11:21] him or not.
[11:22] >> And I think those stories helped in that
[11:24] regard. I think what the Republicans
[11:25] will now try to do is is raise questions
[11:27] about whether you really can trust him.
[11:28] And it's it's that, you know, it's it's
[11:31] so hard now for anybody in public life
[11:33] to convince people that he's that he's
[11:35] for real, that he's telling the truth,
[11:36] that he's telling you what he believes.
[11:38] People have just grown so cynical.
[11:40] >> Yeah. Wendy Sherman, how do you how do
[11:42] you see that issue?
[11:43] >> Well, I think uh that he actually did a
[11:45] couple of things in this speech to try
[11:46] to deal with those things. First of all,
[11:48] several times he talked about those
[11:50] politicians and set himself apart as
[11:53] some other kind of person who had been
[11:55] living outside of Washington trying to
[11:57] fight for people rather than be part of
[11:59] the problem. He was part of the
[12:00] solution. He also uh to try to inoculate
[12:03] himself against some attacks talked
[12:05] about Arkansas. Come visit Arkansas. I
[12:08] think he expects the Republicans to
[12:10] attack him on things that haven't worked
[12:12] in Arkansas. And he even said tonight,
[12:15] "Some things haven't worked. we've
[12:16] struggled already to solve some some of
[12:18] those problems. So, I think between the
[12:20] values, talking about his own life, that
[12:22] it hasn't always been easy, it hasn't
[12:24] always been perfect, talking about
[12:26] Arkansas, saying he's the outsider, he's
[12:28] trying to anticipate some of the uh
[12:30] attacks that we expect would come his
[12:32] way.
[12:32] >> Well, let's go back to the hall for the
[12:34] literally the last few moments, the
[12:37] closing benediction by the Reverend Dr.
[12:39] Rex Horn Jr. He's pastor of the Emanuel
[12:41] Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.
[12:43] and take for granted. Father, help us
[12:46] tonight as we leave this place to
[12:49] remember that freedom does not only mean
[12:51] an escape from that which is wrong, but
[12:54] emancipation to do that which is right
[12:57] and to do it even today. We pray our
[13:00] father that you might guide and guard
[13:03] governor and Mrs. Clinton, Senator and
[13:05] Mrs. Gore and their children. We would
[13:08] pray that you would make of them and
[13:10] that you would make of us people of
[13:13] vision, of courage, of wisdom, of
[13:17] compassion, and of faith. Thank you
[13:20] again, our father, for this day. I pray
[13:23] in Jesus name. Amen.
[13:30] Now, Anne Richards, the uh convention
[13:34] chairman, and now
[13:36] >> we'll move to adjourn.
[13:37] >> My fellow Democrats,
[13:40] the historic business of this convention
[13:44] having concluded,
[13:47] I ask for a motion to adjourn.
[13:54] Do I
[13:57] have a second?
[14:00] >> All of those in favor say I.
[14:07] >> All those opposed say no.
[14:12] All well the motion is carried and this
[14:15] 41st quadrrenial Democratic convention
[14:20] is HEREBY ADJOURNED. GOD BLESS THE
[14:23] DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
[14:27] >> Richard Worerland, Peter Hart, Jody
[14:29] Powell, Wendy Shermans, and Edy
[14:32] Williams. Thank you all very much for
[14:34] joining us. This concludes our week of
[14:37] convention coverage from New York. In a
[14:39] month, we'll do it all again for the
[14:41] Republican National Convention in
[14:42] Houston, Texas. Tom Brokaw and NBC's
[14:45] news team will be with us there. David
[14:47] Gergen and Mark Shields will be too.
[14:49] Gentlemen, thank you for your unfl
[14:50] flagging wit and wisdom. Also, Jim and I
[14:54] want to pay special tribute to all our
[14:56] colleagues at the NewsHour who have
[14:58] worked very hard and to the public
[15:00] television stations who've been
[15:01] supportive of this venture. We hope
[15:03] you'll rejoin Jim Lar and me tomorrow
[15:05] night at our regular time and places for
[15:07] the McNeel Lair NewsHour. I'm Robert
[15:09] McNeel on Jim's behalf. Thank you for
[15:12] being with us this week and good night
[15:13] from New York.
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