Hillary Clinton has made millions on speeches. But shes still not a great speaker.
Hillary Clinton discussed "the pain and frustration that many Americans are feeling about the criminal justice system" during her keynote speech at the Massachusetts Conference for Women on Dec. 4, 2014. (Massachusetts Conference for Women)
MoveOn.org is lining up for Elizabeth Warren the latest sign of her strength among progressives by kicking off a $1 million effort to draft her for president in 2016, according to an article in theNew York Times:
MoveOn.orgs executive director, Ilya Sheyman, said the group planned to open offices and hire staff in Iowa and New Hampshire, the states that kick off the presidential nominating process, and ultimately to air television ads in those states. The group will begin its push with a website, Run Warren Run, allowing supporters to sign a petition urging Ms. Warren to pursue a White House bid and featuring a video about her.
We want to demonstrate to Senator Warren that theres a groundswell of grass-roots energy nationally and in key states and to demonstrate theres a path for her, Mr. Sheyman said. He added that the effort was not being made in coordination with Ms. Warren and that the group advised her staff about it only last weekend.
And with every Warren story, the question becomes just how worried Hillary Clinton should actually be. And it's this question that reminded me of a sentence in my colleague Anne Gearan's articleabout all the potential "not-Hillarys" who might run in 2016:
Bill Clinton admires Warrens stemwinder speaking style, and Hillary Clinton echoed parts of Warrens sticking-up-for-the-little guy economic message during midterm speeches this year.
It's this speaking style that has powered Warren to her position, leading my colleague, David Farenthold, to call her the master of the stump speech. She can bring a huge crowd to its feet in a way that almost no politician can at this point. And she is also a pitbull at congressional hearings, the very kind of appearances which will likely go into whatever video that MoveOn.org will make about her.
As for Clinton, what would be on her highlight reel of speeches?Her attempted echo of Warren's brand of populism in Massachusetts fell flat. Take a look at Clinton addressing the recent incidents involving white police officers and black men which have particularly inflamed progressives (at the 2:00 mark):
"I know that a lot of hearts are breaking and we are asking ourselves, aren't these our sons? Aren't these our brothers?" she said, adding that "each of us has to grapple with some hard truths about race and justice in America" when it comes to disproportionate treatment in sentencing.
Here is a review from the Boston Globe of that portion of the speech, in whichClinton talked about the country needing to "find balance" again:
Link:
Hillary Clinton has made millions on speeches. But shes still not a great speaker.