President Barack Obama addressed the Democratic National Convention among other high profile members of the party Wednesday night, including Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton's VP pick Tim Kaine. Matt Markgraf checks in with western Kentucky delegate and Murray State history professor Brian Clardy about his take on the speeches and his thoughts on the way the party will shift to a potentially more progressive platform in response to the momentum from Bernie Sanders' campaign.
President Obama's Speech
Clardy said the general consensus among delegates Wednesday night was that this is the beginning of President Obama's "long goodbye" as President. He said it signified for him a changing of the guard, a recap of his presidency, an indictment of Republican nominee Donald Trump and promoting the capabilities of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. He said everyone he talked with after the speech agreed that the speech was well-received.
Vice President Joe Biden's Speech
"Classic Joe Biden. Very direct, to the point," is how Clardy described Vice President Biden's speech. He said he hearkened back to his debate with 2012 Vice Presidential debate with Paul Ryan where he famously used the world "malarkey." Clardy said this speech also felt like a "long goodbye" to Biden's career and called it his "swan song."
Long Goodbye? Changing Party Ideology?
With President Obama's endorsement of his 2008 rival Hillary Clinton and a sharing of core ideological principals, coupled with the Democratic party's adoption of Senator Bernie Sanders' more progressive views, from increasing the minimum wage to free college education, is this a continuation of or a "goodbye" for the administration and party ideologies of 2008-2016?
Clardy said he doubts Hillary Clinton would be a "third term" for Obama should she get elected. "Every American president wants to put their unique signature on the job. Some of the policies that President Obama has carried out, I'm sure that if she were elected, President Clinton would carry some of those same policies out, maybe expand some of them." This might include her own philosophy to judicial appointments and the use of military force or the regulation of the economy."
Clinton shares similar core values withher 2008 rival President Barack Obama from healthcare to financial reform. Clardy says a President Clinton might carry out and possibly expand some of Obama's policies.
"Maybe bring her own philosophy to judicial appointments or the use of military force or on the regulation of the economy. Certainly Bernie Sanders candidacy has been a game-changer in that regard." he said.
The Democratic party has adopted some of the more progressive values championed by Sanders' including raising the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour and free college education. Clardy says the party will need to work to reach out to the millennial population who tended to favor Sanders and cannot rely on party tactics from the past.
Clinton and the party need to make an effort to bridge "the seeming disconnect" in engaging the millennial population who tended to favor Sanders, Clardy said. (A Harvard Poll last Spring found Clinton had a 37 percent favorability among millennials to Sanders' 54%.)
"We cannot use the tactics that worked, let's say post McGovern-Fraser in the early 70s, the world has changed. Attitudes have changed, technology has changed," Clardy said.
(After the 1968 Democratic National Convention left the party in disarray, candidate George McGovern co-chaired a commission that put more power in primaries and caucuses to allocate a more diverse group of delegates, which both parties now use.)
Vice Presidential Pick Tim Kaine's Speech
"He's no Spiro Agnew," Clardy said. Richard Nixon chose Agnew in 1968 who was virtually unknown at the time. Kaine has more familiarity as Virginia Governor, chair of the DNC and now senator. Clardy said he went directly after Trump and predicts he will be someone who might keep the Trump-Pence campaign on their feet.
Unity in the Kentucky Delegation?
Clardy said there are still some members of the commonwealth's delegation who aren't pleased with Clinton getting the nomination, but he didn't see any incidents of hostility or shouting amongst the state delegation. (Clinton defeated Sanders in the May primary with fewer than 2,000 votes making the delegation nearly evenly split.)
"Yeah, you could tell who supported the Secretary and who didn't... but it did not get in the way of everybody being cordial and I thought that was very cool," he said.
What's Next?
Clardy said he's been running on two hours of sleep every night of the convention (and sounded hoarse in the interview). This has mainly been due to the logistics of getting around and fully scheduled days. He said he's looking forward to getting some rest and may watch Clinton's acceptance speech from his hotel room.
He says he wants Clinton to be clear and takes on Trump, explains her vision for the country, how she intends to handle American foreign affairs, a path forward for the economy and the progressive reforms she might put in place for those who haven't recovered from the downturn in the economy.
Note: Brian Clardy is the Wednesday night host of Café Jazz on WKMS. Hear more conversations with Clardy throughout the week. Last week, we spoke with a delegate at the Republican National Convention. Hear our series of interviews here.
