Winner—And Still Heavyweight Champion

What if Bill Clinton is serious?

Robert A. George | July 28, 2004

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But what if Bill Clinton is serious? What if he will devote the next 100 days toward getting John Kerry elected? Is there any reason to believe that he might commit himself to that?

Only one. It's a little thing that, because it involves Bill Clinton, it might actually be a big thing. The man who was introduced to a national audience in 1988 with a rambling overlong nominating speech of Michael Dukakis (remember how "in conclusion," was greeted with derisive applause)—and has had a career of verbose excessiveness—ended his address this year at 11:00 p.m. on the dot. Indeed, at certain parts of this speech, it seemed as if he intentionally sped up to ensure that he stayed on time.

If Bill Clinton is suddenly learning self-discipline in a speech on behalf of someone else, then something serious is going on. For Republicans, the return of the Comeback Kid in a sleeker, more beguiling model could end up being the real nightmare, Twenty-Second Amendment or not.