Bill Clinton speaks at Federal Hill 10/21

Last Thursday, October 21st, I attended a rally for Democratic Maryland governor Martin O'Malley at Federal Hill in Baltimore. Former president Bill Clinton spoke at the rally in addition to a few other Maryland Democrats. The rally was an attempt to gain support for Gov. O'Malley who is running against former Maryland governor and Republican Bob Ehrlich. Clinton started off his speech by mentioning that this year's gubernatorial election is "tale of two governors." "You couldn't have a more stark contrast [between O'Malley and Ehrlich]." Clinton used a lot of facts and statistics in describing the various achievements of O'Malley, including the vast improvement of Maryland public schools and the establishment of a new "green" economy. The former President criticized Ehrlich by saying that, "[O'Malley's] opponent is so desperate he ran a television ad accusing him of raising taxes on groceries and you don't even tax groceries in Maryland." He followed that with, "if there's one thing that makes me want to gag it's when members of the other party present themselves as fiscal conservatives." He closed his speech by mentioning that "Martin O'Malley has put you in the forefront of the 21st century and you need to keep him right there." At the end he shook hands with members of the audience and signed autographs. This was the first time I had seen Bill Clinton in person but not the first time I had heard him give a speech. He definitely lived up to his reputation as a brilliant orator. Although he has a celebrity status, having been a former President, Clinton speaks in a style that is "very down-to earth" and easy to understand. A lot of politicians use big words and complicated vocabulary when making speeches and sometimes it's difficult to understand the point they're trying to make. Bill Clinton, on the other hand, effectively presents his ideas using simple language. This gives the audience the sense that Clinton is one of them; he understands the problems of the average Marylander. This is how Clinton connects with his audience, and as a result it makes him seem very approachable. Many politicians have a celebrity status and seem more than just human. Clinton, on the other hand, is a celebrity with a human status. He speaks with emotion. His human status gives him more credibility than the average politician. Clinton may use simpler language but he presents his ideas and messages in a logical manner. When he makes a claim, he always has facts, statistics, etc. to back it up. When Clinton praised O'Malley at the beginning of his speech, he gave concrete, authentic reasons: Maryland's public school system has been voted one of the best in the country during O'Malley's tenure and that O'Malley has created more job opportunities in the state. Clinton can also be quite frank as well; he is not afraid to speak his mind and to criticize. For example, the former President criticized the Republican Party as being hypocritical for its claim of being fiscally conservative. He emphasized the importance of Democrats showing up and voting for O'Malley in the 2010 gubernatorial elections, saying O'Malley has brought you into the 21st Century. Overall, Clinton is a very talented public speaker. He speaks in a "human" manner but is able to articulate his ideas and messages effectively by using concrete and authentic evidence.