Newstradamus: 'I gotcher Reagan right here...'

Bill's golf course crying jag?

Since most of a candidate's (or surrogate candidate's) stump speech is boilerplate stuff, repeated at stop after stop, a more interesting exercise is to listen for where they seem to depart from or embellish the same old, same old.

I was particularly watching whether Bill Clinton, in his trip to Humboldt County, was going to adhere to the so-called "truce" the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns seemed to have declared the day before, after the racial-oriented dialogue (including Bill's crack about Obama's "fairy tale") got overheated and verged on damaging both candidates.

Somewhere between his stop in Napa and his speech in Eureka Wednesday, Bill apparently heard about the interview in which Obama — asked for examples of "transformative" leaders, like he says he will be — said Ronald Reagan had been transformative in ways that Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton had not.

It was obviously a trial balloon for what Obama might do if he gets the nomination, which is to show he can appeal to moderate Republicans ready to desert a GOP candidate that models himself after George Bush. But it also was a conscious slap in the face to Bill, and it seemed Clinton was itching to respond as soon as he got off the plane here.

Right at the top of his speech, he admitted that unlike Reagan, he had not claimed trees cause pollution or told "welfare Cadillac" stories, but then went on to list the many ways in which his administration had been better for the people than Reagan's.

Just when I thought he was going to make his speech all about Bill, he segued into talking about what "real" presidents do (as opposed to wannabe presidents) and how Hillary would be one of those kinds of leaders.

But how quickly the kid gloves came off, although it didn't get much notice. However, John Edwards picked up the banner yesterday, taking shots at Obama for his reference to Reagan. Possibly Bill Clinton's response here will be uncovered and get more national attention — or Bill will be repeating it at other stops, unless his handlers yank the kid gloves back on.

I also found the story Bill told at the end to be revealing. Again, he was trying to make a point about how compassionate a president Hillary would be, but the anecdote was more about Bill. He told of being stopped on a golf course by a caddie who really was a New York fireman. The fireman said he was backing Hillary because she championed medical help for those who breathed toxic air while hunting for remains at Ground Zero after 9/11.

Bill repeated several times that he was "crying like a baby," seeming to be saying, "Hey, if you think my wife getting verklempt in New Hampshire was something, look how much of a sob sister I am!"

Other tidbits from my notes during the speech:

— Unlike politicians who like to dress like Paul Bunyan when they come to redwood country, Bill was very sharp, in a suit and tie. I appreciate the respect. He had even upgraded from his earlier stop in trendy Napa, where he wore a sportcoat.

— I haven't have time to listen to the whole speech again (although you can here), but I'm sure I heard him misspeak once when he referred to America having to get loans abroad to pay for "Bill Clinton's tax cuts," when of course he meant George Bush's.

— Bill had an irritating tic of — after illustrating something with an amusing story — saying, "I'm kidding, but you see the point I am trying to make?" He did that several times, and I wanted to say back to the radio, "I get it, Bill, and I'm sure all the hayseeds you're talking to get it as well."

Nonetheless, the old pitcher showed he can still bring the heat, kind of like an unjuiced Roger Clemens. Certainly keeps the campaign from getting dull. Maybe local voters' enthusiasm for his visit may prompt other campaigns from both parties to bring their people here — after all, there are plenty of Republicans on the North Coast, too.

Newstradamus

Times-Standard Editor Rich Somerville reflects upon the changing world of news

'I gotcher Reagan right here...'

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