An Evening At the Democratic National Convention

An Opportunity Missed

Scene: a stage at the Democratic National Convention. It is empty except for a podium center stage front.

[Enter President Clinton stage left, carrying a chair. He crosses to the podium, setting the chair down at the back of the stage a few steps before center stage. He then proceeds to the podium.]

President Clinton: So, I've got President Obama sitting here.

[Pause for audience reaction. As soon as the reaction begins to die down, President Obama walks out from backstage and approaches the stage left entrance. He stops there and looks curiously at President Clinton. President Clinton takes no notice.]

President Clinton: We're here to nominate a President, and I've got one in mind.

[President Obama looks at the audience for a moment. Then, during the following remarks, he walks slowly but confidently to the chair on the stage, where he stands listening.]

President Clinton: I want to nominate a man whose own life has known its fair share of adversity and uncertainty. A man who ran for President to change the course of an already weak economy and then just six weeks before the election, saw it suffer the biggest collapse since the Great Depression. A man who stopped the slide into depression and put us on the long road to recovery, knowing all the while that no matter how many jobs were created and saved, there were still millions more waiting, trying to feed their children and keep their hopes alive.

I want to nominate a man cool on the outside [President Obama takes his shades out of his shirt pocket, puts them on, and sits down. He continues listening.] but burning for America on the inside. A man who believes we can build a new American Dream economy driven by innovation and creativity, education and cooperation. A man who had the good sense to marry Michelle Obama.

I want Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States and I proudly nominate him as the standard bearer of the Democratic Party.

President Obama: [standing up] Thank you, Mr. President!

President Clinton: [turning, feigning surprise] You're welcome, Mr. President!

President Obama: I had to make sure the fact checkers would rate "President Obama is sitting in that chair" as at least "Mostly True" for you.

[President Obama shakes hands with President Clinton, exits stage left.]

President Clinton: [continues delivery of speech as written]