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by PAM
He brought the house down - as usual! Only this time, he was so much better than ever before... and I didn't think that was possible at all!
Former United States President, Bill Clinton, formally nominated the current President, Barack Obama, for re-election in the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. And, man, was he AWESOME! He has always been a charismatic leader and exceptionally good orator, but I
Bill Clinton: "What works in the real world
is cooperation." (Photo: Charlie Neibergall/AP)don't think I've seen him give such an incredibly eloquent, engaging, heavy-punching and humorous speech ever before. Ah, talk about wine getting better with age! Bill Clinton made a case for Mr. Obama's re-election in a way that no one - not even Mr. Obama himself, I think - could ever do. His speech was well-written, brilliantly structured to send an irresistible message about Obama's inclusive policies and essentially "Middle Class First" Programs while assuring the world that "America is your friend" through his foreign policies. This as he leads the US to a long and hard road to recovery after eight years of war and gut-churning excesses at Wall Street that brought their economy (and the world's economy with it) to its knees four years ago under the watch of the Republicans. Without sounding like offering an excuse for Pres. Obama's failure to make good his promises from four years ago, Mr. Clinton delivered the message so effectively that it electrified the Democrats - worldwide, I suppose - and maybe brought an approving smile to the "undecided" voters' lips. My attention was glued to the TV screen - in awe - the whole time. It's a good thing that he didn't talk about abortion though.
I specifically liked how he emphasized "advancing equal opportunity and economic empowerment is both morally right and good economics, because discrimination, poverty and ignorance restrict growth, while investments in education, infrastructure and scientific and technological research increase it, creating good jobs and new wealth for all of us" just because they were some of the things that I appreciated in the State of the Nation Address of our own President, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, in July.
I was just recovering from the 'man, that Paul Ryan charisma has serious wattage, it actually convinces' thing, and the 'hey, Mitt is human, too' dramatic revelation in the Republican National Convention last week. Those got me seriously
Obama + Clinton, 44 + 42... "Arithmetic!"
(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)'scared'. Oh, boy, Americans aren't letting those Wall Street vultures take us to another free-falling economic ride, are they??? But the Democrats came back punching - with their biggest and most dazzling superstar no less. If there had been doubts as to whether or not Mr. Obama can win the election in November against the gathering momentum of the Romney-Ryan campaign... well, it looks like Citizen Bill might have just won it for him right there! I think it might just be 'game over' for Mitt Romney. Too bad for Paul Ryan.
Former President Clinton's leadership was one of my inspirations in pursuing the dream to obtain Fulbright Scholarship about ten years ago or so... to learn the positive things about the American Higher Education System and the American "can-do" attitude and bring them home to hopefully help complement ours in the Philippines, and keep moving forward. I was fortunate to attend Cornell University in Ithaca, New York for five years. His wife, Sec. Hillary Clinton, of the Department of State now was the New York State Senator then, and she visited Cornell a few times while I was there to look at progress in research at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences that would help the New York Agriculture sector. It was a most wonderful experience, of course. Then again, it's probably the people I met - in Cornell and in Fulbright (and the US Department of Agriculture and Department of State) - who became very good friends that made the experience wonderful more than anything else.
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In the local politics front...
I had a tough day yesterday and I woke up late today. But I woke up to Karen Davila's interview of the newly appointed Department of Transportation and
Sec. Jun Abaya and Karen Davila at "Headstart".
(Photo: Karen Davila)Communications (DOTC) Secretary, who is also the elected Representative of Cavite, Sec. Joseph Emilio Abaya. It did give me a good "Headstart" that I even found the time to drop by here and talk a little bit - to the cyberspace. Sec. Abaya is a University of the Philippines Applied Physics guy who obtained his M.S. in Electrical Engineering in Cornell, which I know for a fact to be a very tough Program, among many other outstanding academic achievements. I think the Basic Science and Engineering training is very useful for systematic, disciplined, problem solving-savvy and low-profile sort of leadership. Just look at the late Sec. Jesse Robredo whose basic training was Engineering - he made problem solving in governance looked so easy. While he has yet to obtain the nod of the Commission on Appointments, I think Sec. Abaya will do a great job at the DOTC because he has a very good track record in his relatively short career in public service and politics... but more than that, he has good things in mind that he wants to accomplish for the country's better future. Looks like we have another young and brilliant, less-talk-more-positive-action guy in the Aquino administration - excellent!
Good luck, Sec. Abaya!
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Wait... tennis and football!
Oh, and I enjoyed Maria Sharapova and Marion Bartoli's quarter-final match at the 2012 US Open! Maria dug herself out of a deep hole where the gritty
Maria Shhhh... (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)Frenchwoman pushed her in in the first set and first half of the second set... and the stylish Russian screamed herself out the hole - emerging as the winner in a three-set battle of wits and wills, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Maria's consistently steel determination to win is so awesome! Win or lose, you know for sure that she always puts up a good fight. Respect. Never mind how loud she plays (boy, she's loud!) - ear plugs help, ya know.
Aw, wait... did Roger Federer just crashed in four sets against Tomas Berdych in their QF match?? Dang, I was just going to write about his Olympics Silver medal, Cincinnati triumph and nice form getting into the US Open (eons ago, of course)! What can I say... besides 'I am a grown up with grown up concerns who blogs during free time' that is? Oh, well....
The footie boys are on an International break... and Cristiano Ronaldo is apparently 'sad' at Real Madrid, and it isn't about the money, mind you (according to him, anyway)...and that Lionel Messi couldn't be bothered to comment! :) And Barça's "pale assassin", who tied the knot last summer, showed both Crissy and Messi who was boss - he won the 2012 UEFA Best European Player award! So, is that why Crissy is sad? Aw! Congratulations, Andrés Iniesta! Better late than never.
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