Hillary Clinton became the presumptive Democratic Party nominee on Tuesday, and every news outlet was trained on to her victory speech. But something very special stood out for CNN’s Dana Bash during their America’s Choice 2016 coverage of the event, Bill Clinton waving his hand. “I don’t recall— I don’t know about you Jake [Tapper]— him actually getting up on the stage like that with her and having the classic spouse hand wave to the crowd,” Bash said.
The former president waving his hand to his wife’s supporters had a very profound meaning for the CNN reporter:
It's really been the Hillary Clinton show, he's obviously been an incredible surrogate for her, he's been on the road, he's been doing a lot to help her campaign, but that was a moment, I don't think we have seen very much.
She then went on to praise Clinton’s speech for including elements that would excite and attract Bernie Sanders’ supporters to her. “There were times in this speech where she could have been reading a Bernie Sanders speech,” noted Bash, “She was reaching out to them not to subtly.”
Transcript below:
CNN
America’s Choice 2016: Super Tuesday 5
June 7, 2016
10:44:41 PM EasternDANA BASH: I want to take a moment to mark what image we saw just a couple of moments ago. Not just with Chelsea Clinton as you said, Bill Clinton. And he's been in a lot of her speeches at these big events, big nights throughout the primary season, but I don’t recall— I don’t know about you Jake [Tapper]— him actually getting up on the stage like that with her and having the classic spouse hand wave to the crowd.
It's really been the Hillary Clinton show, he's obviously been an incredible surrogate for her, he's been on the road, he's been doing a lot to help her campaign, but that was a moment, I don't think we have seen very much.
The other thing that was striking in addition to what you obviously just has to stop and reflect on immediately is historic nature of this. But also, how much there were times in this speech where she could have been reading a Bernie Sanders speech. Maybe not in cadence and in tone, but also talking about the fact that -- she was talking about a lot of the issues that he had brought up that she probably wouldn't have brought up, and I don't think that— that was on purpose. She was reaching out to them not to subtly.
What did you think Jake?
