- Associated Press
- President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton shake hands on stage during a campaign event at Capitol Square, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Concord, N.H.
By Laura Meckler
CONCORD, N.H.—It was President Bill Clinton who introduced President Barack Obama, but that didn’t stop the former president from talking a few minutes longer than the current one.
Normally, introductions are quick and to the point—a few minutes, maybe. But Mr. Clinton isn’t just anyone, and he spoke for some 25 minutes before turning the microphone over to Mr. Obama.
“Elvis was in the building, as always,” said an admiring John Hattan, a 51-year-old Concord resident, one of some 14,000 people who turned out on a chilly morning to see the presidents.
As Mr. Obama wrapped up his remarks (about 22 minutes), Mr. Clinton joined him on stage as “Don’t Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow),” Mr. Clinton’s 1992 campaign anthem, blared from the loudspeakers.
If there was any tension produced by Mr. Clinton’s long-winded nature, it was not apparent. Mr. Obama took the stage and repeated the suggestion that he appoint Mr. Clinton “secretary of explaining stuff” because he breaks it down so clearly.
After Mr. Clinton gave a widely praised speech at the Democratic National Convention in September, officials who work for both men said the former president would be an aggressive campaigner for Mr. Obama–and that he has. The rally in Concord was his 30th event since the convention, with seven more to go before Monday night. That’s on top of several fundraisers for the campaign earlier in the year.
“Folks, the hour is late and the time is short,” Mr. Clinton told the Concord rally. “The polls say it’s close and it could come down to what you decide.”
Indeed, the campaign’s decision to send the pair to New Hampshire, with just four electoral votes, shows how close the race is, with both sides confident but nobody sure how a string of states will tip in the end.
Mr. Clinton told the crowd that he has worked hard on the campaign—and the last one, too, a reference to his rallying behind Mr. Obama after Mr. Obama bested his wife, Hillary Clinton, in the 2008 Democratic primaries. “I’m much more enthusiastic now,” he said.
He said Mr. Obama has been a strong commander in chief and has done a “good job with a difficult hand” on the economy. And he said that Republican Mitt Romney’s argument amounts to: “Look at me. I look like a president and I talk like one and I’m telling you it’s all gonna be all right if you elect me.”
Tension between the men, which developed during the 2008 primaries, has been no secret, though both camps say the pair get along well now, fueled by a bond that only presidents who know the strain of the job can share.
“Obama has enjoyed the growth in their friendship and relationship,” campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Sunday. “They have a really easy rapport with one another and that’s been a really enjoyable part of the last couple of weeks.”
Related: In a one-on-one interview with WSJ’s Jerry Seib, Obama Campaign strategist David Axelrod says strong favorability ratings portend a strong showing for the President in several key swing states. Photo: Getty.
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