Bill begins to redeem himself

Bill Clinton's much anticipated speech yesterday at the Democratic National Convention went far in banishing the memory of his dismal behaviour during the primary contest. For all his growing faults, the former president remains a superb speaker. Clinton found the right balance of hard and soft, comfortably quoting the statistical evidence of the damage wrought by the Bush administration while lifting the crowd with brighter sentiment and memorable lines. Most soundbyte-able was this turn of phrase: "People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example, than by the example of our power." Clinton insisted that Obama was the right kind of leader to set a proper example in an increasingly multicultural, globalised world, and that he was "ready" to be president. Perhaps Clinton spoke through gritted teeth, but whatever; this is politics, and words matter.

Full speech in video below.