The Importance Of A Good Defense Attorney
About six years ago, I was called to serve on a federal jury. I really didn't want to serve, so I did everything in my power to avoid it. When the judge for the trial was someone who I covered regularly at my newspaper, I was sure I'd be let go. I wasn't. And I ended up spending a couple of weeks digging through a complicated conspiracy to commit mail fraud trial.
It turned out to be a great experience. Working with 11 of my fellow citizens, some of whom found me frustrating and some of whom I found frustrating, we eventually found the defendant guilty of multiple counts. When it was all over we met with the defense attorneys, led by one Billy Martin.
Martin was incredible. He had managed to get almost all of the evidence for the trial thrown out. He was brilliant at casting doubt on all the witnesses. And he had just the right balance of sensible talk and manipulation. Speaking as one of the last holdouts on the jury (and not because I thought the defendant was innocent so much as because I wondered whether the government had truly made its case) Martin was the attorney I would want if I were ever accused of a crime.
I'm telling you all this because that's what I thought of Bill Clinton's performance last night. The Democratic Convention turned out to have a weak end. But Michelle Obama's speech and Bill Clinton's speech were high points.
I'm not sure if voters will decide Obama is guilty of mismanaging the country or not, but Clinton gave about the best defense Obama could ask for. That Obama flubbed it on the witness stand with his bizarre defense tonight didn't help, but if Obama survives, I think he owes a huge debt of gratitude to Clinton.
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Apr '11
Re: The Importance Of A Good Defense Attorney
Of course, using Clinton is a double-edged sword, precisely because of his natural charisma. I've heard it best described that Clinton can suck the air out of a campaign, because when he "helps" a campaign, all attention and energy goes to Clinton, not the candidate.
Nov '11
Re: The Importance Of A Good Defense Attorney
Every good jury needs a couple of holdouts.
About Clinton's speech, I dunno. Nowadays my impressions differ so often and so wildly from those of my fellows citizens, even from those of fellow conservatives, as to appear purposefully contrarian, or maybe supra-political.
Clinton was old, tired, bone brittle beneath a thin skin of vigor. More than his frailty, what impressed was how knowingly self-ridiculing he was. He knew how cosmically self-humiliating his shtick was, but it was the only performance he knew how to deliver, and it was the performance he was expected to deliver, so he accepted his punishment and delivered it.
Imagine the opposite of Clinton thinking, "I do this to make you love me because you love me." Instead, imagine Clinton thinking in his deepest soul, "I do this because you hate me. Making me give a speech like this, this way, is a punishment you inflict, a penance I deserve. I accept the self-inflicted public humiliation of giving this speech." His hope must be that history will forget this latest compulsive public display of ongoing self-humiliation, and for that purpose he tried to disguise his speech with mundane wonkery.
Mar '11
Re: The Importance Of A Good Defense Attorney
Hang on a minute - didn't Mr Clinton lose his Law licence for some reason?
Apr '11
Re: The Importance Of A Good Defense Attorney
I agree. However, I practice criminal defense and as I watched the speech I thought of it as a brilliantly crafted closing argument that, frankly, went on far too long. He would have been far more effective with half the speech. As it were I thought by the end of it he was there solely for selfpromotion.
Sep '10
Re: The Importance Of A Good Defense Attorney
I think conventions just rev up the base and add fodder to the chattering classes (no offense to those presently chattering). It is with a heavy heart that I concede that "Honey Boo Boo" outdrew Paul Ryan's great speech. The voters are are probably persuadable if they watch, but I don't think they do.
Jun '10
Re: The Importance Of A Good Defense Attorney
I'm not sure why this post brings this to mind, but I'm imagining Obama's speech last night with the cadence and finger pointing of Clinton's Lewinsky-denial speech.
"I did not...cause unemployment...in this country - the United States of America...