JOURNALIST AND CONTRIBUTING WRITER Kelly Candaele reports for LARB from the Democratic National Convention. His dispatches from the convention floor include interviews with members of Congress, authors and experts, as well as his own impressions on developing events.

In this first of the two-part series, he interviews John Heilemann, columnist and co-author of Game Change; E.J. Dionne, Cclumnist and author of Our Divided Political Heart; Sean Wilentz, Professor of American History at Princeton University and author of The Rise of American Democracy; and Congressman John Lewis, U.S. Representative for Georgia, 5th Congressional District.  Also included is a video clip of President Bill Clinton speaking at the afterparty following his convention address.

Click here to read Part II of the series, featuring interviews with Eric Foner, the DeWitt Professor of History at Columbia University, and Stewart Wood, advisor to Ed Milliband, Leader of the British Labour Party.

Donkey Painting © Lisa Jane Persky

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An Interview with John Heilemann

Columnist, National Political Correspondent,  Co-Author of Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

In his convention address, President Bill Clinton reminded Democratic delegates, and a good part of the nation, why he was twice elected President. He was able to articulate –in a speech that admittedly was too long – the differences between the Republican version of what our economy should become, and an alternative Democratic approach. Clinton brought the convention house down, and brought President Obama out of the wings to join him. The critiques of him notwithstanding, including his own failure as President in the face of pressure from Wall Street, Bill Clinton is clearly one of the most skilled politicians in American history.  

I interviewed John Heilemann, author of Game Change, on the morning of Clinton's speech. We talked about the psychological and stylistic differences between Obama and Clinton, and why Clinton is being sent out on the campaign trail to shore up the President's demographic weaknesses.    

— Kelly Candaele

President Bill Clinton's Convention Speech, September 5, 2012

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