The Bill Clinton Era

The 16th in a series of 20 on the history of the Democratic National Conventions

1992: A Place Called Hope

Dates: July 13 - 16, 1992

Venue: Madison Square Garden, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza (31st to 33rd, between 7th and 8th Streets). Built in 1968, home to the New York Knicks and Rangers. Democrats met here in both 1976 and 1980.

Events: Despite losing Iowa (to favorite son Tom Harken) and New Hampshire (to Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas), Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton bounced back, winning 37 primaries on his way to the nomination. Former (and future) California Governor Jerry Brown had been Clinton’s only serious rival.

At the convention, Clinton swept to an easy victory with 3372 delegates to 596 for Brown. Tsongas finished a distant third with 289.

Clinton chose 44 year old Tennessee Senator Al Gore as his running mate, and delegates approved by acclamation. Clinton was 46. Together, they were one of the youngest tickets in US history.

In his acceptance speech, Clinton spoke of growing up in Arkansas. He was born in Hope, and he closed his spech with “I still believe in a place called Hope.”

Georgia Senator Zell Miller was the keynote speaker, and he did an excellent job blasting George HW Bush. 12 years later, Miller would bash John Kerry at the Republican National Convention.

My Convention: I actually worked advance for the Brown campaign during the convention. Two highlights: Making fried chicken with Jerry at a soup kitchen in Harlem and cleaning up crack needles in Sara Roosevelt Park to prep for a volunteer cleanup event. Also got to meet Don Novello (Father Guido Sarducci) from “Saturday Night Live.”

Election 1992: “It’s the economy, stupid.” The economy declined precipitously in 1992, and with it the electoral chances of George HW Bush. And Ross Perot to the mix and Bush was doomed.

Clinton coasted to an easy win, winning 32 states and 370 electoral votes. Bush won 168. While Perot did not win any states, he still got 19.7 million votes, the best showing by a third party since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. Clinton defeated Bush in the popular vote 44.9 million to 39.1 million. Arkansas native Clinton also won Georgia, Tennessee and Louisiana along with his home state, the first wins in the South by a Democrat in 12 years.

1996: Gore Does the Macarena

Dates: August 26 - 29, 1996

Venue: United Center, 1901 West Madison Street, Chicago IL. Built in 1994, the arena is the home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks. The Chicago Stadium, home to several Democratic Conventions, was in this area.

Events: Bill Clinton, running for re-election, received 4277 of the 4289 votes at the convention (99.72 percent). Al Gore had an even easier time, winning 100 percent.

One of the most dramatic moments of the convention was the speech by actor Christopher Reeve, who been paralyzed in an accident.

The Macarena by Los Del Rio was the hit dance craze of 1996, and delegates were doing it on the floor of the convention. Al Gore had one of the biggest laugh lines of the convention when he asked “Want to see my version of the Macarena?” and then proceeded to stand still.

My Convention: People were regularly mistaking me for film director Michael Moore. When I ran into Moore, I told him about it and he replied “I am so sorry.” Also discovered Al Gore could be funny when he told a joke about the first Jewish President at an AIPAC reception (thanks to Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug LaFollette for getting me in).

Coolest protester was Fingerman, a guy dressed up as a giant upraised middle finger.

Election 1996: Clinton coasted to an easy victory over Kansas Senator Bob Dole. He won 31 states with 379 electoral votes to Dole’s 159. Ross Perot made another bid for the White House, this time under the banner of the reform party; he received 8 million votes. In the popular vote, Clinton defeated Dole 47.4 million to 39.2 million.