I don't know why I do it, but occasionally I search the internet for information. It's not that I can't find things on the net, it's just that I hardly ever find what I'm looking for.
The other day, for example, I ran a search on Fleetwood Mac, a popular music group of the 1980s. Of all places, I ended up at a website hosted by the Democratic party.
I knew there had to be some sort of connection, so I clicked around and eventually discovered the link that transported me through cyberspace. There among the historic records was a summary of the 1992 Democratic National Convention. It reads: "DNC Chair Ronald H. Brown calls the Convention to order in New York City's Madison Square Garden. Youthful Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton and Senator Al Gore are nominated for President and Vice-President, sweeping in a new generation of political leadership. Following the presidential acceptance speech, the Party replaces the traditional celebratory music of Happy Days are Here Again with Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac."
As you may recall, Don't Stop is the song with the catchy line, "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow..."
Anyway, feeling a little nostalgic, I did some more digging and found a copy of the '92 speech. I remember hearing Clinton deliver it on TV, but I was surprised at how much of it I forgot. In light of some of the things going on in Washington lately, the following excerpts are probably worth noting:
• In the name of all those who do the work and pay the taxes, raise the kids and play by the rules, I proudly accept your nomination for Presidency of the United States.
• This election is about putting power back in your hands and putting the government back on your side. It's about putting people first. You know, I've said that all across America, and whenever I do, someone comes back at me, as a young man did just this week at a town meeting at the Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He said: 'That sounds good, Bill. But you're a politician. Why should I trust you?' Tonight, as plainly as I can, I want to tell you who I am, what I believe and where I want to lead America.
• Frankly, I'm fed up with politicians in Washington lecturing the rest of us about family values. Our families have values. But our Government doesn't. I want an America where family values live in our actions, not just in our speeches.
• I'll fight to make sure women in this country receive respect and dignity – whether they work in the home, out of the home, or both.
• Our people are pleading for change, but government is in the way. It's been hijacked by privileged, private interests. It's forgotten who really pays the bills around here. It's taking more of your money and giving you less in return. We have got to go beyond the braindead politics in Washington and give our people the kind of government they deserve: a government that works for them.
• For too long, those who play by the rules and keep the faith have gotten the shaft. And those who cut corners and cut deals have been rewarded.
• [George Bush] won't break the stranglehold the special interests have on our elections and the lobbyists have on our government, but I will.
• We demand responsibility. Responsibility starts at the top; that's what the New Covenant is all about.
• When I am your President, the rest of the world will not look down on us with pity but up to us with respect again.
And on it goes.
If you want to read the rest of the speech, you can find it on the internet. Just look for Fleetwood Mac, or log in at www.democrats.org.
By the way, I never mentioned what prompted me to run a search on Fleetwood Mac in the first place. I was in Florida last month and I heard a parody of the song Little Lies on the radio. Remember that? "Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies..." It's another of Fleetwood Mac's many hits. Apparently, someone rewrote the words recently, because I don't remember anything about Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, or Johnny Chung in the original version.
I was looking for the lyrics just to be sure, though. Never did find them.
– Larry Berardinis
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