VP Joe Biden suddenly looks like the smartest politician in America -- Irish American VP goes where no other politicians dare in Washington D.C.

Vice President Joe Biden arrives to a House 

Democratic caucus meeting at the Capitol on Jan. 1, 2013.

(Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

Joe Biden is suddenly the most popular politician in Washington and a real contender for 2016. The latest opinion poll by Public Policy shows him running a strong second to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination.

The Irish American Vice President, widely dismissed by the haughty press corps looking for the new and the beautiful, is at the very heart of the dramatic new initiatives by the Obama administration.

In a time of electoral gridlock, Biden appears to be the one figure who can reach out to the other side and force a civil discourse.

On the fiscal cliff he galloped to the rescue and cut the deal with Senator Mitch McConnell before riding off like the Lone Ranger. Opinion polls showed the public believed by a 57 per cent to 20 per cent margin that Biden’s deal was better for Democrats than Republicans.

Read more: The NRA will not allow Joe Biden to blame law-abiding gun owners for actions of madmen

Now on gun control he is defying the conventional wisdom again and getting real traction behind his recommendations which he will deliver to the president next week.

He has met with the NRA, Walmart, and every major gun constituency, forcing a dialogue where none existed before and making clear that action will be taken to prevent another Sandy Hook.

Don’t rule out the possibility of a deal that Biden can craft that the NRA can get along with, strange as that may seem.

Biden notes there appears to be a near universal belief that more background checks are needed for all gun sales.

He is determined that action will occur.

"There are executive orders, executive action that can be taken. We haven't decided what that is yet, but we're compiling it all with the help the attorney general and all the rest of the cabinet members, as well as legislative action, we believe, is required," he said.

Sure the NRA said it was “disappointed with how little this meeting had to do with keeping our children safe and how much it had to do with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment.’’

But everything is different after Sandy Hook and Biden knows it even if the NRA does not.

He is suddenly being noticed. “These weeks can continue to set him up as one of the few who can deliver in an era when no one thinks accomplishments can happen and everyone believes Washington is broken — an appealing position to be in as he considers his future,” a Biden loyalist told the Washington Post.

Maureen Dowd in The New York Times stated, “Mr. Biden can spread everything out on the table and negotiate his way through all of his former colleagues' shortcomings, weaknesses, fears and frailties.”
In  a time when American politics is so polarized Biden has managed the extraordinary trick of being able to appear reasonable to both sides.”

Chris Cilliza, who writes the influential The Fix column for the Washington Post, wrote, “What’s apparent and indisputable over these past few weeks is that Biden has put himself at the center of the national political conversation in ways that have helped his boss but also himself.”

In this new political arena maybe a pol with old fashioned skills is what’s really needed. Joe Biden is certainly starting off 2013 on fire.

Next up, immigration reform for the miracle worker?

Read more: Gun nuts lose argument over assault weapons ban, threaten civil war - VIDEO

Hillary Clinton’s illness will raise questions about 2016 run -- Age and health her two most vulnerable areas to attack

Hillary Clinton's age and health for the Presidential Race 2016 comes into question
(Photo:GlobalGrind)

Hillary Clinton’s illness will raise questions about the most vulnerable aspect of any 2016 presidential run for her – her age and health.

She will be 69 when, and if, she runs, and the health and age issue was bound to surface at some level as she went closer to deciding to run.

Considering that only Ronald Reagan has run at a similar age and he was suspected of suffering from early Alzheimer’s during his second term, it could become a major issue.

This latest illness, especially involving a potential blood clot, will raise such questions to a higher level. The White House is no place to be for a less than healthy occupant.

Clinton has looked exhausted in recent months, and it has been attributed to an incredibly taxing travel schedule but a campaign is also an exhausting marathon as Clinton herself can attest to after her 2008 experience.

Read more: Hillary Clinton taken to hospital with suspected blood clot

During her most recent trip Clinton spent two days in Ireland and it was obvious that not only she, but also her staff were at the limits of their endurance.

The Benghazi affair also added to the pressure and it was clear during her Dublin and Belfast leg that a new term for Obama and her replacement as Secretary of State was something she was greatly looking forward to.

She talked about reading books, relaxing, helping with the Clinton Foundation, but mostly just taking a long rest from the backbreaking schedule.

At a dinner at the Residence Restaurant in Dublin surrounded by close Irish friends, Clinton finally looked relaxed and sipped a beer as she went around the table, asking how everyone had been faring.

It was a brief glimpse of the old Hillary, the very warm private person who holds friendships dear.

But clearly something was amiss on that trip and soon after she came back she fainted and received a concussion and now comes news of the blood clot.

It is far too early to say if there will be any long-term impact on her health but with 2016 speculation already bubbling it will bound to be a matter of intense conversation over the coming days.

Why Chris Christie bear hug will deliver White House to Barack Obama -- Did New Jersey governor deliberately snub Mitt Romney after VP diss?

Chris Christie and Barack Obama speak during the President's visit
to Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s bear hug embrace of Barack Obama during Hurricane Sandy will deliver the White House again to Barack Obama, I believe.

Since he did so the polls have moved perceptively to Obama, which should allow him to eke out a 51 per cent to 49 per cent victory in the popular vote I predict.

It was an extraordinary moment and a dagger aimed at the heart of Republican contender Mitt Romney who had passed Christie over for the Vice President slot after originally indicating he was choosing him as Politico.com revealed.

(There is no love lost between the two Republicans, they angrily disputed why Christie was not on the stage at a Romney rally in neighboring Pennsylvania on election eve.)

Christie saw himself on the sidelines and knew a victory for Romney essentially sidelined him for a possible eight years. He likely made a calculation that Obama would be re-elected.

Facing probable political oblivion, Christie acted.

Read more on the US Presidential Election here

Embracing Obama ensured his re-election in New Jersey also with Obama hardly likely to champion a Democratic opponent. It also ensured that moderate Democrats will be naturally drawn to supporting him when he runs for re-election.

It was a lifeline to Obama. Barack Obama was in a desperate fight to the death last week and in a dead heat at best when the hurricane struck.

Americans rally to the president in a crisis and Obama has the Commander-in-Chief down to an art form.

But the Christie embrace was the icing on the cake. Americans yearn for the type of cross community politics that sees politicians from opposite sides work together.

There are few more popular figures than the larger-than-life Christie who has never met a doughnut stand he didn’t like and calls a spade a spade.

When he appeared all day with Obama it sent a clear message to Americans that despite the attempt to demonize Obama by the GOP, Christie was willing to work with him.

The polls that had been in a permanent freeze before Sandy began to tick back in Obama’s direction and he goes into Election Day with polls clearly moving in his direction.

In a very uncertain year, that last tilt in the polls will, I think, put Obama over the top. The October/November surprise in the end proved to be of all things a hurricane and a 350 pound governor from the opposite party feeling the love for the president.

That’s politics. Who wudda thunk it?

Read more on the US Presidential Election here 

Hurricane Sandy brings President Obama and Chris Christie together for a great moment in American politics -- Political rivals put America first down on the Jersey shore

President Barack Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (Credit: AP)

It was a great moment for American politics yesterday when President Obama and New Jersey governor Chris Christie strolled to the podium together after visiting the Jersey shore.

It was a remarkable moment, one that Americans starved of political grown-ups could favor. It was state and federal working together. It was two men submerging their political differences for the common good.

They made a political odd couple, the tall, muscled African American president and the roly-poly governor who clearly never passes a donut shop.

But together they pulled the lever on co-operation for the common good, the one part of politics that the vast majority of Americans want to see from their politicians.

In the shadow of the presidential election it was a far greater risk for Christie and for his political future.
Already there is a cacophony on the right that he should have invited Romney too. “Et Tu Christie” was one of the less profane headlines.

But there is only one president, the man who holds the purse strings on federal aid. Christie is known as a governor who gets it done and this time all politics was local, not national.

By embracing Obama, Christie ensured that federal help would be even more swiftly dispatched and that his state would be at the front of any line.

For Obama the idea of appearing with the man who slammed him at the Republican convention where he was keynote speaker must have seemed somewhat surreal.

But Hurricane Sandy has changed the dynamic of the presidential campaign and the catastrophe surrounding the hurricane has taken the media attention of the horse race.

I think both men will benefit from their meeting and their joint efforts to help the distressed residents of New Jersey.

In the long run if Romney is defeated and Republicans are looking for a moderate in 2016 they can look no further than Christie.

For Democrats the short term win is for Obama but the big winners are the American people who can finally see how politics can work for the benefit of the people and is not all about name calling.

President Obama And Gov. Christie Tour New Jersey Shore After Hurricane Sandy Disaster 2012

Democratic near panic in Washington as Mitt Romney bandwagon rolls -- Contrast in mood with happy Republicans is very evident as race closes

Mitt Romney Republican candidate looking happy

Washington D.C: The contrast in confidence between Democratic and Republican supporters here in Washington is striking.

Our newspaper Irish Voice hosted our annual Legal 100 event here last night at the residence of the Irish Ambassador Michael Collins, and the talk among the well connected from both sides who showed up was all about the election.

There were many movers and shakers among the large crowd and the mood shift was evident.

Democrats frankly were grim. “It comes down to Ohio?” said a former prominent politician. “It did for Kerry in 2004 and he lost it right there and we could lose it too.”

“We have to hold Ohio,” said another stalwart and major fundraiser. “We have no hope other than doing that -- It looks like the ground game is the only way we can hold it.”

The main hope of the Democratic side seemed to be in that massive turn out the vote effort. “It’s not the economy stupid,” said one political leader, “it’s the turnout stupid.”

A Democratic foot soldier from Pennsylvania talked about the massive effort underway there. “We will add two points to the polls,” he predicted.

Read more news from the US Election 2012 here

Several referred to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s race in Nevada a few years back when polls showed him five behind, yet, because of his massive organization, he won the day.

Democrats frankly are reeling at how hard and how fast Obama appears to have fallen. The ABC /Washington Post poll on Thursday shows him three behind, a similar margin to several other polls.

At the end of September he seemed to be cruising to victory with polls showing him well ahead, now he enters the final week and a half gasping for his political life.

Republicans in Washington have a pep in their step. “We’re ahead in the national polls, no doubt about it and the state polls will adjust,” said one big campaign donor many years on the scene.

Obama wrote off Romney far too soon said another. This is a fifty-fifty election he said, it was always going to come down to that.

Obama’s attitude in the first debate clearly cost him dear they say. He was just not prepped enough thinking he would easily deal with Romney.

One person discussed a recent lunch with Bill Clinton saying there was no great wisdom there either, only a sense of deep frustration that Romney’s reposition had seemingly won over a large slice of the undecided.

Right now in Washington the GOP are confident, even cocky. The next ten days will tell whether that is justified or a celebration too soon.

Read more news from the US Election 2012 here

Ghost of George Bush haunted Mitt Romney in final debate -- A victory for Barack Obama by default as Romney lies low

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama during their final presidential campaign debate

There was a third candidate in the arena with Mitt Romney and Barack Obama last night as the ghost of George Bush hovered over the proceedings.

It was a night that was a clear victory for Obama. CBS had it 53 to 23 percent in their poll of undecided voters while CNN had it 48 to 40 percent in their poll of registered voters.

A battleground poll in the key swing states had voters there giving Obama 52 to 42 percent.

Overall Obama did himself some good and Romney certainly did not advance but it is debatable how much ground he lost.

Bush, like Banquo’s ghost in Macbeth, unsettled Romney enough that he never seemed to have Obama’s measure. He was strangely passive and defensive.

Obama had tried unsuccessfully to link Romney to Bush policies in the domestic debates but had failed—however. the shadows of Iraq and Afghanistan loomed too large for Romney to escape.

Read more news on the US Election 2012

As a result Mitt Romney came to play defense in the final debate but lost to a much more energized and feisty Barack Obama.

It was a strange performance by Romney who may have decided that he needed to look presidential and not a hothead when it came to international affairs.

What was clear was that Republicans still live in the shadow of George Bush and his failed presidency, especially on foreign affairs.

Romney knew he had to guard against reawakening echoes of the Bush era, now viewed as cowboy diplomacy at its worst.

In the process however, he was silent on Obama’s foreign policy.

The Benghazi incident that most debate watchers had predicted would be the biggest issue was hardly raised.

Obama mentioned Israel 43 times, a clear indication that he was safeguarding his nearly 4-1 lead among Jewish voters.

Romney mentioned how many times he agreed with Obama and seemed to punt every time he had the chance to go for it.

A puzzling debate that will have tongues wagging as to its ultimate impact for some days yet.

Here's the highlights from the debate:

Meeting Romney and Obama on their New York ceasefire night -- A shining moment in a campaign desperately short of them

President Obama, Cardinal Dolan and GOP Candidate
Mitt Romney at Thursday night's charity event in NYC (Credit: AP)

An amazing sight awaited down a long corridor on the second floor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, past a dark screen and several alert secret service agents and then into a large meeting room.

There, standing less than five feet apart, separated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, were the two men fighting tooth and nail for the most important job in the world, the President of the United States.

As I approached I could not but feel an extraordinary sense of pride. What an amazing statement about this country, that the two men in the midst of a titanic battle could set the battle aside and come together in the cause of raising $5 million for New York’s neediest.

President Obama and Mitt Romney seemed utterly at ease. I complimented Obama on his Irish trip and he reminisced for a moment about it. “I need that Irish Moneygall vote,” he joked, referencing the village in Offaly where his ancestors hailed from.

Mitt Romney is ramrod straight, far younger looking than his 65 years, and his wife Ann is even prettier than she appears on TV. They are a striking couple, side by side.

I asked Romney would he visit Ireland if elected. “Of course,” he said, “I’m a Massachusetts politician, what would you expect,” he joked.

Later, on stage, the two men gave command performances, firing punch lines not punches back and forth so rapidly that sometimes it was hard to catch them.

They were in New York for the annual Al Smith dinner, the great lollapalooza of New York politics, where everyone gathers for the annual rite of reminiscence to the first Irish Catholic to run seriously for president.

Read more on the US Election 2012

Henry Kissinger (he’s still alive!) was there, so was Ed Koch, Katie Couric, Chris Matthews, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Chuck Schumer to name a few, and every bishop and major businessman and woman in the five boroughs and Long Island.

MC was Al Smith IV, great grandson of the late and great Al and a born comedian with a wonderful sense of timing as he made the introductions. His best line was that Mitt Romney created more sons (five) than Obama did jobs.

Romney has a sense of comic timing that was unexpected to me. He seems ill at ease often in such settings but not last night, where his zingers found their target and the crowd guffawed and laughed along.

Obama proved equal to the task, if not quite as funny. His best line was how Mitt was Romney’s second name and he was lucky to have it as he couldn’t use his own much (it’s Hussein).

He also gave a spoiler alert for Monday night’s debate on foreign policy (look away -- we killed Bin Laden if you hadn’t heard).

The real surprise for me was Cardinal Dolan who made an impassioned speech about what he called the “un’s” in America, the unemployed, the undocumented, the unborn, the unmarried mothers, the unfit and forlorn. It was a passionate plea for both candidates to note that the government’s major role was to help those who could not help themselves.

Dolan had come under pressure not to invite Obama because of the abortion issue. He proved last night he had done exactly the right thing and showed the power of the Catholic Church in so doing.

The 1,500 or so of those who attended went home happy and sated. As an immigrant, it was one of those occasions I thanked my lucky stars I had come to America.

With so much at stake the two men fighting it out for the White House found time to come together to help and raise money for those in need.

It was an extraordinary moment in a campaign known for its nastiness but one also capable of being kinder, gentler.

We need more of that to lift people up.

Talented Joe Kennedy the next great Kennedy political leader? -- The next generation of Kennedys comes to bat in Boston race

Joseph P Kennedy III on the campaign trail

When it comes to politics, regardless of possessing a famous name, you can’t fake it when it comes to the red meat: mixing with, chatting to and addressing people, solving their problems.

That was the way with many of the offspring of the Kennedy family, who were ill fitted for political offices despite the incredible family history.

That was no knock on them. As Brendan Behan remarked, “Genius does not come in litters” and following in the footsteps of Jack, Robert, and Teddy Kennedy was surely the most difficult political undertaking in the world.

Inevitably, there was disappointment and regret that the Kennedy dynasty seemed at an end, especially when Patrick, Teddy’s son, stepped down from Congress in 2010 and ended an unbroken run back to 1947 when John F. Kennedy became a congressman.

But now comes a young Kennedy who is ready to restore the legacy. Joe Kennedy III is running for Barney Frank’s seat in the 4th district in Massachusetts and looks like a sure thing as the polls have him far ahead.

The grandson of Robert Kennedy, son of former Congressman Joe, will reignite the Kennedy name in national politics and I have strong suspicions this guy will go a lot further than the congressman.

I had the occasion to meet Joe, now 32, last week at our “Irish New England Leaders” awards held at the Irish Consulate in Boston – and I came away very impressed.

He was the winner of our Young Leader award and according to Consul General Michael Lonergan who hosted the evening, he was the first Kennedy clan member to come to the consulate.

While it is always difficult to size someone up in a brief meeting, Joe Kennedy strikes me as a natural politician, which was certainly not the case with many of his relatives.

When he got up to speak at our event, I was even more impressed.

He threw away his notes, spoke eloquently about his Irish heritage and drew the crowd in with his recitation of what his family history of commitment to the poor and the needy had meant to him.

“I believe this country was founded on a simple idea: that every person deserves to be treated fairly, by each other and by their government,” might sound clichéd when coming from someone else, but given the family history and the fact that two of his family predecessors gave their lives for those very sentiments, it came across as genuine.

He has walked the walk too, spending two years in the Peace Corps (he is a fluent Spanish speaker), working for free legal aid in Harvard, and developing a reputation as a crusading assistant district attorney.

Don’t look for any scandal allegations circling around this redheaded Kennedy either. His strongest drink is coffee, he’s engaged to his college sweetheart and his social life is said to be as tame as some of his relatives were wild.

There will be great expectations and outsized publicity when he arrives in Congress, as he surely will. But this Kennedy is hardly likely to have the bright lights or the family reputation turn his head.

There is a lot to like about young Joe Kennedy and the feeling of a new era in America’s most famous political dynasty is real. It will be fascinating to watch.

Joe Biden wins debate by not losing and ‘malarkey’ accusations fly -- Biden, Ryan donnybrook was a debate to really remember - VIDEO

Joe Biden & Paul Ryan in last nights debate
(Credit: AP/Charlie Neibergall)

A CBS poll of undecided voters gave last night’s debate 50 to 31 percent to Joe Biden while a CNN poll of all voters gave it to Ryan by 48 percent to 44 percent.

I think Joe Biden shaded the debate last night by just being himself and clearly not losing. That’s not a load of "malarkey", ie hot air. The Irish expression somehow made it into the middle of the presidential debate, though some spell it "mullarkey".

Biden is one of the most liked men in politics, and that is what came across in the debate.

I have met Biden many times, interviewed him once when he was a senator, and always came away impressed with his easy manner and basic decency.

He has an easy Irish charm, hail-fellow well met and the Vice Presidency suits him well.

That was what came across with the Ryan stand-off. He was keeping Paul Ryan under pressure but managed it in an amiable way and he “righted the ship” as political editor Gloria Borger on CNN noted.

Biden accused his fellow Irish American of "malarkey" at every opportunity and kept Ryan off balance enough so that he never got to do a Romney and slam home unchallenged  assertions.

Biden accomplished what Obama never did, aggressively challenging fundamental Republican policies.

The fear of Democrats on the way in was that Biden would collapse like a burst balloon as Obama did in the first debate.

Near panic had spread through Democratic ranks after Obama’s faux pas. The slippage in the polls was a nightmare scenario come true.

There has been a tendency on the right to paint Biden as a buffoon liable to go rogue at any moment but he proved far from that.

Read all the Election 2012 news here.

Biden proved a hardy road warrior, well versed in the key debate issues.

Ryan is an extremely smart politician who comes across as robotic at times, but is very much in command of his facts.

It was a fascinating debate, full of substance, superbly moderated. It was everything the first debate was not.

The key moment for me in the Vice Presidential debate was when they both dealt with their religion and the issue of abortion.

It was an intensely personal moment, devoid of the accusations and reams of figures that each can spout.

Ryan made clear that he was personally opposed based on his experience of listening to his first child’s heartbeat at seven weeks.

Biden referred to Catholic social teaching but also stated that he was personally opposed to abortion but would not impose his views.

It was hard not to accept both men at face value and understand they were sincere in their sentiments.

Biden has bought Obama time, a precious commodity, but Tuesday night’s debate in Long Island now takes on even more importance.

Bring it on!

Complete Vice Presidential Debate 2012: Joe Biden vs. Paul Ryan - Oct:

Irish donnybrook as Joe Biden versus Paul Ryan key for presidential debate -- Gift of the gab Biden versus ‘just the facts’ new politician Ryan

Irish American politicians Paul Ryan and Joe Biden gear up for their first major battle

Incredible, but the presidential race could come down to the debating skills of two Irish American politicians who were viewed as bit players just a few weeks ago.

Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan were supposed to be the afters, while the main course was Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

However, after Romney’s sensational knockout of Obama in the first presidential debate the Ryan/Biden stand-off in Kentucky suddenly looms large.

The polls are essentially tied which means that any major mistake or a similar poor showing by Biden could doom the Obama campaign suddenly on the back foot.

For Paul Ryan, a complete unknown to most Americans, it will be the first and only chance to introduce himself. Is he the cost cutter and right-wing ideologue that the Democrats paint him as or a visionary young politician who will loom as a giant some day as Republicans believe?

Biden, whose secret service code name is “Celtic” will be trying to stop the rot that suddenly pervades the Obama campaign after the president’s faux pas in the first debate.

Paul Ryan, descendant of Tipperary Famine era immigrants, will seek to continue the upward momentum and the suddenly kinder, gentler image of the Romney/Ryan campaign.

The two men could not be more different. Biden is the Irish politician of legend; warm, gregarious, and downright sentimental at times. Ryan is a more withdrawn number cruncher, bright as all hell, and someone who sees politics as a battle about ideas not sentiment.

But those stereotypes will only carry both men so far. This presidential election is a battle about core ideas and both men personify the difference even more than the presidential candidates.

It is the small government, cut and slash spending view as against the traditional model that we can solve issues through government and private partnership.

This is what will make this debate so fascinating. The American people are finally engaged after the first debate and it is game on with polls showing the race the closest since Kennedy/Nixon and Bush/Gore.

Ryan has the tougher task, introducing himself to the American people under the harsh spotlight of a desperately close presidential campaign.

He is not in Wisconsin anymore and there has to be a sense of nervousness and anxiety heading into his big night.

Biden on the other hand has been known for his verbal gaffes and has to watch that Irish gift of the gab which isn’t such a gift on occasions.

Biden was chosen in 2008 by Obama to reach that Catholic working class voter who is so crucial in swing states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Ryan was also picked in part because of that profile and both men will be aiming directly at the undecided vote, which contains so many Catholic working class voters.

They say Vice Presidential debates do not decide elections, but in one as close as this it could have a massive impact.

After Obama’s poor performance the pressure on Joe Biden is greater than he has ever experienced in a long political career.

But I have a funny feeling it will be the old dog for the hard road when the smoke clears.

Read more: New information on Vice President Joe Biden’s Irish roots uncovered

Read more: The Paul Ryan American dream -- fleeing famine in Ireland to Vice Presidential ticket

Mitt Romney wins the first debate against a listless Barack Obama -- A debate with a flood of facts and figures to befuddle everyone

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama at the Denver presidential debate

Mitt Romney won the first debate against Barack Obama just by showing up in a fighting mood against a lackluster incumbent.

In a debate weighed down by facts and figures and financial data, Romney was faster on his feet than Obama.

The aura of invincibility that descends on every White House occupant was scraped off by Romney’s combative performance.

It was Obama’s first debate in four years and it showed. He seemed disengaged, not the fiery candidate who took the stage by storm four years ago against John McCain.

Beforehand 72 percent of Americans thought Obama would win, the typical numbers for an incumbent. So Romney did far better coming from a lower expectation base.

But while Romney won on style, Obama landed some punches, especially when focused on Romney’s plan to cut $5 trillion in taxes.

“We have a horse race,” said David Gergen on CNN, the most seasoned of all political operatives who gave Romney the verdict on a night that may have changed the course of the race for the White House.

Even James Carville, the attack dog Democrat, had little good to say about Obama’s performance, saying he gave the impression he did not want to be there.

“The president did not bring his “A” game," said Carville

Obama was somehow subdued, his best moments were in his closing remarks when he finally felt and looked passionate when asking the American people for four more years.

At the same time, the two were reminiscent of two fighters clutching each other in the center of the ring without landing any punches for very long periods.

In the end, there was no knockdown, no moment like when Ronald Reagan floored Jimmy Carter, or Lloyd Bentsen when he decked Dan Quayle with his “You’re no Jack Kennedy” line.

All of which means that Romney will pick up some momentum making this a closer race than the pundits were predicting just a few weeks ago.

Read more: IrishCentral's up-to-date stories on the US presidential election 2012 here

Hillary Clinton is the big winner after powerful Bill Clinton speech -- Obama forced to back her in 2016 after Bill saves his bacon - VIDEO

President Obama applauds Bill Clinton after his speech at the
Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night

Mr President Obama, meet your new best friend, Mr President Clinton.

Please also tip your hat to Mr President Clinton's spouse, Hillary Clinton who may well now be Mrs President Clinton in 2016 .

In all my years I have never heard a better Clinton speech than what he delivered to the Democratic National Convention last night.

Barack Obama owes him big time.

The payoff for Bill Clinton is obvious. If President Obama is re-elected he is now forced to back Hillary if she runs in 2016.

Hillary was the biggest winner next to Barack Obama last night.

Though she's in China on a State Department mission, her presence loomed large in the convention hall after Bill's stemwinder.

Democrats love the old dog, especially when he is let off the porch as Clinton was last night .
Clinton recently has  looked older, has lost some of his booming cadence, and sometimes sounds very weary on stage.

Last time I heard him in County Cork at the American Ireland Fund dinner there he appeared punch drunk from a long flight and gruelling schedule and I wondered if the old master was losing a step or two.

I should not have worried.

I've been listening to him and supporting him since 1990 when he was an obscure governor from Arkansas.

I always knew he could deliver a stemwinder but this DNC speech was a tsunami compared to to the minor Atlantic wave disturbances we heard from the GOP.

It hit the spot at exactly where Democrats wanted it.

For the past two years many have bemoaned the inability of leading Democrats to articulate how they feel they are being stymied and blocked at every turn by Republican extremism..

The feeling most Democrats have is that the Republicans have gone as far right as Democrats went left with George McGovern.

Most Dems I know want to cross the aisle and work together, they want to make things work, but feel that Republicans have blocked everything in sight and they are frustrated that the electorate does not see that.

Last night Clinton caught all that beautifully with his single comment that, ”We believe ‘we’re all in this together’ is a far better philosophy than ‘you’re on your own.’”

Don't just take my word for it; two battle hardened national  journalists who are the last word when it comes to cynical assessment of politicians, both told me it was the best speech by Clinton they had ever heard.

And Hillary no doubt thinks so too!

Here, courtesy of Politico.com are the 15 best lines as they saw them:

1. ”We believe ‘we’re all in this together’ is a far better philosophy than ‘you’re on your own.’”

2. “Democracy does not have to be a bloodsport. It can be an honest enterprise.”

3. “Senator, I hate to break it to you, but we’re going to keep President Obama on the job!”

4. “One reason we need to reelect President Obama is he is still committed to constructive cooperation.”

5. “So here’s another jobs score: President Obama plus 4.5 million, congressional Republicans zero.”

6. “No president, no president — not me or any of my predecessors, no one, could have repaired all the damage he found in just four years. But he has laid the foundation for a new, modern, successful economy, of shared prosperity, and if you renew the President’s contract you will feel it. You will feel it.”

7. “So are we all better off because President Obama fought for health care reform? You bet we are.”

8. “When Congressman Ryan looked into that TV camera and attacked President Obama’s Medicare savings as quote ‘biggest coldest power play,’ I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Because that 716 billion dollars is exactly, to the dollar, the same amount of Medicare savings that he has in his own budget. It takes some brass to attack a guy for doing what you did.”

9. “You won’t be laughing when I finish telling you this.”

10. “As their campaign pollster said ‘we’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers.’ Now that is true. I couldn’t say it better myself.”

11. “I think this [debt] plan is way better than Gov. Romney’s plan. First, the Romney plan fails the first test of fiscal responsibility: The numbers don’t add up.”

12. “We simply cannot afford to turn the reins of government over to someone who will double down on trickle-down.”

13. “Now people ask me all the time, how we go four surplus budgets in a row. What new ideas did we bring to Washington? I always give a one word answer: Arithmetic.”

14. “The most important question is, what kind of country do you want to live in? If you want a you’re-on-your-own, winner-take-all society, you should support the Republican ticket. If you want a country of shared prosperity and shared responsibility — a we’re-all-in-this-together society — you should vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.”

15. “Though I often disagree with Republicans, I actually never learned to hate them the way the far right that now controls their party seems to hate our president and a lot of other Democrats.”