Todd live and direct from Philadelphia

Watching US President Barak Obama speaking live at the Democratic Party National Convention has left an indelible impression on Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller.

'For me personally it's a highlight, and one of the most impressively delivered and crafted speeches I have ever heard. The seat of the master, it really was,” says Todd.


Jamie and Todd in Philadelphia. Picture: Facebook

Speaking to SunLive from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Todd says the way Obama made his case delivered his speech in a 'very personal and direct way”.

'You've got 25-30,000 people there, and there were periods of time there when you felt he was talking directly to you - and I have every confidence everyone who was watching him on television would have the same feeling,” he explains.

'That is remarkable oratory. The ability to connect personally at that level. And I thought the content of what he said I though was very compelling.”

Todd and Botany MP Jamie Lee-Ross have attended both the Republican and Democrat party conventions as part of a New Zealand delegation of the International Democratic Union annual get together.

He and Jamie were in the auditorium for Hillary Clinton's nomination two days ago, but they haven't got tickets for this evening's (afternoon NXZ time) acceptance speech from Hillary Clinton.

'What we do is sit in at places that are watching it live with a whole lot of people who are involved in politics and support the democrat party and getting their various perspectives.”

He and Jamie also got to see Bill Clinton from the floor two nights ago. He delivered s superb personal narrative around his journey with Hillary Clinton over the last 40 or so years and the impact it has on his life, says Todd.

The convention has its own dramas, with a core group of Bernie Sanders supporters still bitter Hillary became the party's presidential candidate.

'They have continued to protest during the course of the week, that Bernie Sanders hasn't won, and they don't think the democratic platform is liberal enough for their view,” says Todd.

'I guess you would call them pure socialists if you are going to put a label on them. They are here in some numbers, and in the convention centre itself there is a core, they sort of sit together, they make a lot of noise for their little core but they are certainly massively overwhelmed by those who support Hillary Clinton.”

Todd has found the democrat convention more optimistic than the republican one in Cleveland last week.

'For a start the (Republican) delegates were very white, older and in most cases very angry. Their view of America's place in the world and where they would like to take it is a bit like looking into the rear vision mirror, trying to recreate an America perhaps of their nostalgic memory - as opposed to an America that's competitive and able to participate in the global economy.

'And then of course you come to Philadelphia and it's like the rest of America turned up. African Americans, Hispanics, women, young people, old people, very much the fabric of the US.

'It was a huge difference and the tone of all the speeches was optimistic and seeing American in a far better light than the Republican delegates and the Republican leadership and the Republican nominee Donald Trump. The contrast was just extraordinary.”

It's an interesting perspective for the centre-right National Party MP.

He suspects that in America he would be either moderate democrat - or a very socially tolerant republican.

'I think in many ways the New Zealand political spectrum is relatively narrow compared to America. We largely coalesce around ideas that have underpinned the country for decades,” says Todd.

Social security, employment benefits, the role of the state to create conditions for people to be successful, to look after them through the education system, to look after them in the health sector, and of course to look after them when they become superannuitants is a basic social democratic philosophy that has underpinned the New Zealand political debate for the last 70-80 years, says Todd.

'And like I say has a general consensus around the value that that has in New Zealand society. That doesn't exist here.”

The Republican Party is also split at present, with the established Republican leadership appalled that Donald Trump is saying the things he does, says Todd.

'But he got elected. They ran a democratic process, and so it talks to the deep divisions that exist in this country between those who feel that the country is heading in the right direction and those who do not.

'Those divisions occur within the democratic party as well.”

But unlike Newshub political report Patrick Gower, he doesn't think the American system is broken.

'Over its history commentators have said, ‘Oh this system is broken' or, ‘This country's broken', but time and time again the Americans find a way to make their system work and be more effective.

'On the face of it, it looks very, very divided. But they will find a way and they always have. That was part of President Obama's speech last night. That's why he is more optimistic about America's capacity to adjust to the huge transitions going on in every economy around the world as globalization takes hold, versus Trump's view that he will fix it.

'And I found that remarkable. This list of woes as he sees them within society, and his solution ‘I will fix it.' No detail, no nothing. It's fascinating to watch. It is just amazing.”

Todd Returns to New Zealand tomorrow.

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1 comment

What is the point

Posted on 29-07-2016 15:08 | By Merlin

what is the point in this trip. USA elections are vastly different to our system.What it taxpayer funded or just a perk of office?


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