I’m heading down to campus today so in the interest of time I’ve got to make this brief. I thought Obama’s speech, which did everything it had to do, was wonderful on all counts. Introduced by a well-done biographical video, Obama confidently strode onto the stage, ready to get down to brass tacks with his audience. Not needing to reinforce his personal story thanks to the video, he jumped right into a stinging indictment of Bush/McCain politics, declaring, “America, we are a better country than this”. After outlining his interpretation of “America’s promise” and questioning why anyone would take a 10% chance on change with McCain, Obama shifted gears and outlined his specific strategy for change, something people have been begging him to do. I think Republicans were expecting another lofty and grandiose appeal to go along with the massive audience, but Obama threw them off with his specific proposals, even going so far as to outline how he’d pay for them. Obama made his reason for being very clear in his conclusion: it’s never been about him, it’s about restoring the promise of America and keeping that promise to future generations. McCain won’t do that, Obama will. It really was that simple, and the crowd loved it.

Despite all those specifics, the speech still felt like any other Obama address, which is to say it got the audience stirred and no doubt motivated people out there to contribute or volunteer. Like I said, it also messed up a lot of the preplanned Republican attack lines for it (namely: he didn’t say anything specific). And today, with McCain unable to fill a 10,000 seat hall to announce his running mate (Sarah Palin), the comparisons with Obama’s breathtakingly massive audience should be enough to rain on the Republicans’ parade.

Blog post on Palin coming tomorrow, or as soon as I get my ResNet hooked up.

Boy, do us Democrats sure know how to throw a party. Personally I think last night was the best so far and did way more than it had to do. Opened by a historic and well-choreographed nomination of Barack Obama and concluded with devastatingly effective speeches by Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, the event reminded Democrats and all Americans that we are a nation with unlimited promise and unprecedented ability to self-correct.

And with the nomination process finished, it was up to former President Bill Clinton to get the ball rolling and unequivocally declare his support for the Democratic ticket. Given Hillary Clinton’s superb address the night before and Bill’s known animus toward Obama, many thought the big guy might not be able to measure up to his wife. But boy did they think wrong. Met with a thunderous and protracted applause, the President was reminded that his party and his country still love him. This undoubtedly made it easier for him to segue into a blistering series of attacks against John McCain, each time echoing his confidence in Obama’s readiness for the job. Declaring that “people have always been more impressed by our power of example than our example of power”, Clinton launched a barrage of indictments against neoconservative imperialism and hubris, reminding Americans all the while of their inate ability to see problems and change them. Probably his best line was his comparison of the 1992 campaign talking points of Bill Clinton as young and inexperienced with the 2008 attacks on Obama. I was thrilled he drew this parallel, because comparing the candidate to himself was the strongest possible endorsement he could have given. Leading the audience with the declaration “Thanks but no thanks, this time the third time is not the charm!”, Bill Clinton put to rest any doubts of his support for Obama, and made everyone love him again just as many of us thought he could.  It’s good to have you back, Mr. President.

No doubt Joe Biden had a hell of an act to follow after that marquee appearance. But if he was nervous, it sure as hell didn’t show in his speech. After a heartfelt and probably unscripted homage to his family (which also served the purpose of underscoring his all-American upbringing), Biden wasted no time getting down to brass tacks. His rumination on the questions families are asking each other during this recession no doubt resonated with a lot of people out there, many of whom are inclined to vote Obama but aren’t yet sold on his qualifications. Biden helped assuage these concerns by trumpeting his own experience and reminding voters of the alternative: an administration who not only mirrors Bush in its policies, but fails to even acknowledge the ongoing economic struggles facing so many American families. With the infectious call-and-response chant of “That’s not change, that’s more of the same!”, Biden underscored McCain’s similarities to Bush while simultaneously reinforcing the urgency with which we as a nation need to address these problems. Biden ended his speech with an on-stage union of his family and a surprise appearance by Obama, which gave Americans a perfect image of the Bidens and energized Democrats for Obama’s hyped up and high-pressure speech at Mile High Stadium tonight.

I feel like McCain will leak his VP sometime this evening in an effort to try to dampen the enthusiasm and interest for Obama’s speech. Given what a stupid idea that is, I wouldn’t put it past him. I’m sure the Obama team would love another target to lambast tonight, and there’s no better way to drown out news than putting it out right before an unprecedented and manifestly historical moment like the one we’ll all be watching tonight.

So enjoy the speech tonight and try not to dissect it (that’s my job). Instead, just appreciate what you’re watching, and know that millions of people never thought they’d see this. I know we say this alot, but this really is history.

Before I even begin breaking apart last night’s speeches, I think it’s safe to say anyone who yearned for more attacks got what they wanted yesterday. From Kucinich and Casey to Warner and Clinton, the speeches were as a whole a lot more negative and in my opinion way more effective than Monday night’s selections. I’m sure James Carville was happy, at least.

It wasn’t widely televised (as is custom early in the day) but Dennis Kucinich gave everyone an early taste of negativity. Sparing no expense and criticizing the Bush/McCain policies on everything from Iraq to the economy to healthcare and workers’ rights, the Ohio Congressman bounced around the stage like a caffeine overdose victim. But his speech nonetheless energized the crowd and got them ready for what was to come.

While I don’t agree with him on everything, Bob Casey also delivered a great speech, especially considering how short it was. By pointing out his pro-life persuasion, he simultaneously showcased the party’s openness to dissent and Barack Obama’s ability to attract diverse support. Casey had some great stories to tell of when he campaigned in Pennsylvania for Obama and got to see locals bond with the supposedly aloof candidate. By extolling Obama as “one of us”, the credible Casey undoubtedly scored some points for Obama in the Keystone State. But what made his speech great were his many shots at McCain. Using language made for attack ads, Casey derided McCain as “not a maverick, but a sidekick” and inextricably linked him to Bush. As this was the first speech of the prime 9:00pm ET block, television audiences got to witness all of this. With the crowds echoing his chant of “four more months!”, Casey demonstrated his rising star status and gave the convention some much-appreciated red meat. Were it not for his abortion stance, I could see him as a plausible Presidential candidate.

The keynote address by Mark Warner was ultimately a little unfulfilling, given Warner’s hesitance to go on the offensive against McCain. Now, I understand he’s from a red state and needs to be mindful of what he says, but if that’s the case he shouldn’t have been the keynote. While his overarching “race for the future” theme was a pretty strong one, I think people wanted more red meat from the keynote speaker. To be fair, Warner had a few good hits, like when he accused Bush of underestimating Americans’ abilities to rise to a challenge or when he derided McCain as stuck in the past and unable to appreciate the demands and challenges ahead. Overall I’d say the speech was average, but Warner can make up for it by campaigning for Obama in Virginia.

All of these speeches paled in comparison to Hillary Clinton’s address. It’s hard for me to put in words how good I thought this speech was. After a nice tribute video and an introduction by daughter Chelsea, the New York Senator strode to the podium amid a sea of white Hillary signs and cheering supporters. All of that could have gone to her head and she could have given a self-exalting and useless speech, but she definitely didn’t. Entrusted by Obama to rally her backers to his side, Clinton delivered marvelously, reminding everyone that we are “a single party with a single purpose”. Brilliantly employing lines like “no way, no how, no McCain” to unite the crowd in applause, Clinton reminded her supporters of what she’s always known: this is bigger than Clinton or Obama, this is about our country’s ability to rise to the challenges ahead. In her strongest endorsement yet, Clinton compared her husband to a hypothetical President Obama, reminding everyone that Democrats have turned around recessions before and we’ll do it again if given the chance. Concluding her speech with a beautifully delivered plea for unity and perseverance in the face of adversity, Clinton accomplished way more than anyone expected, and even had Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann eating out of her hand. I can’t overstate this speech’s greatness; with skills like that it’s unfortunate she might never be president. At the same time, I think she just won the election for Obama. Seriously.

Tonight, expect a phenomenal red meat assault on John McCain from our attack dog Joe Biden. I honestly don’t know which way President Clinton’s speech is going to go; I have a feeling he’ll probably stick to attacking McCain since it will seem more sincere than a speech praising Obama. We shall see.

What a night! I have to say that overall I was pleased with the festivities last night. Given that the theme yesterday was “One Nation”, I thought the speakers and event planners did a pretty good job relating the life of Barack Obama. A lot of commentators (particularly on CNN) seemed upset that there wasn’t a ton of McCain-bashing in the speeches, but they’re forgetting that there wasn’t supposed to be. Instead, the objective last night was to make everyone out there realize that the Obama story is remarkable and unremarkable at the same time; tons of Americans have beaten the odds and succeeded despite adversity, but Obama’s race adds a whole new dimension to things and makes his rise a story truly worth telling.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. had a nice parallel to the Civil Rights movement in his speech. From his metaphor-crafting ability to his commanding oratory, I think it’s safe to say he’s a lot better at speeches than his father. His remarks set the stage for Ted Kennedy by reminding Americans of the historic opportunity we have not only to fulfill the dreams of Dr. King, but to close the book on 8 years of mismanaged endeavors and international blunders.

Personally, I thought Caroline and Ted Kennedy brought down the house. You could tell the moment was totally unscripted (the signs said simply “KENNEDY” just incase Ted couldn’t show and only Caroline spoke). Ted’s trip out to Denver was remarkable enough, but his speech extolling the ambitions of Americans and entreating them to do the impossible one last time will resonate with older Americans who remember JFK’s calls to service. We’ll be watching that speech years from now, trust me.

Michelle Obama gave what I thought to be as good a speech as she could. Aside from some delivery issues (which I think worked to her advantage by inadvertently showing her human side), her lines earned lots of applause and helped prep the room for the major-league unity that we’ll be getting Tuesday night. The “people like Hillary Clinton” and “people like Joe Biden” lines, while a tad cliché, resonated with people in ways that even Barack probably couldn’t have done. So ultimately, I’d say she did a very good job as well.

With the emotional and historical aspects of the convention out of the way, get ready for everybody to sharpen the attacks and send the cannonballs flying at McCain tonight. Expect a pointed speech from Hillary Clinton, who will probably attack McCain as hard as her insane PUMA supporters.

For all the Clintonites out there that have held onto a faded hope that their woman will become the Vice President of the United States, this will perhaps help you ease into the idea of seeing so many “Obama-Biden” signs in the months ahead. You guys look like a child on Christmas morning finding socks under the tree.
Hillary Clinton has always been the wrong choice for Obama’s VP spot.

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The texts are out, the speech is done, and now it’s time to take a good hard look at our next Vice President- Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. Although I’ll admit I didn’t consider Biden the best possibility, after seeing the candidates together in front of the Illinois Statehouse I realize Obama has indeed made a strong and reassuring choice. Here’s why…

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A full post on the pros and cons of this admittedly predictable pick tomorrow morning, when I’m not dead tired. Until then, get hyped about Sen. Joe Biden, the next Vice President of the United States!!

I’m calling it now- based on what I’ve been hearing all day, tomorrow Obama will announce the next Vice President of the United States: Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. Whether choosing a pro-war unknown Midwesterner with unknown political skill will prove beneficial to Obama remains to be seen. Hell, even the running mate choice remains to be seen. Don’t get mad though, the longer Obama waits the more cell phone numbers he gets, and these are by and large young voters who we will need to remind to vote come November 4.

Just when we thought the next big campaign news would break with a text from 62262, out comes the unstoppable gaffe-machine that is John McCain. You know the story: a Politico reporter asked him a simple enough question- how many houses he owns- and McCain stumbly avoided giving an answer and ultimately referred the reporter to his staff. While some are inevitably going to see this as a non-issue and downplay its significance, the reactions of the Obama campaign and the media prove this story is huge and if played right could provide Obama the populist legs he needs to win this election.

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Up until now, the prevailing contention among politicos and talking heads was that Obama’s running mate should be a “safe” pick: one who wouldn’t alienate anybody and assuage some Democrats’ fears regarding Obama’s supposed inexperience. But with the characteristics of this presidential campaign clearly changing, and the once-comfortable Obama lead transforming into a dead heat, such an argument no longer holds water. It’s increasingly clear that the McCain campaign can only win by relentlessly barraging Obama with attack ads, questioning his experience and painting him as too unknown to be trusted with the presidency. Against this backdrop, Obama can neutralize this claims and rebound in the polls by tapping the tenacious and eminently capable Hillary Clinton for the running mate spot.

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