The Moment

This one's going to be brief. Just got back from Invesco, and Obama's taking of the podium in front of more than 75,000 people almost made me cry. The love from that audience is a once in a lifetime thing in politics. The speech itself almost didn't matter.

And I was there.

Another Home Run

Those crafty Clintons! All this time they kept people worried about what they were going to say in their speeches here at the Democratic National Convention. And all the while, the two of them must have been plotting to give Barack Obama the biggest convention boost people have seen in a long time. Bill Clinton seemed like his old self Wednesday night. Gone was the red faced anger so often seen on the campaign trail.

For a little while last night, it was 1992, or '96, or 2000 all over again. Bill Clinton was once again the man from Hope. He gave a ringing endorsement of Obama, and ticked off reason after reason he must be elected president (he rattles off statistics better than anyone I've ever watched). For the first time, he tied his own successes as president to the potential he sees in the man nominated by acclamation just hours before. That too came as a bit of a surprise. Hillary Clinton released her delegates Wednesday, and the roll call vote got as far as her state of New York when the nomination was affirmed.

It was a bit of theater on a day and night of theater. One didn't envy Joe Biden's position in having to follow Clinton's powerful speech. In fact, as people poured down the escalators and out of the Pepsi Center before the nominee's turn to speak, you began to wonder how many people would actually be left to hear him. No worries. Biden's speech was quite adequate, and at it's conclusion came the surprise appearance of Barack Obama himself. That brought the house down, and certainly made some of those who left wish they'd stayed.

So now the stage changes from the indoor arena to the outdoor stadium. Al Gore and Barack Obama now put the exclamation point on a Democratic Convention that seems to have achieved its goal of unity.

America awaits its nominee.

Pulling It Off

The talk of Tuesday's session of the Democratic National Convention was of course, Hillary Clinton. Would she do right by Barack Obama, or would her most ardent supporters still have reason to either sit out the election or vote for John McCain? We got our answer last night. Her speech was some of her best work, and she made a powerful case for backing the party's nominee. Those skeptics (myself included) who though she might not give it her all were turned into believers.

Hillary Clinton was fire and grace at the same time. she thanked her supporters, and invoked the images of several from the campaign trail. It was, in a word, masterful. Quite frankly, I worried she might slide right up to the edge of self indulgence. After all, she had 18 million people backing her. She didn't even come close. She talked about a veteran, a single mom, and yes, Harriet Tubman in making the case for unity. I don't think there were five people in the Pepsi Center last night who didn't think she made it work.

Barack Obama, who was in Montana with a family who had a number of unexpected guests for dinner, must have been both heartened and relieved. The stage has now been set for his acceptance speech Thursday.

If anyone ought to be nervous about having to follow Hillary Clinton's speech, it's her husband. He goes on tonight.

Let's hope he's as good.

Inside, Outside @ the DNC

Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention was about the warm fuzzies. Ted Kennedy made folks feel good just by being there. People who know Barack Obama well, from his wife, to his political mentor, to his sister, to Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr. sketched out a portrait of the candidate. That was all well and good. Yet did the Democrats miss an opportunity, on a night that was supposed to be dedicated to the economy, to slam the opposition?

James Carville thinks so, and he may be right. Will the GOP spend the first night of their convention singing the praises of John McCain, or will they go after Obama, like they have from the day he clinched the nomination? For sure, the Democats have Tuesday through Thursday to take off the gloves, but take them off they must. However, a couple of incidents outside the Pepsi Center here got people's attention as well.

One was the arrest of three men who allegedly were plotting to kill Barack Obama during his speech Thursday at Invesco Field. Although authorities say the candidate wasn't in any danger, weapons were confiscated, and the feds were involved. That makes two alleged threats on Barack Obama's life, both involving weapons.

The other incident was a protest that apparently turned violent on the streets of downtown Denver. How it got that way depends on who's story you believe. Protestors (as is their habit) say the cops overreacted (which often they do). Officials say the protest itself got out of hand. the number of people arrested seems unclear, and some are being processed early this morning. Ironically, both sides agree on one thing. The numbers of protestors was much smaller tha either anticipated. Let's see if things stay that way the rest of the week. It could be that invoking the Chicago protests of 1968 didn't resonate with many folks who weren't even thought of back then.

Or maybe people aren't all that unhappy with Barack Obama.