late analysis of the 4th night in Denver

I know this is late, but I thought I'd say a few words about Obama's DNC speech.

Fortunately, all the ONU crew who wanted to were able to attend the speech. The weather fully cooperated as it was probably our most pleasant day in Denver.

As you can imagine, there was a great deal of energy in the stadium. Many in our group got there pretty early which made for a long day. However, there was a lot to do and nobody quite knew what to expect. It was good to see that several of the speakers we had for the Washington Center programming took the microphone during the day. Other than Obama, the biggest hits were Bill Richardson, Al Gore, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder. Richardson probably had the line of the night...saying something to the effect of McCain having shoes costing hundreds of dollars, but America couldn't afford his flip flops...The crowd ate it up. Lines such as this signfied a very different Democratic mindset from that of 2000 and 2004. They seem to be much testier and willing to mix it up. In fact, this "chip on the shoulder" mentality might be what really set Obama's speech apart from others he has given.

Like the Clintons earlier in the week, Obama went through the checklist of questions regarding his qualifications for President. What was particularly distinctive was his willingness to take on McCain. He seemed recalcitrant and somewhat offended that his own patriotism would be in question. Whether or not this translated to the viewing public is of course another matter. His bio video is also worth noting. Looking around, I saw many folks that were brought to tears.

Finally, at the end of his speech, I was taken in by the sheer magnitude of it all. It really was a spectacle. There were so many people, from so many backgrounds, that looked so different from one another--yet they were united for a common purpose. Whether or not one agrees with the politics of the Democrats, it was an American moment like none other I've ever been part of. I really did swell up with pride...several times throughout the evening. Hearing "The Boss's" Born in the USA, looking at the flags, the smiling faces...wow...I thought I was at a Republican Convention in 1984 instead...I remember thinking as I was taking it all in that this was a very patriotic convention. It felt good to be an American (and not for the first time in my adult life!).

Probably most intersting is that the McCain gameplan to announce his VP Friday morning certainly did knock the Obama speech off the airwaves. While many considered the speech a masterpiece (both from Republican and Democratic analysts), it was hard to find news of it the next day....Palin, Palin, Palin. Now, however, whether the pick of Palin was a good call or not is a whole other question. Perhaps one to blog about in the future?

After all the fun...I'm thankful to be home!

Peace,

RA

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