Reviewing the Convention - Half-time

Predictably, this morning's coverage is focused on the Clintons: did Hillary do enough to bring home her rational supporters? Will Bill's speech focus on the night's theme, and more importantly, on Barack Obama, rather than on 1993-2000? This myopic view of the convention misses a lot of good moments, but the storyline for this week has been clear.

Obviously, I have no love lost for HRC, and I was ready for a speech where Barack Obama was an afterthought. While the beginning of the speech confirmed my fears, the second half really brought the fight to McCain and demonstrated why electing Barack is every Democrat's imperative. And while I'm no fan of Hillary's non-style, she did have some compelling rhetoric (the Harriet Tubman quote). I think she did what she needed to do, and no more, because the stakes are so high.

However, as MSNBC talking head / McCain BFF Mike Murphy pointed out, she could have given the same speech if Dennis Kucinich won the nomination. Here's someone you've been in the Senate with for four years, and you campaigned with/against for a year and a half. No personal anecdote? Sure, that's what Michelle's speech was for, but can you have too much about personal values?

As President Clinton continues to undercut Obama whenever someone puts a microphone in his face, I don't have high hopes for tonight. What should be a night about introducing Joe Biden to the nation and demonstrating why Democrats are ready to secure America's future will be reduced to a reminder about what people loved and hated about the 90s. But what do I know.

This might come as a surprise to people who watch cable news, but there were other speeches last night. After Monday's offering was described as too nice, Democrats went on the offensive (see below). At first, I was disappointed. The people I liked for VP/President were uninspiring: Kathleen Sebelius gave another speech that proves she cannot modulate her voice, and Mark Warner delivered a keynote that will be quickly forgotten. Warner's theme and the theme of this campaign dovetail nicely, but he's not a great orator.

I'm also disappointed that Gov. Schweitzer had to speak on 'Hillary Night'. What a speech! I think the analogy is set: Obama : 2004 convention :: Schweitzer : 2008 convention. He proved you can be a technocrat, folksy, and authentic at the same time. The governor knows how to work a crowd, and there's definitely going to be buzz around his name, especially if Democrats continue to see a Western Renaissance. Schweitzer 2016?