MONDAY, AUGUST 25
U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (Democrat -- Massachusetts)
Senator Ted Kennedy gave a "normal" Ted Kennedy-esque speech, which is to say that it was rousing and workmanlike, as well as energizing (if not particularly rhetorically sound). The inspirational aspect of his time on stage can be found not in what he said but in the fact that he was even able to say it and that he did it so well, given his health troubles. (He seemed to tire only in the final quarter-or-so of the speech, before rebounding well for the finish.) It also helped his performance that, up until the point he took the stage, the Democratic Convention had been alarmingly unfocused, ham-handed, and just plain boring.
Prior to his speech, I was beginning to wonder if anyone knew how to actually and convincingly deliver a speech anymore, or if everyone has collectively decided to give in to the lazy and depressing idea that reading something off of a tele-prompter in a wooden manner constitutes delivering a speech. They're two very different things, folks, and they're many miles from each other, metaphorically speaking. Just watch Senator Kennedy's speech and compare him to Representative Pelosi's earlier exercise in verbal tedium (or anyone speaking at the podium prior to Senator Kennedy, for that matter) if you want to understand the difference.
Many literary traditions speak of old, accomplished men at the end of their careers and/or lives as being "lions in winter." Tonight, Senator Kennedy proved that he is still a political lion, and that he is a political lion not quite in winter, at least not yet.
Former U.S. Representative Jim Leach (Republican -- Iowa)
Poor Jim Leach. Sure, his delivery was somewhat dull (okay, it was very dull), but unlike most of the previous speakers (with the exception of Ted Kennedy), what he spoke about was focused and interesting. It was also based on a considerable amount of history and utilized a lot of three- and four-syllable words, which is obviously unacceptable to the ueber-generalized, commercial-friendly CNN pundits, who, after listening to him speak for about three minutes, fell all over themselves in order to chatter about inane, commercially-friendly non-topics during the balance of his speech.
I had to switch to C-Span to watch him finish the speech, which dealt with various political epochs as applied to the idea "conservative," and why Senator Obama can be viewed simultaneously as both a somewhat liberal and rather conservative standard-bearer. This provided the interesting and rather convincing basis for the conservative Mr. Leach's endorsement of Senator Obama. Too bad most folks weren't able to see him finish the argument he started, but I guess we simply don't have the patience for that sort of political deconstruction these days.
Michelle Obama
I'm tiring rapidly of people who dislike Michelle Obama because she "can't keep her mouth shut," or some such nonsense. Look, as a general rule, I'm not like a lot of my fellow Americans in that I don't like speeches based on generic appeals to sentimentality, upon which Michelle Obama's speech was indeed centered. (Potential First Lady speeches are often sentimental in tone, as are many American political speeches in general; I find such speeches a bit too platitude-driven and slightly embarrassing to sit through, though it's certainly the case that they are quite effective with a lot of American voters.)
That being said, Michelle Obama delivered a speech that, while sentimentality-drenched and very general in nature, was nonetheless also surprisingly convincing and ingratiating. I liked her straight-forward tone, and I liked her confident delivery even more. Ultimately, I think she's smart and savvy, and I think the fact that her husband married her is indicative of his good judgment.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26
Former Governor Mark Warner (Democrat -- Virginia)
As he ages, Mark Warner is looking more and more toothy and goofy. (I consider that to be no bad thing.) He now looks as though he could be Jackson Browne's younger, more physically-awkward brother. (In not-really related news, Jackson Browne's current lawsuit against Senator McCain, which is one of the more humorous side-items of this political season, is still pending judgment in a court of law.)
Mr. Warner's speech was clearly directed at rather conservative, largely Southern Democrats and Independents, and as such it was a combination of Reagan-esque nationalism (the idea that we can overachieve more often than anyone else because we're Americans, and overachieving is written into our national DNA) and Democratic populism (the idea that everyone should get the types of chances to succeed economically that he was granted). The speech was flat-footed at times but pragmatic and centrist enough to win him the departing John Warner's senate seat in the upcoming election. That's good in that he'll be an instant sensation in the national legislature, but it's a bit disappointing in that it did not provide the swelling wave of political fervor many people were hoping for prior to Senator Clinton's highly anticipated speech later in the evening.
But maybe sealing the senate seat is enough. After all, Mr. Warner will be on the ballot in Virginia, and the more votes he receives on election day, the better the chance that Senator Obama will edge-out Senator McCain in that critical swing-state, as well. Maybe delivering a politically safe, rather pedestrian keynote speech means that Mr. Warner helped Senator Obama tonight. I just wish such help was a bit more electrifying, but then again you can't have everything in life.
Governor Brian Schweitzer (Democrat -- Montana)
I've been talking about Governor Schweitzer since this blog began in the early spring, and though I've received little in the way of feedback about him, I once again feel vindicated in my enthusiasm regarding his political future (particularly now that Montana looks like a presidential swing-state this time around). His speech, only half of which I saw (sadly), was both convincing and humorous, and his considerable political cheerleading skills were on full display. (He even used the call-and-response technique in an effective manner, which was a breath of fresh air after seeing so many others struggle mightily to make that technique work in several previous speeches.)
This guy hasn't yet hit his popular stride, so to speak, but he's warming up well. When he suggests something, I'm not yet ready to respond with a "Yes we can!," but I do often find myself saying, "Hey, why not?" I hope this indicates that Governor Schweitzer is off to one hell of a good start on the national scene. Let's continue to keep an eye on him....
U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (Democrat -- New York)
Other than trying to produce "news" where there is really very little to report, I could not and still cannot for the life of me understand why so many people in the media--at nearly all levels, it seems--were blathering on about whether or not Senator Clinton would back Senator Obama's candidacy fully and convincingly in tonight's speech. C'mon, people, she's sharp as a tack and a consistent political survivor--did you honestly think she'd do anything other than deliver a strong, unifying speech tonight?
Whatever they thought, the fact of the matter is that Senator Clinton's speech was confident, consistent, and, yes, unifying--and even those who dislike clever slogans had to admire her "No way, no how, no McCain" line. (We'll be hearing that zinger more than a few times prior to election day, I'm sure.) I'd also point out that, regarding the theme of sentimentality again, her challenge to her supporters of whether they supported her "...[just] for me [or] for all those people in this country who feel invisible..." was a strong emotional argument for them to vote for Senator Obama in the forthcoming general election, mostly because it makes practical sense, as well.
Senator Clinton has come into her own a bit too late for her to have won her party's nomination this time around, but she's come into her own nonetheless, and, at the risk of sounding cheesy, I find it inspiring to behold.
My goodness. Now even I'm getting sentimental....
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