Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Snorefest
Obama Only Highlight of Dem Convention Day 2:
Ok, I have to admit that I was flipping between Trading Spouses on Fox, the Amazing Race on CBS and the Democratic Convention on CSpan, but I got a good sampling of most of last nights speakers. Clearly there is a not so subtle theme carry through all the presentations - We will be tough on terror, but better yet, we'll be smart too!. Also the not so subtle reminders that Kerry alone is the only candidate who actually served in Vietnam. Messages that needed to be delivered, but now the focus needs to be on sharing some specifics of the Democratic Plan.
The speakers were rather bland last night. I missed Al Sharpton (a man whose claim to fame was defaming white police officers in the infamous Tawana Brawley case), but did catch Ted Kennedy, Ron Reagan, Teressa Heinz-Kerry and Barak Obama. Ted was passionate, but somehow he seemed irrelevant, a dinosaur, still lingering in the shadows of his brothers legacy. Ron Reagan showed some of his father's skill at speaking, but it impressed me that he heavily downplayed the moral issues surrounding stem cell research. (Elephant finds the stem cell issue very complicated). Mrs. Heinz-Kerry, clearly a smart woman, was less of a loose cannon than I had expected and as a result, kind of dull. Barak Obama, although he still has room for improving his speaking skills was last night's star. How much more American could this guy be? His father was a goat herder in Africa who came to the U.S. for college. Once here he married and they raised their child (Barak) in Hawaii. There kid goes on to attend Harvard Law School and then ditches offers from white-shoe law firms to work in the inner city. (His former candidate, Jack Ryan had an equally compelling story). Anyway, Mr. Obama is clearly a rising star in his party.
Tonight, Jonathan Edwards....
Ok, I have to admit that I was flipping between Trading Spouses on Fox, the Amazing Race on CBS and the Democratic Convention on CSpan, but I got a good sampling of most of last nights speakers. Clearly there is a not so subtle theme carry through all the presentations - We will be tough on terror, but better yet, we'll be smart too!. Also the not so subtle reminders that Kerry alone is the only candidate who actually served in Vietnam. Messages that needed to be delivered, but now the focus needs to be on sharing some specifics of the Democratic Plan.
The speakers were rather bland last night. I missed Al Sharpton (a man whose claim to fame was defaming white police officers in the infamous Tawana Brawley case), but did catch Ted Kennedy, Ron Reagan, Teressa Heinz-Kerry and Barak Obama. Ted was passionate, but somehow he seemed irrelevant, a dinosaur, still lingering in the shadows of his brothers legacy. Ron Reagan showed some of his father's skill at speaking, but it impressed me that he heavily downplayed the moral issues surrounding stem cell research. (Elephant finds the stem cell issue very complicated). Mrs. Heinz-Kerry, clearly a smart woman, was less of a loose cannon than I had expected and as a result, kind of dull. Barak Obama, although he still has room for improving his speaking skills was last night's star. How much more American could this guy be? His father was a goat herder in Africa who came to the U.S. for college. Once here he married and they raised their child (Barak) in Hawaii. There kid goes on to attend Harvard Law School and then ditches offers from white-shoe law firms to work in the inner city. (His former candidate, Jack Ryan had an equally compelling story). Anyway, Mr. Obama is clearly a rising star in his party.
Tonight, Jonathan Edwards....
