Thursday afternoon and evening at Mile High Stadium saw the grand finale of the Democratic convention.   At it was terrific as both message and red, white and blue spectacular event.

 

Let's start from the ridiculous to the sublime.  Worst was Tim Kaine  governor of Virginia, hands down.  While not as bad as Mark Warner, the keynote speaker and former governor of Virginia, he was a close, terrible second.  Obviously, these two Republican lites didn't choose to study Patrick Henry but served a thin gruel of nothing...no meat, no bones, just platitudious airs that fell flat.  Even Barney Smith offered a more compelling presentation.

 

Al Gore hit a home runs with statements like these (courtesy of DownwithTyranny): "Al Gore was excellent tonight. You can read his whole speech here. 

1- Eight years ago, some said there was not much difference between the nominees of the two major parties and it didn't really matter who became President.

Our nation was enjoying peace and prosperity. Some assumed we would continue both no matter the outcome. But here we all are in 2008, and I doubt anyone would argue now that election didn't matter.

Take it from me, if it had ended differently, we would not be bogged down in Iraq, we would have pursued Bin Laden until we captured him.

We would not be facing a self-inflicted economic crisis, we would be fighting for middle income families.

We would not be showing contempt for the Constitution, we'd be protecting the rights of every American regardless of race, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation.

And we would not be denying the climate crisis, we'd be solving it.

2- ... John McCain, a man who has earned our respect on many levels, is now openly endorsing the policies of the Bush-Cheney White House and promising to actually continue them, the same policies all over again?

Hey, I believe in recycling, but that's ridiculous.

3- With John McCain's support, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have led our nation into one calamity after another because of their indifference to fact; their readiness to sacrifice the long-term to the short-term, subordinate the general good to the benefit of the few, and short-circuit the rule of law.

4- If you like the Bush/Cheney approach, John McCain's your man. If you want change, then vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

5- Barack Obama is telling us exactly what he will do: launch a bold new economic plan to restore America's greatness. Fight for smarter government that trusts the market, but protects us against its excesses. Enact policies that are pro-choice, pro-education, and pro-family. Establish a foreign policy that is smart as well as strong. Provide health care for all and solutions for the climate crisis. 

6- Instead of letting lobbyists and polluters control our destiny, we need to invest in American innovation. Almost a hundred years ago, Thomas Edison said,"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."

7- ...the last eight years demonstrate that the special interests who have come to control the Republican Party are so powerful that serving them and serving the national well-being are now irreconcilable choices.

8- We can tell Republicans and Independents, as well as Democrats, why our nation needs a change from the approach of Bush, Cheney and McCain.

After they wrecked our economy, it is time for a change.

After they abandoned the search for the terrorists who attacked us and redeployed the troops to invade a nation that did not attack us, it's time for a change.

After they abandoned the American principle first laid down by General George Washington when he prohibited the torture of captives because it would bring, in his words, "shame, disgrace and ruin" to our nation, it's time for a change.

When as many as three Supreme Court justices could be appointed in the first term of the next president, and John McCain promises to appoint more Scalias and Thomases and end a woman's right to choose, it's time for a change.

While his delivery was a bit rushed, it's understandable given the time allotment.

 

Barack Obama's acceptance speech also hit the ball out of the park and was greeted with thunderous applause.  It was mostly on the mark, and even used economist, Jared Bernstein of Economic Policy Institute's now famous phrase: "you're on your own" to describe Bush and McSame's policies towards 95% of regular hardworking Americans.  However, I was disappointed that in thanking various individuals when prefacing his formal acceptance of the nomination that he failed to specifically thank his fellow Democrats. After all, Democratic delegates selected him, not Republicans or independents. 

 

Onward.