I didn't have a hall pass for Tuesday night, so I don't really have a sufficient sample size, but I thought last night was by far the best night of the convention and a thoroughly effective bit of political theatre. Again, this is impressionistic and I think had I been a Clinton die-hard I may have felt differently, but the first two days and nights of the convention felt oddly muted and somewhat low-energy.

First, up until last night, there's been a strange, near-total absence of red meat. I understand there's three audiences for a convention speech: the hall, the media, and people watching on TV and it's hard to align a speech to work for all three. The people in the hall, understandably want politicians to "give em hell!" In fact, when Bill Clinton launched into an attack at one point in his speech, a guy sitting near me yelled "Give 'em hell, Bill," and everyone around me applauded. But the media tends to tsk-tsk, and due to the campaign's obsession with "independents," the speeches in 2008 have been rhetorically more centrist, on average, than those at 2004, even though the platform is substantively pretty further left than 2004. As a general rule I prefer centrist rhetoric and progressive policy to progressive rhetoric with centrist policy, but I digress.

Interestingly, Bill Clinton gave the most liberal speech, I thought, of the convention thus far. The first prime-time mention of Katrina, numerous invocations of the word "inequality," and even a brief disquisition on the wage/productivity gap!

Then came John Kerry, who started out tepid and then delivered a phenomenally righteous and appropriately angry denunciation of what candidate McCain has become. Based on my conversations on the party circuit last night, the speech was the hit of the night. Incidentally, I think Kerry was part of the reason the convention felt more animated in 2004. Most of the enthusiasm in 2004 wasn't about John Kerry, it was about defeating Bush. So Kerry's absence from the first three days of the convention didn't matter for the level of enthusiasm. But this year people really are excited about the candidate himself, which is why I thought Obama's surprise appearance last night was a great call.

What immediately struck me after it was all over was just how incredible a political talent Bill Clinton is. A speech-writing friend said it was like he was making love to every person in the audience. Clinton has the rare ability to appear as though there's nowhere he's more comfortable than in front of thousands of people. And there's only one other politician I've ever seen who has that same preternatural calm and ease. He showed up last night and he'll be giving a speech tonight. Should be pretty good.

Comments (12)

1. "A speech-writing friend said it was like he was making love to every person in the audience."

   Now we just wait for the first right-winger to bring THAT line up and a Clinton-Lewinsky joke.

   (and carefully "forget" how John and Cindy McCain "met")

   Posted by Maskdelta at 08/28/2008 @ 2:51pm

2. That's because immorality only applies to liberals. Republicans are above the fray. Everything they do is right.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 3:19pm

3. Posted by JOMAMMA at 08/28/2008 @ 3:19pm

   Probably because he doesn't speak till tonight and Clinton spoke early would be my guess? Or is that too logical?

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 3:21pm

4. I watched a few hours a couple of night on MSNBC and picked up a case of diabetes...is that place the PR office for the Dem and Obama or what? Posted by JOMAMMA at 08/28/2008 @ 3:19pm

   Oh God. Like Fox News is any better.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 3:28pm

5. Posted by JOMAMMA at 08/28/2008 @ 3:21pm

   Question...

   how many times at the RNC will a Republican speaker tell the American people "things are fine with the economy, we had 3% growth last quarter"?

   How many times will MCCAIN say that?

   Posted by Maskdelta at 08/28/2008 @ 3:45pm

6. Posted by JOMAMMA at 08/28/2008 @ 3:34pm

   Steak sounds good right now.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 3:47pm

7. Posted by Maskdelta at 08/28/2008 @ 3:45pm

   God. I just want to hear Bush boast about McCain. God it will be so sweat.

   This is the thing. I know the Republicans won't even mention policy. It will be an Obama-bash affair. You will hear more about Obama than McCain at the RNC. Then the Republicans complain that the media pays to much attention to him.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 3:51pm

8. Posted by Maskdelta at 08/28/2008 @ 3:45pm

   Also what I think is funny is that Bush is speaking on Labor Day. They want to make sure as few people as possible are paying attention at the time he speaks.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 3:58pm

9. None, but he might say it is not good but not as bad as the dems say...----Posted by JOMAMMA at 08/28/2008 @ 3:53pm

   REALLY!?!??!?....Such GREAT economic news, and McCain will brush it off so cavalierly?!!?!?!?

   Why's that, MAASCH???

   *(heheh...we all know, even JM)

   Posted by Maskdelta at 08/28/2008 @ 4:27pm

10. I'm glad they are appreciated now and I know that the black community in particular is feeling a little queasy for abandoning Hillary but if Obama loses and Hillary runs in 2012, they will have no excuse not to come out for her in the same numbers as they came out for Barry.

    Posted by frankgrits at 08/28/2008 @ 4:13pm

    Uhhh. I don't know where you get your information Frank. The black community doesn't feel at all "queasy".

    I love that you just make this shit up and expect people to listen to you like you actually know what you are talking about.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 4:28pm

11. Posted by frankgrits at 08/28/2008 @ 4:13pm

    I also like how everything is a conspiracy against the Clintons. "Oh he only showed up to take away their attention." Gah. Cultists.....

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 4:30pm

12. Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 3:58pm

    The opening invocation at the RNC will be "Dear Lord, PLEASE let people be watching a 'How I Met Your Mother' re-run when Dubya speaks...or be out eating...or at a ballgame....or SOMETHING! Amen!"

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/28/2008 @ 4:28pm

    FRANK, in a bit of a panic after my telling him how we were going to "credit" "HILLARY supporters" if Obama lost.

    Now, he's scrambling to provide CYA for them in "If he loses, you CAN'T blame them...you just CAN'T!!!!"

    (with a little extra FRANK Clinton Cult "Plan B"...if Obama wins, "it's because of Bill and Hillary's help!!!!")

    He's a hoot!

    Posted by Maskdelta at 08/28/2008 @ 4:32pm