It is a great day to be a Democrat! This diary is written for every one of the hand wringers and those who are over the top nervous about the campaign so far. Okay? I want everyone to take a deep breath and look at what is really going on. Simply because we have had awfully run campaigns for a long time (Yes, I'm talking about the Gore and the Kerry campaigns here - no offense meant to either candidate, but it is the truth.) does not mean that the Obama campaign is anything but top notch.
Remember when people misunderstood the Obama strategy that saw huge fundraising not be converted into polling success at the outset? What were they doing? Establishing a ground operation that was unprecedented, that's what. This is a group of people who actually KNOW what they are doing. Let's take a look at the convention so far, at least my take on it.
The entire flow of the convention is typical Obama - it is methodical in its approach, inspirational in its implementation.
Now, some have been concerned about our lack of punch back at the McSlime campaign's continued lies about every possible subject. Whether it be taxes any other topic, McSlime has been consistently making shit up and twisting the truth to paint a picture. To every nervous nelly out there, I have this to say:
Trust the campaign. Please.
The convention is going 100% according to plan as I see it. First, we have Kennedy pass the torch and remind people that it is the Democratic Party who has the heroes that have made everything we cherish possible and remind folks that we don't have to remain disillusioned just because the Rethugs want you to be jaded and cynical.
Then we blow people away with Michelle's presentation that shattered the myths about her and showed everyone that 1)They've lived the true American dream of success through hard work and real values, 2)Nothing scary hear, they are a loving, wholesome family. Moreover, I'm betting that more than a few Hillary supporters saw someone in Michelle that will allow them to support Barack because the truth is, no one gets to marry someone like her without being something special himself. And frankly, his two daughters, well if they don't get a couple of million voters minds opened up, then I know nothing about anyone who has grandkids.
Next put put up Mark (I'm so middle of the road competent that you simply MUST believe that government can work for you) Warner with his standard snooze fest of a speech. (Thanks Mark, we love you in Virginia!)
And of course Mark was the perfect setup for Hillary Clinton who showed that Barack's trust in her to do the right thing was 100% justified. She not only hit it out of the park, she did it with the bases loaded and I'm betting that they sent the pitcher to the showers. For those watching on MSNBC, I almost felt sorry for Pat (I'm a Nixon slug) Buchanan as he struggled to come up with a new and improved bar after she not only met, but shredded his previous one about her speech. The glee in KO and Rachel was genuine - that is so telling by the way, the contrast between the manufactured concern versus the pure unadulterated pleasure in Hillary redeeming herself while simultaneously providing the ultimate, and compelling case to her holdouts: The future of our country is in your hands and we will be remembered for what we do at this moment in time.
See, it was only after Hillary's speech that we can begin to address the specific lies that McShame has been putting out. It makes no sense to attempt to go on the offensive until now. None. McShame has been exposing his flank for months now. He has admittedly done some very real, but temporary, damage to the state of the race and this is to be expected. Now is when I believe we will see Obama use a combination of attacks and continued vision for the future to make it increasingly clear why we can not, and should not, go down the same path that we've been heading.
Look at what has been accomplished, because if you do, and you realize that this is not a campaign that is without a plan, then you will become as confident as I am that:
If we join together and work ALL of US towards our common goals, we cannot fail. Because we must not fail. My kids are counting on us. I'm thinking your kids are too. And so are those two girls up on that stage with their mom.
And just for those who would argue that the Clinton's are stealing the limelight from Obama, answer me this: What would be the most effective way to counter the idiotic claim that Obama is just a celebrity whose ambition makes this all about him? He is showcasing the depth and breadth of the party, showing that leadership is about leading, not about resume. And it is about showing that in hindsight, people will have to say, "Wow, we were wrong, this was an amazingly well thought out convention. Huh, I didn't see that coming."
And if you are of a mind, please contribute something to the campaign on my fundraising page.