The Convention was, as usual (this is my fifth), a sleep-deprived whirlwind. I meant to write more, but between helping the SeaChange Communications folks coordinate activities (panel discussions, political documentaries, a VIP "green room"), and an even more intense credential gathering operation than usual, I did not have a moment to sit and write. But since I like to take the longer view anyway, to give myself some time to digest things before putting up my thoughts for all the world to see, I am taking the time to put all we've seen the past 10 days into context. My plan is to do a series of retrospective pieces on the Democratic Convention as well as what is following this week.
Last week and this one are the two most dramatic political weeks that don't include Election Day in American history. With conventions usually a few weeks apart, and usually nominating fairly predictable folks for President and VP, these two weeks in 2008 are stunning. Think about it:
The Democrats nominate a black man for President with a foreign-sounding name whose father was from Kenya, the son of an inter-racial marriage
The Republicans nominate for Vice President a woman, whose entire gubernatorial experience has been as Governor of the smallest state in the country in terms of population for 20 months, and before that was mayor of a town of 8,500.
Those two nominees grew up in Hawaii and Alaska, states never represented on Presidential tickets before
The Republicans dramatically change their convention plans because of a hurricane sweeping into the Gulf Coast region
The Republicans choose to cancel speeches by their sitting President and Vice-President
The Democrats have the drama of the Clintons to deal with, but everyone plays their part and it all works
Teddy Kennedy, at the absolute peak of his radiation and chemo treatments and feeling dreadful, literally pulls himself from the hospital so that he can give one of the most dramatic and memorable convention speeches in history
Michelle Obama gives the best and most important spouse's speech in American history
Barack Obama gives the best attended acceptance speech in American history, which is also arguably the best acceptance speech in history
And, folks, we don't even know yet what happens the next three days. It's all a little overwhelming. But this election is going down already as the most dramatic and historic in history, and we're still more than two months out from Election Day. The fact that the stakes couldn't be higher adds even more to the drama. Hell of a deal for us political junkies, and I think it helps us overall, because it adds to the sense that this is a big election about big things, rather than a typical one about the usual personal attacks. That is all to the good for our side.
STATE BLOGS
