Brilliant Attack! Best one of the night really. Biden could have attacked McCain a lot harder if you ask me.

what the hell is that music?

Yeah, I'm a little frustrated that Kerry couldn't offer something that powerful, spirited, and blunt four years ago, but I think both Kerry and Bill Clinton did a good job of hammering away at failed Republican policies without coming off as slimy or over-personal. As with Biden's speech Kerry gave the token nod to McCain as being a "friend", and then presented an outright attack on his policies. But only in Kerry's speech does it become intelligible how genuine and long-term friendship can be coherently reconciled with sharp criticism: There is a Senator McCain and a "Candidate McCain," a rhetorical flourish with I thought Kerry brought off with convincing intelligence and intensity.

Let me tell you, before he ever debates Barack Obama, John McCain should finish the debate with himself.

Oh man, you know he's been waiting four years to use the smear line that was used so perniciously against him in 2004!

I hope this becomes an Obama campaign talking point, because there is abundant evidence for it--on the Bush tax cuts, alternative energy, abortion, and much else, as Kerry notes. And it is the most direct way to undermine McCain's "maverick", "I'm just a regular joe giving you some straight talk" image.

"Talk about being for it before your against it."

Really! - "You are" or "You're"

This was the best speech of the night, and quite possibly the best of his career.

It almost feels like this speech was therapeutic for him. He got rid of some serious demons last night. Good for him.

Secretary of State Kerry?

Brilliant!

Incidentally--did anyone notice anything peculiar about how Kerry ended his speech? Of the speeches I've watched, his was the only one that did not end, so far as I can recall, "God bless [blank]" (you, America, Barack Obama, whatever). If that was deliberate, bravo Kerry.

Biden and Clinton's speeches were better "events" and probably were more effective, but Kerry's speech will probably end up being my favorite of the convention. I think him talking about how the flag doesn't belong to any political party or ideology really hit what I can't stand about the last 7 or so years. The "my country right or wrong" line was not new, but it's very appropriate.

Biden's "I love ya" to his family is the kind of sentimental baloney that makes me cringe, but I realized that he comes off as eloquent and everyman at the same time. He can be hammering away at Guiliani or McCain on policy and doesn't sound like an arrogant know-it-all. I confess I didn't want Biden but on that Obama was a lot smarter than I was.

Good job Kerry. Too bad he couldn't muster this stuff 4 years ago. sigh.

As for the music, I heard part of this clip this morning on NPR and fortunately it was not part of this convention, just this msnbc clip. Leave that kind of stuff for the GOP, please!

Sweet! So Dukakis is next, right? Maybe Geraldine Ferraro?

ha ha. finding actual criticism tough to do?

Anybody in the entertainment industry will tell you that conventions are strictly for fanboys - and yes I mean that for both parties. There's nothing rational to be dissected from a convention. Need proof? Look at the hats.

As far as Kerry goes: besides the fact that he's a joke of a person who seriously undermines the Democratic accusations of 'elitism' and 'flip flopping' against McCain (and using it as a self-referential joke doesn't defuse that fact), his entire position makes little sense to me. When Kerry was being attacked as a flip-flopper, I was one of many people who reasonably said "Hey, don't we want people who can change their minds when presented with compelling evidence, or when the situation changes? Do we really want hardliners who stick doggedly to one position their entire political career just for the sake of consistency?" I think most people here do too, they just forget that when they're all emotional.

Thankfully we only have a few more nights of self-congratulatory mutual masturbation amongst the Democratic party - tune in tonight if you didn't know Obama is black - before we get to see the other circus show, then go back to our normal lives.

Even calligraph can't be a wet-blanket tonight... Game On!

Thank you, Norm. I'd apologise but you know I can't help myself!

Zing!