Your Thoughts Exactly

The second night of the convention was all about giving the various party powers their due: Ted Kennedy got to play hometown hero, Howard Dean and other failed candidates got to rally their supporters behind Kerry and pretend that they never took any shots at each other in the primaries. Then we ended with the ideal Democrat, half-black, half-white, immigrant's son, Harvard educated (but not Harvard educated in that blueblood, entititled sense,) intellectual. Barack Obama, senate candidate from Illinois. Evidently his speech was excellent. The great thing about Obama, is he can tell a story, his story, and compare it to a fictional idealistic America we like to believe exists or is possible. He personalizes the underdog, the American Dream. For example he says: “My parents gave me the African name Barack, or blessed, believing that in tolerant America name was no barrier to success.” This sentence is hogwash, but so effective. Not only does it build on an image of America we all like to hold, but it subtly compliments every single person for being so tolerant. Kerry, on the other hand, can't say, "I was born into a very wealthy family and went to Yale. My family often struggled deciding which island resort to vacation at every Christmas."
            Obama continues this course the entire night, giving credit to the people of America for knowing what they want, and knowing they want to work hard to get it. Now I don’t know what I want, and definitely have problems working hard to get it. But I don’t mind my politicians telling me otherwise. Obama then goes through a list of things John Kerry believes in, on this sort of populist, servant-of-the-people tack, such as universal healthcare, energy independence, and job creation.
            Overall I liked Obama’s message, the “faith in small dreams,” quote and the united America especially. But rallying and message-time is over: its time for Edwards and Kerry to lay out some freaking policies. (Note: Some people have been discrediting Obama for not even winning an election yet. While true, he is running unopposed, although the Republicans were trying to recruit MIKE DITKA to run against him. If Ditka does run, and beats Obama, flee the fucking country. Immediately. Also, can we get odds on which asshole Republican shill will first refer to him as Obama Bin Laden?)