At least during primetime last night, the first day of the Democratic National Convention was all about two families, the Obama family and the Kennedy family:
DENVER Aug. 25 — After an emotional speech by an ailing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the face of the Democratic Party shifted on Monday night to a new generation of leaders, as Michelle Obama opened the Democratic National Convention with a tribute to her husband and a call to the country to listen “to our hopes instead of our fears,” and “to stop doubting and to start dreaming.”
Seeking to ground Sen. Barack Obama in the experience of America’s working class while recapturing the lofty ideals that propelled him toward his party’s presidential nomination, Michelle Obama’s family-themed speech was the climax of a dramatic opening day for a political party confident of its chances of capturing the White House but still struggling to lay aside its own divisions. A weak economy and a war in Iraq now in its sixth year have offered Democrats and their young candidate an ideal political environment in which to push for widespread change
(…)
Kennedy, who has a brain tumor but appeared spry in a surprise appearance, offered a poignant moment of reflection on the last time a youthful Democrat won the White House. To thunderous applause, he promised to be present in the Senate in January to greet a new Democratic president.
“The work begins anew. The hope rises again, and the dream lives on,” he said, echoing his speech from the 1980 Democratic convention, in which he was denied the party’s nomination.
Michelle Obama also did her part to try to heal the lingering wounds of the long struggle for the nomination when she recognized Clinton, “who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters — and our sons — can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher.”
By all accounts I’ve read, Michelle Obama’s speech seems to have come across fairly well. David Gergen, for example, says that she rescued an otherwise lackluster first night.
There are others, though, who disagree. James Carville, for example, thinks the Democrats wasted an opportunity last night:
(CNN) — Have the Democrats wasted the first night of the convention?
Yes, says Democratic Strategist and CNN contributor James Carville.
Speaking on CNN, Carville said the party was too soft in its attacks on John McCain Monday night — the same mistake, Carville says, Democrats made at the 2004 convention.
“The way they planned it tonight was supposed to be sort of the personal — Michelle Obama will talk about Barack Obama personally, Ted Kennedy was a very personal, emotional speech,” Carville said. “But I guarantee on the first night of the Republican Convention, you’re going to hear talk about Barack Obama, commander-in-chief, tax cuts, et cetera, et cetera.”
(…)
Carville also said the party needs to do a better job of communicating its message to the American people.
“If this party has a message it’s done a hell of a job hiding it tonight, I promise you that,” he said.
Maybe, maybe not. This strikes me as a case of Carville being Carville, which is, of course, what he’s getting paid by Ted Turner to do these days. For the most part, I agree with Andrew Sullivan’s take on the Carville’s remarks:
The notion that tonight should have been about ripping the bark off the president seems to me misplaced. No one needs to be persuaded that the country is on the wrong track. We have endured one of the worst presidencies in American history, a stalling economy, and a war that was as deceptively packaged as it was poorly executed. The wrong track number is at 80 percent. What was necessary tonight was rebutting the only real weapon the Republicans have: dragging Obama into the mud, throwing every extremist attack they can at him, painting him as a commie, alien, anti-American freak. For good measure, they had tried to paint Michelle as an angry black radical.
They failed. There was nothing more American than the way the Obamas spoke of their story. It made them more appealing to the white working class and the black working class. It defused the smears. And, taken as whole, it also gave the Democrats some good feeling with the Kennedys.
Sullivan’s right and Carville is wrong. You can’t be in attack mode all the time, and there’s a time and a place for a touchy-feely night like the one the Democrats had last night.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I watched the convention on Dish’s gravel to gravel coverage, and checked in on CNN and MSNBC from time to time.
About Michelle’s presentation… I cried and my husband also misted up. She makes me very proud, feeling uplifted, and fills me with hope for the future generations.
The theme of this convention is Unity, and the more I see of CNN’s advertising/encouraging of dis-unity the more I tune in to other channels.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I think CNN is another FOX, and should really be ashamed of themselves. To call your station a New and Information Station please I think you should really take notes from CSPAN they have class, and at least you get to hear the whole DNC Conference. I say go CSPAN you guys are the best of the best.
Michelle’s Speech was phenomenal and yes I was as Proud of her from the first time I ever heard the women speak a year ago, I hate it when people are always trying to find something Negative to say about the O’BAMA Family. My grandmother taught me one thing is that; if you have nothing good to say then don’t say anything at all.
God Bless the Democratic National Committee and God Bless the Obama Family
And God Bless America!
August 26th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Lipsle,
So now you’re saying CNN is biased against Democrats ?
Geez, you people make me laugh
August 26th, 2008 at 10:53 am
I encourage everyone to watch the Dem Convention coverage on C-SPAN - you actually get to watch the convention instead of watching people paid to give their slighted opinions. The MSM are embarrassing themselves with their tabloid TV. I’m tired of hearing all of these so-called pundits give their silly opinions. Negativity at its’ best. I’ll be on C-SPAN for the rest of the convention.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Kim,
You do realize that everything you’re seeing is totally scripted right ? That there isn’t a spontaneous moment to the entire convention, right down to those non-spontaneous spontaneous demonstrations ?
There was a time when political party conventions were worth watching because you really didn’t know what was going to happen. That’s no longer the case.
And, like most Americans, I don’t have the time or the energy to spend six or seven hours a day watching what is little more than a four-day commercial for the Democratic Party.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:06 am
I have to say that the convention coverage by CNN has been a great disappointment to me, and I usually love them. I changed my channel over to PBS also, and got to hear the speeches of Ted Kennedy and Michele Obama, while CNN just talked about each other and what they thought. I much prefer to hear the words from the speaker’s mouth so I can make my Own judgment instead of being told about it by Wolf Blitzer, James Carville, David Gergen, and all the rest of the talking heads.
CNN, please be quiet while people are speaking and let us hear what They have to say!
August 26th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
hahaha… you guys are too funny… what a waste of time… and the enormous amount of money spent on a worthless convention just blows my mind… take that money and feed some poor folks …
there is no way osama obama is going to win nything….. we let you guys mouth off and parade but when the voting time comes, you will see that you have four more years in which to produce something better than what you have come up with in the last 8 or so years….. scary kerry, hilarious hillary and osama obama… where do you guys find these critters…….
August 28th, 2008 at 8:19 am
[...] after what seemed like a lackluster first night and a second night that was effectively taken over by Hillary Clinton, it seemed like the Democrats [...]
August 28th, 2008 at 10:47 am
John, “…we let you guys….” Oh, and you are in charge of…what? I agree with those who say watch on C-SPAN. Those of us who have the capacity to understand what the speakers are saying like to hear it without comment. For those of you who would like to know the real John McCain I suggest you view his videos on YouTube. You won’t believe this man has the nerve to be running for president. His temper alone should disqualify him.