Convention Day Two Thoughts

On Tuesday night the Democratic convention continued with various speakers. I find it interesting and maybe even borderline inappropriate that the news agencies covering the convention are too busy analyzing and discussing everything to show the actual speakers prior to the prime time speaker. Oh you can see them in the background, but I've had to flip through the various channels to find someone who is actually airing the speaker so I can form MY OWN OPINION! I'd like to HEAR the speach and not have it summarized for me.

Through the various flipping of channels, I had three speakers I really enjoyed, infact, loved watching: Mark Warner of Virginia (key note speaker), Brian Schweitzer (from Montana) and Hillary Clinton.

I had been wanting to hear Mark Warner. I had heard of some of the changes he's made in Virginia and was curious about him. Whatever ideas I may have had about him, he did not disappoint. He was incredible (and I guess you'd have to be to speak to a convention going crowd).

He talked about President Bush and some of his failures and the economic woes we see in everyday lives. The same worries I have: my education - how can I afford it? the house - supposed to be safe, but what if you can't afford the payments because of the loan you have and now the interest has increased your mortgage? my healthcare - constantly we hear of increasing premiums and decreasing benefits.

What really caught me most, was this:
"People always ask me, "What's your biggest criticism of President Bush?" I'm sure you all have your own. Here's mine: It's not just the policy differences. It's the fact that this president never tapped into our greatest resources - the character and resolve of the American people. He never asked us to step up.

Think about it: After September 11, if there was a call from the President to get us off foreign oil, to stop funding the very terrorists who had just attacked us, every American would have said, "How can I do my part?" This administration failed to believe in what we can achieve as a nation, when all of us work together.

Barack Obama knows that we need leaders who see our common ground as sacred ground. We need leaders who will appeal to us not as Republicans or Democrats, but first and foremost as Americans."

Rhettoric? Maybe. But I like it.

Next was Brian Schweitzer of Montana who rallied the crowd and really prepared them for Hillary Clinton. Really, I can't BEGIN to do this speech justice. You have to watch it. It's definitely worth the viewing time.


The night ended with Hillary Clinton encouraging her followers to follow the next democratic nominee. I had been interested to see to what extent this encouragement would go and I believe she used all her feelings and pain to back up Barack Obama.

When she began to list the reason she had run for president, I was worried. But then she told the crowd that the same reasons she had run, were the same reasons people should put their support behind Obama. I loved that she asked her followers if they had followed because of her or because of what she stood for. She was incredible and if you missed it, watch it:


So tomorrow's speakers I'm looking forward to watching:
Bill Clinton
Joe Biden