Overall, I must say I was pretty impressed with the speakers at the Democratic National Convention. The headliners, that is...several of the "support acts" were flop-sweating worse than I was when I tried to make a toast at Peenman's wedding (the wine was corked, I swear). But Michelle Obama was solid and appealing, the Clin-Tons almost made me believe they weren't seething with molten rage, and Biden sounded pretty presidential his damn self.
And his dazzling choppers don't hurt. You could navigate a frigate by those fuckers.
Tonight was the Main Event, though, and while I'd prepared no end of japes to be hurled ("I hope he talks about 'change,'" I mentioned to The Wife over the phone), I have to admit that Barack Obama gives good oration. Sure, he promised the moon (and the moon's firstborn), but that was one of those speeches that really sets you on your ass. Were I of less cynical bent, I'd say it was the kind of speech that changes people's minds, that reaches past the black morass of their expansive disappointments and gives a breath of life to the diminishing spark of - dare I say - hope...buried deep within.
In short, it's the kind of speech that gets men killed.
As shitty as my worldview has become, I still find myself grasping for evidence that I'm mistaken. In spite of the fact that we sat by passively as one election was stolen from us and couldn't be lulled out of our American Idol induced stupor to see what we were voting for in the second (not that the black hole of charisma on the other ticket helped), there's still a shrinking and evidently stupid part of my brain that wants to believe My Fellow Americans[TM] might actually stop equating professed love for Jesus with sound policy and vote with their forebrains instead of their medullas oblongata. Just this one time.
Then I remember I've seen Klan rallies...in the last 20 years, and that a man was dragged to his death, not 150 miles from here, for no other reason than he was the "wrong" color. I see slope-browed crewcuts like Craig Smith from WND talking about the horrors of Obama as the first "hip-hop President," which is as close to "You're not seriously going to vote a jig into the Oval Office are you?" as he'll allow himself to say.
Besides, the only hip hop artists I'm aware of Obama liking are Kanye and will.i.am, which is the equivalent of me saying what a big metal fan I am and then naming Nickelback and Warrant as my two favorite bands.
Are we capable of electing a black President? I was only half joking about the "getting killed" thing before, and 220 years of white male rule show we haven't gotten there yet. I'd like to believe we can hack it now: 45 years after "I have a dream" and especially when the opposition is propping up a doddering toady like McCain. But I'll believe it when I see it.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, good speech.
Sarah Palin?
Really?
The other thing that really bothered me about Biden was the absolute smoothness of his forehead. The whole speech I was bothered by his vaguely alien appearance, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.
I don’t know if it was Botox or some kind of clothespin setup in the back of his head.
But it was wierd.
I’ve been intentionally ignoring the race the last few weeks, just because it’s become such a 24-hour soap opera about nothing, but decided to watch a bit last night. Politics aside, what an amazing orator he is. Sure makes W and McCain sound like they’re giving presentations in speech class. Here’s a question that I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to answer. Did Obama write this speech on his own (other than normal editing)? I never heard any mention of it either way.
Palin? Really?!? Can you imagine Sarah Palin sitting down with Putin or some Arab statesman and being taken seriously? If image is everything in politics, McCain just showed the worst judgement I can possibly fathom. Bill Maher just referred to them as Mac and the MILF.
You could navigate a frigate by those fuckers.”
Damn Pete, it is too early in the morning to have coffee shooting out of my nose.
I thought the speech was well done, and provided the right tone that the Democrats need. I saw a quote today on one news site by a Republican saying that Obama is promising the moon, and a government that can give you everything, can take everything away also. I guess this person has had his head up his ass the last 8 years.