I was so wound up from Tuesday’s convention program that I was up way too late when I had to get up way too early. I managed to make it through the day but I struggled to keep my eyes open during some of the speeches on Wednesday night. So although I promised myself that I would check in daily to this space to give my account of this convention, I just could not bring my fingers to the keyboard.
Let’s just start with Tuesday night’s lineup. The Governor of Montana, Brian Schwietzer came on immediately before Senator Clinton and did he get the crowd going! I felt like I was at a down home Rodeo. He really set the stage for the main event. Chelsea sauntered across the stage to introduce her mother after a nice video presentation of the work she has done leading to that moment. Some of the arm chair quarterbacks thought that she may have spent too much time talking about herself and her accomplishments, but I definitely disagree. Hillary came out the gate endorsing Barack Obama and she reinforced this message throughout her presentation. The portion of her speech that resonates with me is when she turned to her supporters and asked:
“I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?”
That said volumes to me – it said that she was willing to give up her own aspirations for the time to get the democrats back in the White House. Some people wanted to say this speech was the kick off for her 2012 bid – we won’t know until that times come. What we do know is that she is asking those rabid supporters who are willing to cast their ballot for John McCain to drink the Kool aid for the benefit of the party.
The next night was just as electrifying even if I did not have the same amount of energy to be fully engaged. I happen to be out for dinner and I broke a few traffic laws to make sure I was front and center for Bill Clinton’s speech. Now if anyone needed that Hillary pep talk Tuesday, it was her husband and partner and crime. President Clinton never did like the sound of no, never had a taste for defeat, so it is understandable that he didn’t immediately jump on the Obama band wagon. Media tried to make a big deal out of his enormous silence right after the primaries. Guess what? It is human nature to be deflated in the face of defeat – you didn’t get selected for a job, you are the last one picked for a game of dodge ball, you were outbid on Ebay – any number of setbacks can cause a human being to lose his/her footing. Whatever process President Clinton had to go through to get to that moment is OK with me. His speech was succinct bringing his own personal experience as a young man running for the president full circle. The story he unfolded took the gut feelings supporters AND opponents have for Senator Obama to a cerebral and logical space. His description of Obama was dead on – “remarkable ability to inspire people”; “a clear grasp…”; “a unique capacity.” These are powerful words from a man who already had his bags packed and ready to move back into the oval office!!
The Clintons reinforced an important lesson for me – despite the scars of the battle, you have to think tactically in order to win the war. They both understood that you can’t get in the way of momentum – the momentum being experienced in this historical campaign.
So tonight we will all witness history as Obama accepts this nomination in a large capacity stadium. Some haters have prayed for rain – it is too bad that they don’t get that rain drops make all good things grow. He will deliver this acceptance on the forty-fifth anniversary of the March on Washington where Dr. King delivered the historical speech “I Have a Dream.”
Today we don’t have to be asleep to realize the dream.
With that, I wish all the best today and always.
G
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