Now that the DNC is over, though, I think it's pretty clear this entire convention was premised on "John McCain is the 20th Century, Obama is the 21st." With a bit of hindsight, it seems obvious (and makes cell-phone mogul Mark Warner's speech all that much more of a snoozy missed opportunity). But the theme wasn't completely clear until Obama's speech last night. The head-long attacks on McCain's judgment and readiness were inspiring and refreshing -- and sought to put the philosophy and policies of Bush in the past.
That said, here's a "Greatest Hits" of what I thought were the most successful one-liners of the convention (since the long-term takeaway of an event like this can only be measured in "general theme" and "great burns.")
My favorite under-covered line came from my new favorite governor, David Paterson. It is viciously cutting and perfectly mocking:
"If [McCain] is the answer, the question must be ridiculous"
In what I thought was the best "let's hear from regular people" segment I've ever seen at a political event, the last line was the best (uttered by perhaps the least telegenic person ever on prime-time network TV):
"We need a president who puts Barney Smith before Smith Barney."
A very smart line by Hillary that should be picked up in every Dem press release next week:
"It makes a lot of sense that next week John McCain and George Bush will be together in the Twin Cities, because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart."
Can't believe I'm saying it, but Hillary had another great line, using her much-improved rhetorical skills (and her unbelievable tenacity) to give life to Harriet Tubman:
"And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice. If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If they're shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going."
This was the moment Joe Biden's speech reached a new level. It is an encapsulation of everything that makes me a Democrat:
"My mother's creed is the American creed: no one is better than you. You are everyone's equal, and everyone is equal to you."
Bob Casey Jr., a symbolic speaker in his own right, had a great line making McCain "Robin" to Bush's "Batman":
"John McCain calls himself a maverick, but he votes with George Bush more than 90% of the time...that's not a maverick, that's a sidekick."
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius showed why she isn't the VP pick by stepping on what should have been a heck of a line:
"John McCain's version: There's no place like home...or a home...or a home...or a home...or a home..."
And Michelle Obama had, I think, the most humanizing line on Obama -- one that every dad in America can relate to:
"He's the same man who drove me and our new baby daughter home from the hospital ten years ago this summer, inching along at a snail's pace, peering anxiously at us in the rear-view mirror, feeling the whole weight of her future in his hands, determined to give her everything he'd struggled so hard for himself, determined to give her what he never had: the affirming embrace of a father's love."
But, of course, the line in the convention that I thought had the most long-term heft, the ability to raise it above the fray and be remembered for decades, came from my boy Teddy (echoing his stunning 1980 convention speech):
"The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on."
2 comments:
great post.
that "keep going" spiel was fantastic. it was really hillary's moment. just catching up - i had zero time to read about the DNC while at th DNC.
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