Books reviews, current events, and other musings

I watched way too many political speeches over the last few days. Kerry gave a surprisingly strong speech, which aims his campaign on the way towards victory. Edwards, an excellent speaker, wasn’t in top form but still did just fine. Wesley Clark was impressive; he would have been a serious contender in the primaries had he spoken that well on the campaign trail. Illinois Senatorial candidate Barack Obama displayed the incredible talent and charisma that has transformed him into a rising star of the Democratic Party. I also liked Steve Brozak, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel and investment banker who left the Republican Party in disgust over the situation in Iraq, is now running for Congress as a Democrat.

I have a mixed overall reaction to the convention, for reasons that Legal Fiction touches on. I’ll write up my thoughts later.

posted by Julian at 12:35 AM

Here's what I thought of today's convention speeches.

Gore gave a fantastic speech. Had he been as good a speaker during his campaign as he's been since then, he'd now be President. He dealt with the 2000 results perfectly, with the right mixture of humor and regret. His message to each segment of the electorate was on target: telling Democrats to transfer their frustration into support for Kerry, asking Bush voters whether they're pleased with how things turned out, and pointing out to Nader supporters that Republicans and Democrats aren’t the same. Plus, he displayed more charisma than he ever has before (which isn't saying much).

My reaction to Carter's speech was more mixed. I was surprised how strongly he criticized Bush. Still, it makes sense for the human rights President to tear apart the Abu Ghraib President. That attitude, along with his condemnation of pre-emptive war, might resonate with Americans who are troubled by the immorality of recent US actions. However, Carter's oratory was rather low-energy; even the convention delegates appeared rather subdued.

The first half of Hillary's speech left me flat; she wasn't much of a speaker. However, when she started talking about 9/11, she improved dramatically. When she discusses issues that she deeply cares about, like the hellish scene at Ground Zero or the importance of taking good care of our soldiers, she can voice those heartfelt feelings. However, her rhetorical skills aren't adept enough to pull off the standard "John Kerry, what a guy!" spiel.

Bill, on the other hand, totally kicked ass. He demonstrated that he is, by far, the best speaker on the American political scene, with the possible exception of John Edwards. His depiction of Democratic vs. Republican beliefs totally gelled, melding substance and emotion quite well. The contrast between his personal tax cut and America’s needs was humorous and persuasive. It was a very impressive performance.

As a whole, the evening presented the Carter-Clinton-Gore-Kerry-Edwards face of the Democratic Party, which the American people can contrast with the Reagan-Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Ashcroft face of the Republican Party. Hopefully, the electorate will view the Democratic representation as more appealing.

posted by Julian at 10:05 PM