"Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States."You couldn't hear yourself anymore. In fact you couldn't even hear much after "I can stand before you and say that I will be..." I had to read the rest on the big screen just to make sure he had really said it. The crowd was electric and just couldn't contain its excitement the entire speech. It was as if, after a moment of pause, every one would realize that hey, we are here on this night. And go wild again. The culmination was finally after fits and starts, the entire crowd coming together in unison chanting the campaign theme, "Yes We Can." It was amazing.
"America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love."There we something like 17,000 people inside, and another 15,000 outside watching on a projection. It is not often that you know you are at some kind of historic moment, but this was a historic moment.
Via Talking Points Memo, here is the entire speech. Note that I had no idea he kept saying "thank you" at the start until just now it was that loud. Yes We Can is at 22:00
And now I can feel the energy pushing forward into the general election. John McCain gave an anemic speech tonight to 600 people rolling out the *New McCain* now in a pleasing shade of independent green . If the campaign until November looks anything like it did tonight, he is doomed.
EDIT: TPM has a highlight reel of some McCain speech reaction last night here.
And here is a journalists personal experience sitting in the press section in front of us. Quote: "It's hard to differentiate the moments of applause from the crowd of 17,000 because they were so frequent and sustained. It's likely the venue has not heard applause that loud at any Minnesota Wild game. When he promised that he would not use religion as a wedge, the Coke in the bottle next to my laptop rippled from the vibrations."
And yes, apparently the fist bump is the new peck on the cheek.
2 comments:
I wouldn't misunderestimated McCain. Remember in the fall when just about everyone thought he was done? Who are the Bush supporters going to vote for? McCain, of course. So, he gets to go out there, and bash Bush all day long, and it doesn't hurt him. He's a horrible speaker. The speech last night was painful. I've never seen so many nervous smiles. But, how horrible of a President has Bush been, and he still has supporters? Fear is still working as a motivator for people, maybe less then before, but it is good at getting people out to vote, because they feel that they must do so. Why would a Bush, or a McCain junkie cross the fence for Obama? I could see conservatives being pissed about the war, but they also don't trust government, and want to drown it. I don't think they could swallow Obama.
It can be the difference between what one should do, and what one must do. If that message can get out well enough, McCain will be run over. If you could vote for president over YouTube, Obama is a shoe in.
McCain will have to be taken on forcefully. Even a moment of lapse has the ability to upend the whole thing.
But if he makes his camping about running against Obama and George Bush he is screwed. Bashing Bush might not hurt him in net votes, a core 30% will always vote republican, but it will destroy the organizational support that carried Bush in two elections. No money, no organization, no victory.
I got to watch his speech today. Man what a rotten egg.
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