Great analysis. The domestic policy discussion could use some Clinton character. Other than that - a fantastic speech.

keep up the good work and insight.

Actually, Kucinich was the most aggressive. But you didn't count that one.

A very good Democratic speech.

It was too vague at points because it had so much ground to cover, but it was fundamentally strong and forceful.

I sense that Republicans and Obamacans didn't like it. They don't like see him do red meat, they don't like seeing him attack John McCain (despite the fact that McCain has run a solely negative campaign for months). In short, they don't like seeing him act like a Democrat.

But if this speech did anything, I think it renewed the fervor and unity of the party. It was impassioned and it was on the offensive without ever seeming shrill or out of line. I suspect that while McCain will give a good speech in Minnesota, his attacks will all sound insincere and cynical where Obama's sounded genuine and biting.

Its clear the Democrats are leaving Nuremburg united.

The speech was pretty pedestrian for a Reichsparteitag.

I thought it was a fantastic speech. Senator Obama hit just the right note, and if there was something further he could have said, well, I certainly can't think of it. He was, simultaneously, a charismatic and inspiring leader, an aggressive agent of change who was clearly on the offense, and an effective missile defense system against the rightwing attack machine. It was amazing, I thought, that he could wear those three hats and still lay out policy while millions of people cheered.

I agree that Dennis Kucinich gave a brilliant and aggressive speech; I only wish our wimpy establishment press had covered it. My husband heard in on our local public radio station; we have it up over at Cogitamus.

"On education, for instance, he simply asserts that, "Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy." As no Republican would disagree with that statement, it doesn't actually vault Obama into the lead on the subject. Most of his domestic policy section suffered from the same problem, and it's one Obama would do well to fix."

While this is utterly true, and something that creeped me out about the speech, you are massively off message here, Ezra.

Didn't you get the message from Olbermann that you are supposed to be screaming bloody murder and flinging poo at the AP for writing the identical thing?

You're a good MSNBCDEMOCRAT, Ezra. Get with the program.

-----

As to how Obama can fix the problem:

I've got big ideological problems with Obama refusing to provide specifics about his policies, but it also becomes an electoral problem in that he has no specifics to explain what he wants to do.

Or in other words, this is a problem that Obama can't fix, since it's a structural problem with his candidacy rather than merely a speechwriting problem.

Normally the lack of a specific policy agenda would be a fatal problem for a Democrat since the Party's brand is about solutions. But given that Obama is running as something other than a Democrat, maybe it doesn't hurt him. McCain sure as hell ain't running on a specific policy agenda.

"It is hard to say how the speech came across on television"

It was fucking weird. I'm still not sure if it was good or bad in electoral terms, but it was strident and stadium loud in a way that doesn't seem likely to bring anyone into the tent who wasn't already there.

It was basically a Dean event with a speaker who knew how to modulate his voice and was wearing a red tie.

I think Team Chicago really is running the '04 Bush campaign. They're talking to the base and no one else, because Chicago thinks/hopes the base will be enough.

Either that, or they don't care if they win or not, given that they know that if they run a "pure" campaign and lose, they'll be heroes to half the country as pioneers.

If McCain were politically smart he would pick GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN today.

Democrats biggest issues in the primary were skin color and sex organs.

If McCain doesn't pick someone with a different skin tone, at least go with someone with a vajayjay. Democrats can respect that.

There was no CHANGE in Obamas speech...he gave us the same litany of left wing programs as Carter, Clinton, Gore, Kerry and Hillary.

And America has repeatedly rejected that CHANGE.

All he was telling his fellow Democrats is, I'm a left wing Democrat that will actually get done the same things we've been promising since Biden went to Washington almost 4 decades ago.

The only thing NEW about Obamas change is he's younger, less experienced, more naive and less capable of folowing through then any prior Democrat leader.

David Brooks has a very funny piece:

""Barack Obama loves the future because that’s where all his accomplishments are.""

Good one.

good goobers, the trolls are certainly out.

Very interesting analysis, Ezra. I deliberately eschewed pre-speech analysis of the distributed text because I wanted to "experience" the speech as most listeners would. The speech came across as brilliant. We always knew the guy could make a good speech, but this one has people IN AWE.

I think you're right that the domestic policy "argument" needs specifics of how Republican policies have hindered our progress toward commonly-accepted goals; but I'm not sure it was necessary in THIS speech. Given that the primary argument against O's candidacy is his "lack of experience," this was the tack he had to focus on most.

I think Team Chicago really is running the '04 Bush campaign. They're talking to the base and no one else, because Chicago thinks/hopes the base will be enough.

I dunno. There was red meat, but enough to really be talking to the base and no one else? I think Obama was talking to more than the base, but in very general, sweeping terms that doesn't tell us anything we didn't know before, or speak to us on any different level. He's going to be different that McCain. Yeah, I expected that.

I liked the tone. It's nice to see Democrats who view their ideological opponents as wrong, rather than evil. But I don't think that nuance is going to win him any votes.

A good speech, but I'm not sure it was quite there. Not quite knockin' it out of the park.

Still, I think there's going to be a general poll bounce coming out of the convention. Overall, a solid, if not altogether grandslam of a convention, and one that I think would spell doom for the Democrats if they were running against Ronald Reagan . . . but they're not. So, definitely good enough in the competition against McCain.

I think it probably could have used more red meat. There's nothing like revvin' up the base to get the votes out.

Petey: I've got big ideological problems with Obama refusing to provide specifics about his policies, but it also becomes an electoral problem in that he has no specifics to explain what he wants to do.

Ask and you shall receive. Page after page of juicy specifics on all of Obama's plans.

You're right about one thing though, not even Obama can supply the high specificity and detail you demand in a three word bumper sticker.

To know the specifics, you have to put in the effort to read his plans.

Ha ha. The righties don't like that the Democrats are finally intent on taking down their poo-flinging "conservativism" which has screwed this nation for the last 8 years (and really the past 30, but still).

Yeah, Petey has kind of lost his mind. I wouldn't worry too much about his reaction - I doubt it's shared by a ton of people.

APS

If McCain doesn't pick someone with a different skin tone, at least go with someone with a vajayjay.

You have got to stop saying "vajayjay."

They don't like see him do red meat, they don't like seeing him attack John McCain (despite the fact that McCain has run a solely negative campaign for months). In short, they don't like seeing him act like a Democrat.

No, what they don't like is that Obama is acting like a viable national candidate and not like a Democrat.

"I've got big ideological problems with Obama refusing to provide specifics about his policies, but it also becomes an electoral problem in that he has no specifics to explain what he wants to do." says Petey echoing some portion of the policy wonk community.
It is certainly true that there is no silver bullet for the massive problems facing our country. But there is a good deal of detail in Obama's Blueprint for Change document and in the discussions of the campaign.
But the truth is also that there is no real mystery to what needs to be done. Get us out of Iraq, as the Iraqi government wants, and stop the waste of our blood and treasure. Restore fairness to tax policies to put purchasing power in the hands of people with real needs and end the incentives for big business shipping jobs overseas, refusing to invest in their workforce here, and hiding money in foreign tax havens. Treat allies with respect and build a coalition to confront and negotiate hard with countries with governments opposed to our common interests. Focus investment on infrastructure and economic development to provide jobs and to gain independence from fossil fuels. Increase regulation of financial institutions and speculators that have destroyed so much for their own gains. Support working people with laws and the actions of regulatory agencies to support pay equity and the right to organize.
There is no mystery here and no 'structural problems' that can't be overcome if we have the strong moral leadership required to mobilize people to take the individual and collective responsibilities that Obama spoke of so eloquently.

He wrapped up all the speeches by essentially giving a State of the Union as a Democratic candidate. He showed that the was not only Presidential but he knew the full range of issues that a President needs to know, face and attack head-on. He hit his opponent hard without being mean. Finally he shored up his base by proving to his main audience that he will be a Democratic President for all Americans.

He isn't running for Preacher in Chief and he showed that he knew it. It brought the Convention to a crescendo while leaving room for more excitement to come.

Bill Clinton's knack for discussing the details of policy in an awe-inspiring way may be unique, but Obama could improve immeasurably if he could just grasp one of Bill's secrets. More than any other prominent politician, Clinton has confidence in his audience. He believes that the auto worker from Detroit and the Wal-Mart clerk from Iowa care about policy and are capable of understanding it. And he's right. He doesn't talk down to his audience. That's what makes him so powerful.

Can anyone name any new policy or initiative Obama mentioned that hasn't been standard Democrat wish list for over 20 years?

You're a good MSNBCDEMOCRAT, Ezra. Get with the program.

Ooh, look everybody: Petey came up with a new name to call Ezra! Get ready to see the word MSNBCDEMOCRAT (All caps! No spaces! It's a devastating insult!) about forty times a day if you want to read Ezra's comment section.

Shame he can't be a REAL Democrat like Petey, who knows that real change is accomplished not by speeches, but by childish name calling aimed at bloggers on anonymous internet forums.

Anyone in danger of listening to Petey, just whisper the magic phrase "Rielle Hunter". THe mists will clear and the real, imbecilic Petey will emerge from behind the curtain.

McCain and the London Olympic Organizing Committee have a lot in common this morning. At least London has four years to hope that everyone forgets what they just saw.

ezra

all that you said of obama's speech was true! i dont believe there was any room for improvement. the speech was perfect!
but i also want to mention that having regular people coming forward, prior to the speech, to speak about their lives, added real affirmation and power to the moment.
truly, those are the people who live across the street from us in our neighborhoods, and that is what this election is about....us!!!!!!!
if the flawless dynamics of the obama campaign give an indication of the kind of administration he is going to have, we are surely fortunate!
last evening, just considering the logistics of the event, it went off exquisitely.
what a feat!
and the end of the convention, in that stadium filled with ardent supporters, fireworks cascading and the obama family walking out on stage...it was a thrilling moment to see them receiving the support and affirmation they deserve.
their hard work and faith has been so inspiring. their story is truly, the american dream.
i am thrilled, also, to see michelle obama being acknowledged as the caring, strong, intelligent and deeply grounded person she is.....
and the loving embrace between michelle and barack obama at the end, was, well, just the stuff that dreams are made out of!!!!!!!!!
we have an amazing opportunity here.....let us all do everything we can, collectively and individually, to make this happen for the sake of future generations.
voter registration and phone banking this weekend!!!!
come help:-)

yes we can, and with G-d's help, we will!!!!!!!
thank you, barack obama, for creating a time of celebration and hopefulness for us! america deserved that party last night!

His positions are honestly held, but sadly mistaken.

Its pretty easy to quibble with that statement. McCain's positions have changed so much over the past couple years. The only reason I can think of why the Obama campaign isn't using a flip-flop line of attack is because they don't think it will work. There is probably, sadly, a mountain of truth to that; to the idea that McCain is an honest politician. My friends, he is not.

also....
just another thought....

those regular people who spoke, prior to obama, should be used in commercials.
.....they should retell their stories over and over again.
no-one tells the story of what is happening in our neighborhoods better than the people who are living in them.
bring barney smith and the others back again! they are our best spokespeople. let them go out on the campaign trail and tell their stories over and over again in town halls with the candidates.
let americans see the true face of america, standing with barack obama in this election.
we are all the hardworking and humble folks on the frontlines, and obama and biden "get that."
also,the campaign should use the military commanders in ads, to keep reaffirming that they stand with barack obama.
i believe that these kinds of straightforward messages are effective because they are true.

It was the right speech at the right time in his campaign. I also disagree with the idea that it was Bush-like. I know that comes from one of the peanute gallery here who likes nothing Obama does. The difference is that Obama is offering an fully commited point of how he will govern. Bush always campaigned one way, and governed another. Indeed, that's Mccain right now. If we want to play the character card- last night we saw Obama's character,a nd he showed himself to be a man of higher character than all of the GOP candidates in the last 20 years combined.

Nicely said jaqueline--couldn't agree more!

I think Team Chicago really is running the '04 Bush campaign. They're talking to the base and no one else, because Chicago thinks/hopes the base will be enough.

So, which fucking option is it? Is he not running as a Democrat or is he only attending to the Demoratic base (and thus running as a Democrat)? At least get your talking points down, man.

Petey, this isn't enough for you?

For those who respect the not-simple ability to actually make things happen, and happen well, Obama's speech, the closing night, the entire convention and the entire campaign to date have been nearly flawless in planning and execution. That is worth some barrels of awe. And Barak and his team make it seem so unremarkable and easy.

It took the entire Chinese government years to produce the Olympics and do it superbly - but only for 2 weeks. Obama has been doing this for nearly two years.

Can Obama effectively run the government and make it work for the people? We've seen already just how he will do it.

They even did Shock and Awe for the Rethugs better than the USAF did to Saddam.

When Buchanan and Gergen are both saying 'flawless and best ever', you know something important happened.

What is exciting to me about the speech is that for the first time in a long time you are seeing Progressive Populism that is targeted to the middle class without sounding like a conspiracy theory about business ownership.

I am excited because it seems to me that Obama has done what historian Michael Kazin once said needed to be done to restore a progressive populism and that is to work to chisel away the identity barriers that were hardened after the 1960s. It would seem that is exactly what is happening here. He is making the most powerful attempt to show that the mainstream has changed from lily white to a truly multi-cultural community. His biography alone is a testament to that and when his uncle stood holding hands with Michelle Obama the other night, that was a remarkable image. Remarkable because it finally presented to a national audience that white and black are more interwoven in our national past than any mainstream politician has been able to atest to before.

But what also excites me is that a progressive populism is a potent weapon against the plebiscitarian politics of the last thirty years. Imagine being able to counter all of those propositions that are always trying to cut affirmative action, produce a tax payers bill of rights or ban gay marriage. A progressive populism (spoken by progressives truly unafraid of the middle class) could come about by finally institutionalizing the notion that minorities, women and gay people have a place at the table and can actually be placed in national leadership. This could be a truly transformative moment.

I hope we see an Obama presidency because it has the power to reframe our politics and our notions of power. I am hopeful because this presents a new opportunity, something I have not seen before in my lifetime.

"Can anyone name any new policy or initiative Obama mentioned that hasn't been standard Democrat wish list for over 20 years?"

Can anyone name any policy or initiative that has been on the standard Democratic wish list for over 20 years that wouldn't be good for America?

"Ask and you shall receive. Page after page of juicy specifics on all of Obama's plans."

The problem is that many of the plans are light of specifics, and the specifics that exist aren't fully explained in terms of how they fit into overall budgetary constraints.

Also, many of the plans are political non-starters, and are just there so they can say they have a plan.

The Obama campaign has been this way ever since early 2007, and don't seem to be changing now.

They're less specific than HRC and Edwards in '08, and less specific than Kerry, Gephardt, and Edwards in '04. (Dean in '04 had a similar urge to blur the details as Obama.)

This is at the root of what Ezra is writing in this blog post. Obama's folks decided a long time ago to not do policy until they were in the WH, which has many downside, one minor one being that is that it makes Petey very suspicious of their future plans.

"So, which fucking option is it? Is he not running as a Democrat or is he only attending to the Demoratic base (and thus running as a Democrat)? At least get your talking points down, man."

Obama is trying to run outside the Party. He's got his own base.

The Obama base and the Democratic base have much overlap, but they're not the same. Rural Midwesterners who voted for Perot went over to HRC, and Obama isn't even trying to bring them into the tent, for example.

Plouffe must have a spreadsheet showing just where they get to 270 by bring out a certain percentage of their people in certain places. It's exactly what Bush did in '04.

They think: We've got our numbers, and don't need to bring anyone new into the tent.

Team Chicago is just doubling down on their appeal to Obama Nation and thinking/hoping it gets them to 51%.

"What is exciting to me about the speech is that for the first time in a long time you are seeing Progressive Populism that is targeted to the middle class without sounding like a conspiracy theory about business ownership."

Very nice thematics, but no policy.

YMMV, but that doesn't work for me.

"YMMV, but that doesn't work for me."

There's nothing Obama can do to receive the all-important Petey vote. We get it.

Do you ever ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish with your constant bithing and name calling?

You really should eat shit and die, loser. But I'd be fine with you just finally shutting the fuck up.

Obama can argue all he wants to about who is more of an agent of change ... him, or McCain ... but, in the real world, McCain and Palin are the ones who have actually worked across the aisle ... they are the ones who have actually produced important changes in government ... they are the ones who have actually fought corruption and entrenched politicians, and prevailed. Obama may have used the change slogan first, and certainly more often ... but, in the real world, Obama hasn't changed much of anything.
So, his involvement with actual change has just been with rhetoric and speeches.