Just a suggestion to Obama: in subsequent speeches, try to avoid using the phrase "the American people"; find some other way to say it. Because whenever I hear that phrase, my bull detector increases a few notches.

Well, some woman from Ohio finally says what we all have been thinking: electing John McCain would be insane!

I hope Obama promises to end the convention's special musical entertainment.

He made a good argument that he would reduce taxes for 95% of working families. But otherwise, so far, he is making his normal routine points - litany of liberal points. He seems a bit off, but I assume he will end with a flourish. He also still needs to cover national security, which I think is a mistake to make it late in the speech. But we will see.

A good Democrat, making a good, classic Democratic speech, with some understated brilliances.

Very good speech for most politicians. But probably a C for Obama.

Obama's challenge tonight was to look presidential, to make a lot of Americans who hadn't taken much notice of him before – and whose impressions were probably mostly created by right-wing slime – accept that this guy they'd heard gives great speeches could be president. He did that in spades. He was substantive, but made the philosophy behind the substance clear and powerful. And he was tough and smart. Great speech. The pundits are going to knock him, but it's clear now the Dems made the right choice (and I'm one who felt a little waffling after Hilary's great speech the other night).

i think it was a better collection of soundbites than a total speech, but i think that's probably fine: there were some awesome soundbites.

my own favorite was the one about "special to john mccain: we all put america first." an excellent counter and makes mccain look exceptionally small. should show up nicely in 30-second ads.

Excellent speech! He said what I was listening for, and delivered it superbly.

I think it's worth mentioning that even though a good bit may have been boilerplate, quite a lot of people haven't heard it. I follow the news and politics pretty closely, but because of the soundbite reportage and the truncations, this is the first time I've heard it coherently put together.

I think the talking heads liked it. McCain may bump into some tough media shortly. The press may have anointed its candidate. They seem to do that every time, and this time it may be my guy.

Obama went in tonight having not to give just a speech but to set the tone for the rest of his campaign. That is precisely what he did and did very well. I think the expectations for McCain next week are going to be pretty high now.

Barack Obama has essentially refocused his speech on the unrelenting battle between him and John McCain in the American political field. The Democratic candidate hasn’t made much progress in attacks against the Republican candidate. In his August 28 speech, which took place in Denver, Colorado, Obama reinforced his preference for a progressive campaign with clear ideas focused on American’s real problems— problems for which his opponents have a lot to answer as he said. Obama was authoritative and concrete before starting the final straight line in the race for the White House. He gave soul to its slogan of change by establishing concrete proposals on taxes, energy and education. Barack Obama has gone on the offensive in describing John McCain as an ideologue cut off from American reality, who does not understand the average American.
Once again Obama showed that love for his homeland, the United States of America, occupies first place in his heart:
“We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans — Democrats and Republicans — have built, and we are to restore that legacy”
Obama spent a stormy 8 months in a race for the Democratic nomination with Senator Hillary Clinton, but at the DNC, in a sharp turn from her previous position, Senator Clinton urged her supporters to back Obama, and vowed to make every effort to help drive Obama to victory. Former President Bill Clinton also expressed confidence in Obama’s preparedness for the Presidential seat. The succession to the rostrum of Ted Kennedy, Hillary and Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Al Gore and the Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden to support Obama reinforced the Democratic Party’s unity— a clear belt of security to accompany him in the race to the White House. A candidate who intends to set up new partnerships to neutralize any menace to 21st century progress (i.e. terrorism and nuclear proliferation, poverty and genocide, climate change and disease) is an ideal candidate for the White House. There are not only Americans who give themselves confidence for responses to their problems, but the rest of the world also sees its concerns reflected in this year’s race for the American Presidency. And this vision defines the American promise and dream that Obama wants to keep alive.
He ended with an honor to Martin Luther King, who 45 years earlier to the day, delivered his famous "I have a Dream" speech, and an appeal to America to keep their “hope alive.”
After such a speech, the expectations for McCain’s speech become very high, particularly since he has presented a VP nominee, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska and we will see an interesting campaign. All this is an advantage of the American politics.