Winners and losers from the third night of the Democratic convention
Winners and losers from the third night of the Democratic convention
he Washington Post Chris Cillizza
The third night of the Democratic National Convention featured a number of heavy hitters within the party including President Obama, Vice President Biden and vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine.
I watched, tweeted and took notes on the best and the worst of the night that was. My picks are below.
Winners
* Joe Biden: The vice president did three things extremely well in his speech on Wednesday night: 1) Told his own story of loss and perseverance 2) Offered a full-throated testimonial on behalf of Hillary Clinton and 3) Smashed Donald Trump; "no major party nominee in the history of this nation has ever known less or has ever been less prepared," Biden said.
But, he did more than that too. Sensing that this was almost certainly a swan song for him in front of this sort of audience on a national stage. Biden delivered a powerful defense of the middle class and of the unique ability of Americans to overcome even the most difficult challenges. It was quintessential Biden -- a fundamental rejection of the dark vision of America offered by Trump in favor of the come-on-this-is-America spirit that the longtime Delaware senator personifies.
The total package was absolutely outstanding -- a speech only rivaled at this convention by first lady Michelle Obama's address.
* Barack Obama: This was not a speech that will make it into the pantheon of Obama's best addresses. Obama is still better selling himself than he is serving as a surrogate for someone else. (That's not unique to him. Almost every politician is better at selling themselves. It's why they're politicians.)
But, Obama at 75 percent is still a better speech-giver than almost anyone else on the planet. He was gracious -- sharing credit with Clinton for the decision to go after Osama bin-Laden. He was biting and tough on Trump, dismissing him as a "self-described savior." And Obama made a stirring case for American exceptionalism and the enduring power of the American experiment; "America is already great," he said at one point. "America is already strong."
And, Obama's close -- about the uniqueness of his own American story and all of our American stories -- was deeply compelling.
READ MORE: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/win...
he Washington Post Chris Cillizza
The third night of the Democratic National Convention featured a number of heavy hitters within the party including President Obama, Vice President Biden and vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine.
I watched, tweeted and took notes on the best and the worst of the night that was. My picks are below.
Winners
* Joe Biden: The vice president did three things extremely well in his speech on Wednesday night: 1) Told his own story of loss and perseverance 2) Offered a full-throated testimonial on behalf of Hillary Clinton and 3) Smashed Donald Trump; "no major party nominee in the history of this nation has ever known less or has ever been less prepared," Biden said.
But, he did more than that too. Sensing that this was almost certainly a swan song for him in front of this sort of audience on a national stage. Biden delivered a powerful defense of the middle class and of the unique ability of Americans to overcome even the most difficult challenges. It was quintessential Biden -- a fundamental rejection of the dark vision of America offered by Trump in favor of the come-on-this-is-America spirit that the longtime Delaware senator personifies.
The total package was absolutely outstanding -- a speech only rivaled at this convention by first lady Michelle Obama's address.
* Barack Obama: This was not a speech that will make it into the pantheon of Obama's best addresses. Obama is still better selling himself than he is serving as a surrogate for someone else. (That's not unique to him. Almost every politician is better at selling themselves. It's why they're politicians.)
But, Obama at 75 percent is still a better speech-giver than almost anyone else on the planet. He was gracious -- sharing credit with Clinton for the decision to go after Osama bin-Laden. He was biting and tough on Trump, dismissing him as a "self-described savior." And Obama made a stirring case for American exceptionalism and the enduring power of the American experiment; "America is already great," he said at one point. "America is already strong."
And, Obama's close -- about the uniqueness of his own American story and all of our American stories -- was deeply compelling.
READ MORE: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/win...
There's too much political analysis and not enough watching the speeches and deciding for oneself.