MICHELLE KICKS BUTT

There were a lot of great speeches on this first night of the Democratic convention—Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts; Ted Strickland, ex-Governor of Ohio; Nancy Keenan, the president of NARAL and too many more to list. But the two best for my taste were the mayor of San Antonio, Julian Castro, who I hope runs for higher office he was so good, I'd vote for him, and he looks like the future of the party and the country (and his mom reminded me of my mom God rest her soul), and Michelle Obama, who I would vote for tonight for president if she were running.

This woman can give a speech. There were others whose speeches were fine but who just didn't know how to deliver them. Like Tammy Duckworth, the veteran running for Congress from Illinois who lost both legs in combat in Iraq. She didn't seem to understand you have to pause when people are cheering and chanting because otherwise your words are drowned out, and they're showing their enthusiasm so let them, that's the point of a convention speech.

Or the poor mother of the little girl with the heart condition who broke my heart and it looked like everyone else watching from the convention floor when she pleaded for another four years for Obama because her daughter needs a heart operation next year and if Romney gets elected and has his way her and her husband won't be able to pay for it because Romney has vowed to repeal Obamacare on his first day in office. Her message was so powerful and she was so moved by it herself but when people cheered she just kept on speaking, out of nervousness or inexperience or maybe the cheers just didn't sound as loud to her as they did to the television audience.

But Michelle had a relationship with the audience that was moving to see, as was her speech for me. And man was that audience diverse. It did include old white men in Veterans of Foreign Wars service caps, but they and old white people in general were just one small part of an amazing variety of folks. It was so refreshing to see such a mix, people who were obviously gay and proud of it, every skin tone and shape and age and it seemed like more women than men which reflects the population.

I look forward to the next few night of speeches and before tonight I was actually not expecting much. The sad thing is probably not too many people who are undecided or apathetic watched and so will never know how clear and positive and truly patriotic and solution oriented the Democrats are.