Regarding Crazy Andy and Obama's Speech

My reply to Liam's last was long enough to justify its own post.

It was a damned impressive speech indeed. I don't think the McCain camp was speechless, they specifically held off making any announcement and they signaled that intent prior to Obama's speech. But typically in the flush of the post-Obama moment, the hyperbole flew.

But either way, I liked the speech, and I thought it did just what Crazy Andy said--it made the Democratic case unapologetically. It's so hard for Democrats not to flinch when they speak that it's always admirable when they don't. Obama has no flinch in him, and people like that. I am no exception.

Unlike Crazy Andy I do not have the hubris to think that this time in history is so unique. This is a swing back from one extreme as often happens. It's very real though, and Obama might have a shot at pulling it off, but there is nothing inevitable about a man who's polling even with his rival.

Cokie Roberts on Sunday said she thought this convention would give Obama a double-digit bump, which about knocked George Stephanolpolous off his chair, but she's smarter than most about this stuff so it might. You have to give her props for knowing how big and impressive a moment this might be. If it does give him a ten- to twelve-point bump, it's hard to see a Republican convention getting all that ground back just in their convention.

Obama might be very good, but the Republicans are better at running for president than the Democrats, down to their very DNA, so we'll have to see what the bump is, and not whether the Republicans can eat into it, but do they have time now to erode it to zero.