Michelle Obama did her part and closed a somewhat purposeless first day of the Democratic convention on a positive note. She came over as strong and assured, yet approachable and not at all threatening or angry--those last two were the notes, of course, that the campaign was most anxious to avoid. Her story was touching, and their marriage reflects well on her husband. Yes, one thought, she is a remarkable woman and he did well. Also, she dealt deftly with a couple of awkward issues: of course she loves America; and words can barely do justice to her regard for Hillary Clinton. It was good stuff, well delivered.
My spirits sagged, and even then only a little, at just two points. It's starting to annoy me that Barack keeps telling us how he turned down Wall Street for a career in "public service". By this he means politics. Just how great a sacrifice is that? The kind of ambition that gets you into the Senate and maybe the White House is not exactly renouncing the world and all its temptations, is it? And now here we have Michelle doing the same thing. She gave up lawyering, she says, and chose "public service"--the kind that leads in due course to a 300k-plus salary. I've no problem with it. I just don't want to keep being asked to admire the sacrifice.
The other dispiriting thing was the stuff with the girls at the end. They are cute, and the traditions of American politics must be observed, no doubt, but it makes me uncomfortable to see children used as political props. One ought to feel much the same way, I suppose, about spouses. At a couple of points in this campaign, when Michelle has come in for criticism, Barack said, "leave her out of this." At those times I remember thinking, he's right: the country is not electing her. Maybe, in fact, it is: in any event, you can't have it both ways.
A little earlier, the ailing Ted Kennedy greatly moved the audience with a most dignified address--a speech that was all about the country and Obama, and not at all about him. And yet, as I say, the first day seemed somewhat drifting and unfocused. With three days still to go, it is too soon to complain of complacency. But the Democratic campaign is in trouble. So far, you would not know it from the mood in Denver.
I really got the impression from Michelle Obama's speech that it was somewhat the "same old, same old" overly romantic stuff aobut B. Obama as if he had come flying in as some mysterious spirited one who was going to save us all with his background of his sacrifices of a career. Basically, why would he have been on Wall Street anyway if his studies had to do with law and social work? And his youngest daughter caught on to his mistake of saying incorrectly where he was speaking from. First he said he was in St. Louis, then it was Kansas City - both cities are a state apart. As a died in the wool Democrat, and a woman, I am very disappointed in how overly scripted, and play acted her speech was, no individual enthusiasm, and only bantering along about how much she gave up her exclusive career to raise kids and sart a big project connecting the poor community with the Chicago University. Why was that not mentioned before? Isn't she on the board of directors at some big hospital for a nice littel sum of almost a half million a year? Totally confused, I am.
Posted by Seanne | August 26, 2008 10:12 AM