This is IMHO more powerful than her speech could have ever been. Actions speak much louder than words. Everybody (including myself) who said that Hillary was out for herself, and wants Obama to lose so she can run in 2012 should eat their words. This was just absolutely beautiful, thank you Hillary!

"If folks were expecting any drama tonight, they’ll just have to make due with the uplifting kind." Such was the bottom line of David Goldstein's blog for HorsesAss.org, entitled "A Stunning Lack of Disunity." I ran into David here at the Big Tent (the DNC mecca for new media journalists, bloggers, reporters, and non-profit leaders – erected here in Progressive Future's parking lot), and thus launched into a discussion of the disparity between the media's playing up the contention between the Obama and Clinton camps, and the actual on-the-ground unity within the Democratic Party.

Hillary was great last night.  As an Obama supporter, she mad me laugh and cry.  she mad eme proud to be a woman, an American, and an Obama supporter.

I went to bed last night wondering what the stupid repug talking points would be.

Hillary Clinton's speech at the 2008 Democratic Convention urged the delegates on the floor to support, and vote for, Obama.

"Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president...That is our mission, Democrats. Let's elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden for that future worthy of our great country."

While many state delegates at the convention are taking her word to heart, what is happening with those superdelegate holdouts who will vote for Clinton unless she tells them, specifically, to do otherwise?

This is my first diary, so input would be greatly appreciated.

Should Delegates be censored or at the very least be held accountable for some of the divisive comments that they make?

Please check out this link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Hillary nailed it. If this was a routine on the balance beam, she's get the gold without any questions asked regardless of the performance of underage Chinese gymnasts.

But, of course, that is not the story.

The contrast between Clinton and Obama has always been the fighter versus the peacemaker.  She expects to face her opponents on the battle ground.  Barack seeks to reach out to all opponents on common ground. We need them both in positions of power to right the course for America, which has taken such a wrong turn under Bush and Cheney.

Let me first to say that Obama should have been more politically savvy in handling the Clintons.  The VP vetting issue could've used a more deft touch to lower Clintonite expectations.  And he should be giving more props to the Clinton administration (though his newer stump speech does give a shout out to the Clinton economy).  Obama could do more to sway some straying Clintonites.  But this is about what Hillary needs to do.   Let's be clear: If Obama consolidates Democratic support (meaning if he can win over the most persuadable undecideds), he'll likely win by a comfortable margin.  But he's not there yet.  And if Obama loses and the exit polls show that Hillary dead-enders were the cause, Hillary’s presidential ambition is cooked.  So the speech tonight looms large for the former rivals.  Obama needs her full-throated support; and she needs to provide it.   The stakes are extremely high tonight.  But what must she actually say to help Obama close the deal with her disaffected supporters?

Thoughts on day 1 of the Democratic National Convention as day 2 begins,

I watched most of the convention on CSPAN yesterday, so I (thankfully) missed most of the talking heads and heard all of the speakers.  The big take away for me is this:  Michelle Obama's speech was a home run.  The best of the night.  Ted Kennedy's tribute and speech was very moving and probably should have been bumped later in order for it to be shown on the networks.  

After listening to James Carville trash his party's convention on CNN it struck me that the Clintonistas in the party and the media will never embrace the change that Obama is bringing to the Democratic party. They are wedded to the political methodology that put them in power and cannot imagine there are other possible paths to victory in a presidential election. Like Salmon, they are condemned to return to the waters where they were born. As we watch the ugly spasms of their impending political deaths, we should take heart in their criticism of the way Obama is running his campaign. It is a sure sign that change really is coming.

I was absolutely giggling with glee when I saw Chris Matthews finally give the so called "PUMA's" and the Hillary Clinton Supporters for McCain their big chance to make their case. There were four bottled blonde women holding their McCain sign up, when Matthews walked over and asked them why would they vote for a man whose ideas and policies were the polar opposite of Hillary's.  Their response?

"Barack Obama went to a Madrasa in Indonesia and was a "registered Muslim"!

As some will astutely point out, this is not a full-length diary.  This is a short, simple, and somewhat unscientific test of today's mainstream media meme:  that Democrats are nervous and anxious and chewing their fingernails to bits over whether their convention can bring party unity, and whether their candidate can grab the gigantic polling lead the media insists he really ought to have by now.  

What Obama needs to do? Isn't it frikkin obvious? He needs to FIGHT! He needs to not puss out from getting nasty and attacking McCain! Obama so far has managed to let people keep seeing shades of Kerry in him as a result. And so far, the biggest political story this summer is Obama's refusal to fight! I'm nervous and worried that he's going to stand there and take it, like Gore and Kerry. You can get crazy mad at me for telling the truth, but can you name one Democratic pundit who says Obama is doing an adequate job of fighting back?

For the first time in weeks there is a politician whose last name is in the headlines more than "Obama."  The headlines all read "Clinton this" and "Clinton that" as the onset of a week when Obama is to make a big push to differentiate himself from McCain.  

And the GOP are watching.  As has been noted here already, they took this heightened interest in ongoing Clinton/Obama strife to run ads doing just what we said they would do (6 months ago) - they used the poorly chosen words of Sen. Clinton to undermine Obama.

Even now, as the convention is set to begin this evening, headlines tell us in increasingly strong lanuage of President Clinton's frustrations with the convention.  Despite that FL and MI are being fully seated, Hillary's delegates get a roll call, and the Clintons are getting two out of five nights to speak, what we hear in the press is that the Clintons still aren't happy, that Clinton supporters have been "burned" by the party, and that the PUMA's are a force to be reckoned with.

In the midst of all of this, Obama, his camp, and his supporters are still repeatedly being told that they have to fall all over themselves to appease and please the Clinton "faction" of the party.

More than a new fragrance. It's a temper tantrum in a bottle. Catharsis.

I haven't written here in a long time...rather enjoying the posts and getting geared up for another swing at my sleepless political obsession.  I had to take a short break after the primaries...

I am incredibly excited for the start of the Democratic National Convention.  I anticipate heightened, passionate calls for unity, great presses towards respecting the very nature of the historic primaries and a very needed energy boost for what is turning out to be a long campaign against the Republican smear machine.  I also anticipate vocal support of Clinton and her historic run for the nomination.  Unfortunately, I also anticipate the rare voice of dissension towards Obama.  But EGADS....can we please try to air our dirty laundry outside of the MSM?  Can we try at least to appear like we are being slowly unified? Can Begala and Carville please just take a moment and STFU?

It's time for Joltin' Joe Biden to cut loose. By direct implication, this new ad is calliing Biden a liar. If it is true that Obama didn't pick Hillary because she tells the truth, then one can logically assume that Obama sought a running mate lacking in this specific attribute.

The GOP has been deploying Psychological Operations against the Democrats all year, and it works.  

The trick is to play on tendencies that are near the surface and enhance them, just like you cannot hypnotize someone and get them to kill their best friend but you can get them to do something they would almost have considered doing anyway.  I'm not even going to use the Democratic Primaries as an example of how this works - because that is the prime purpose of the GOP PsyOps, to get us having these conversations - but rather the GOP primaries:

Mormons Dismissed by McCain and the GOP