Always save the best for last. B.O's speech made real thinking American's forget about the other speakers and what they said, although most of them said some of the same things, He said it better and with more heartfelt conviction than they did. Hillary/Bill sounded nice. She is learning to speak without sounding like she's screaming into a megaphone, to her credit. But from her who hasn't heard the same stuff. Change means change, and Hillary/Bill does not represent change, as B.O. and other thinking Americans recognize.

The energy at the J-J dinner last night was incredible and Obama was *magnificent*. There's no question they saved the best candidate and speech for last--11:00 p.m.! Obama was on the top of his game last night and his speech without a doubt was the best. That shouldn't be a surprise given he's the best candidate!
Fired Up-Ready to Go! Obama '08!

Say goodnight, Hillary.

As Americans get to know Barack Obama, his honesty, passion, and commitment to bringing this nation together will shine through. Barack Obama will unite this nation to confront the problems we face.

The Swamp never managed to write an article about the same "influential" David Yepsen's review of Obama's last debate performance. From Yepsen's Nov. 1 column:

"Barack Obama, whose poll numbers are flat, had promised to get more aggressive with Clinton but he didn't. He sometimes seemed disjointed and was unable to give a good sound bite."

Guess the Swamp writers think Yepsen's an influential, quotable genius when he praises Obama, but isn't to be quoted when he disses the Trib reporter's modern Messiah.

I think that these long-format speeches are Obama's most effective format. He's pretty good in debates, but when he gets the chance to introduce all the factors of his decisionmaking and then discuss his policies as part of a greater whole, that's when people really respond to what he is talking about.

Brucie:
Wrong again. Obama has been moving up in the polls lately. It must be difficult for you to follow someone who actually has clear thoughts and says something of substance.
Much easier for you to understand "Bring it on."

Byron York's take on the Dem speeches:

"It seemed that much of [Obama's speech] was based on his assertion that he's the best candidate because he's the best candidate. For example, he offers

"A party that doesn’t just offer change as a slogan but real, meaningful change, change that America can believe in. That’s why I’m in this race, that’s why I’m running for the Presidency of the United States, to offer change that we can believe in!"

Well, there you go.

For her part, Clinton addressed criticism that no one knows where she stands. Nonsense, she said – she stands where she stands, which is where she's been standing for years and where she will continue to stand if she is elected president."

It must be frustrating for those who at least pretend to believe the Obama hype, that Obama is nonetheless trailing so badly in the Dem polls.

It was a day of contrast. Obama was brilliant. Hillary was Hillary, same-o, same-o. The days of planting questions, setting up hecklers to give a smart-smiley response etc. are going to come to an end after Jan.3rd. Obama shines like the evening star, while Hillary is sucking like a black hole. There is no light coming from Blackhole Hillary. As an Iowan, I was glad to see and hear Obama talk issues, and was bored to death listening to Hillary. Mr.President Obama, Iowans salute you.