The Acceptance Speech: Obama Descends From the Mountain

Obama's speech was a traditional, Democratic Party, campaign speech, filled with unoriginal conventional Democratic Party nostrums to cure the nation's ills and packed with jabs at Republicans--mainly President Bush. It was not a great speech, not a historic speech, not a stirring speech. I don't see how it could have convinced anyone of anything. The speech had the effect of neutralizing the offensive architectural staging on which Obama spoke; that was a plus, as I had seen the stage set as evidence Obama was a fool. Charles Krauthammer, prominent political commentator, said on Fox News that the speech was politically brilliant. Obama had to demystify himself. He did so by transforming himself from a charismatic Messianic prophet of hope and change into an ordinary Democratic Party politician. Krauthammer believes this was brilliant because the polls show that a generic Democratic politician could defeat McCain, whereas Obama, with his confusing identity and unknowns, would have a more difficult time doing so. Krauthammer thinks that Obama knew intuitively that it was time for him to change his political persona; he has done so. Whether it will be effective, we'll soon see.