Mark Warner's speech was dull and selfish. It was all about his Senate race. It didn't fire anyone up, said nothing about Obama, and spoke only to his Virginia voters. If Obama chose him to give the keynote, it was a poor choice. A lot of speakers would have been better: Kucinich, Schweitzer, and if it had to be someone from Virginia - how about Webb?
Some notable take away lines:
From Bob Casey: "That's not a maverick, that's a sidekick."
From Hillary: "No way, no how, no McCain."
But I keep hearing the words of Ted Kennedy whose speech Monday night was remarkable, not just for the courage it showed, but for the metaphor it presented, a metaphor that shows me Kennedy really gets who Barack Obama is.
After a beautiful video tribute to Kennedy, with praises by colleagues interspersed with scenes of Kennedy on his sailboat, we heard the great Senator say "There is a new wave of change all around us, and if we set our compass true, we will reach our destination."
That's the metaphor for Obama. He is one who has set his compass true. He has the destination in his sights, and he isn't letting a few squalls or even major storms detour him. He sees the shore, he is aware of the rocks, and he is not giving up.
The McCain campaign and a few disgruntled Hillary supporters are putting obstacles in his path, and extinguishing the light in the lighthouse. The media is creating storms and focusing on every squall, but Obama has set his compass true. That's what his eyes are on, and that's what our eyes must be on.
