Oral Exam

Obama's speech itself, on the other hand, was even better on TV than in person. I thought the it was terrific, presidential, strong, strong, passionate.

For three decades, every Democratic presidential nominee has mounted the stage and told the country, "Don't worry, I'm not like the other Democrats." In polls Obama runs markedly behind the generic Democratic brand. He stood up and said, "Don't worry—I am like other Democrats."  In passages it was far more explicit about the role of government than Democrats usually allow themselves to be. He did so by talking in values terms, about rewarding work and government's mutual responsibility.

He of course did what I had hoped he would do, by setting out a specific policy agenda.  He said we would not make "small plans," borrowing from on of my favorite quotes—from Daniel Burnham, the famous Chicago architect, "Make no small plans. They will fail to stir humanity's blood, and will not be built anyway."  In other speeches, when he turns to policy, he can sound like he's reading talking points. Not tonight.  He invested the policy talk with real passion.  He slyly used a Martin Luther King, Jr. riff, announcing "now is the time!" as he unveiled tax cuts and energy policies.

The other striking thing is how hard he went after John McCain and the Republicans. He was fierce. He shouted "enough!"  When he declared, "John McCain wants to follow Osama Bin Laden to the gates of hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives," he seemed genuinely angry. "We need a president who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past." But I didn't think that he seemed shrill, even on television. It reminded me, actually, of old footage of Reagan. In 1980, Reagan was far from the grandfatherly figure we remember. He was the candidate of backlash, and in some ways, Obama is too.

Some things could have been done better. It went on a little long (of course, I worked on those Bill Clinton speeches, so who am I to complain?). He was so eager to show he understood other people's problems that he kept inserting them into passages that didn't need it, such as the end. There was no attempt to give his program a moniker.

But in all, it was a very, very effective political speech, with flashes of real eloquence all through and a breathtaking finish evoking King's speech. A friend joked, "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country"—but it's hard to think of a speech that made listeners prouder.

Joe Biden and Bill Clinton:
Posted at 11:50  p.m. ET Aug 27

MICHAEL GERSON

On Monday, Barack Obama claimed that his convention speech will be "more workmanlike" and not have "a lot of high rhetoric"—but that will not be good enough. His dramatic stadium setting and historic nomination require an ambitious, memorable speech, which reasserts his themes of unity and national healing, reassures Americans questioning his qualifications, and defines a cause larger than his own biography, ambition and destiny.

MICHAEL WALDMAN

As the first nominee since Reagan to triumph largely due to "The Speech," Obama faces Rockies-high expectations. It's time for him to focus on a clear agenda — what is his vision of the role of government, the state of the economy, America's place in the world? Senator, don't tell us your story, tell us our story.

Big Speeches from Bill Clinton and Joe Biden
Posted at 12:30  a.m. ET Aug 28