This isn’t particularly important, but does it strike any of you message-wonks out there as strange that they picked tax evading, pot smoking (both of which, for the record, I’m totally game for) Willie Nelson to play ahead of the last set of speeches?

I half-expected to see him backed up by Keith Richards, Courtney Love and Jacko after being introduced by Robert Downey Jr.

If we’re going to push things in this direction, we might as well break out Janet Jackson’s other breast.

At least the networks would start giving this thing some heavy coverage.

Wes Clark was great on paper as candidate. Smooth on television. Great military career. Energetic, honest, good looking.

But Clark never really amounted to all that much as a politician (and I’m not writing that as criticism).

Tonight, Clark left Wes the candidate behind and showed up as Wes the soldier. It is there, as himself, where he is at his best. This soldier’s story left viewers with a strong message. It is one we’ll see later in the evening. It’s about words v deeds. It’s about not letting any Party corner the market on patriotism or defense. Candidate Clark never really got going. Solider Clark? Once again, the story ends with the words: Mission accomplished.

“War. I’ve been there. Heard the thump of enemy mortars. Seen the tracers fly. Bled on the battlefield. Recovered in hospitals. Received and obeyed orders. Sent men and women into battle. Awarded medals, comforted families, attended funerals. And this soldier has news for you: Anyone who tells you that one political party has a monopoly on the best defense of our nation is committing a fraud on the American people. Franklin Roosevelt said it best: “Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.

“This hall and this party are filled with veterans who have served under this flag – our flag. We rose and stood reveille to this flag. We saluted this flag. We fought for this flag. And we’ve seen brave men and women buried under this flag. This flag is ours! And nobody will take it away from us.”

I know sometimes (and this trend will only accelerate tonight) it seems like the balloon volunteers get all the credit.



But being here, I can tell you that one of the most amazing, stressful and difficult jobs is done by the folks who distribute the placards (and they look like just regular Americans). In between speeches, they emerge from nowhere wearing traffic director’s bibs and carrying hefty bags filled with the latest signs for the latest speech. They work their way through aisles where there is no room to move. They always look like they can’t get it done and then boom, there’s the Obama sign with the Obama speech and so on and so on.

It seems like such a ridiculous detail. But can you imagine a political speech without a placard? I am as much about the balloons and confetti as the next guy. But tonight, Placard People, I salute you.

There is usually a moment during a rock concert, shortly after it begins, when the lead singer calls out to the lighter-holding, semi-sober, huddled masses:

“Hey. How you folks doing out there tonight? It’s great to be back in the name of your city here.”

And the place always goes nuts.

That sums up the environment here tonight. It is hours before Kerry will walk on the stage and I can already tell you that any question of having the show stolen by great speakers like Clinton and Edwards earlier in the week has already been answered.

The place is packed. It’s hot. We’re crammed in, sweaty shoulder to shoulder. It’s like being bumped around in an issues-oriented mosh pit. And the buzz is remarkable. At least inside the arena, even a phone book reading by Kerry will completely dwarf the rest of the week’s events.

The video montages are getting ovations.

I swear, if Kerry comes out here and asks: “How you folks doing out there tonight?” — the place will go berserk.

It doesn’t read like it’s the easiest speech in the world to deliver, but the first test of John Kerry and his speech writing team has already been passed by a wide margin. The speech has the messages and the bang to do the job. More importantly, it is written to perfectly reflect the personality of the speaker. And that after all is the goal of this entire week.

Here are a few outtakes to peruse before the speech is delivered:

“So tonight, in the city where America’s freedom began, only a few blocks from where the sons and daughters of liberty gave birth to our nation — here tonight, on behalf of a new birth of freedom — on behalf of the middle class who deserve a champion, and those struggling to join it who deserve a fair shot — for the brave men and women in uniform who risk their lives every day and the families who pray for their return – for all those who believe our best days are ahead of us – for all of you — with great faith in the American people, I accept your nomination for President of the United States.”

…

“In these dangerous days there is a right way and a wrong way to be strong. Strength is more than tough words. After decades of experience in national security, I know the reach of our power and I know the power of our ideals.

“We need to make America once again a beacon in the world. We need to be looked up to and not just feared.

“We need to lead a global effort against nuclear proliferation – to keep the most dangerous weapons in the world out of the most dangerous hands in the world.

“We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances. And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win. The future doesn’t belong to fear; it belongs to freedom.

…

“My fellow citizens, elections are about choices. And choices are about values. In the end, it’s not just policies and programs that matter; the president who sits at that desk must be guided by principle.

“For four years, we’ve heard a lot of talk about values. But values spoken without actions taken are just slogans. Values are not just words. They’re what we live by. They’re about the causes we champion and the people we fight for. And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families.

“We value jobs that pay you more not less than you earned before. We value jobs where, when you put in a week’s work, you can actually pay your bills, provide for your children, and lift up the quality of your life. We value an America where the middle class is not being squeezed, but doing better.”