DNC, Day 3: Man, This is Painful…

…and apparently that’s his only qualification to be Vice President of the United States of America.

I so wish I’d been on the floor of the FleetCenter last night for Teresa Heinz-Kerry’s speech.
In fact, I think I’m just going to call her Terry Kerry from here on in, just because it rhymes and it makes me chuckle a little.
So…back to her speech. Mrs. Kerry’s address in Prime Time during the Democrat National Convention was the first time a candidate’s wife has delivered a major address at a party convention. After having heard the speech, it might very well have been the last, too.
Now, let me be clear, here. I have no ill-will toward Terry Kerry, nor do I think she’s “bad” or “evil.” She’s out doing what any candidate’s wife would do at this phase in an election cycle–she’s trying to get her husband elected to the Presidency.
That speech of hers, however, was just dreadful. Absolutely dreadful. I know she’s not a public speaker, but she was decidedly more focused and energetic during the campaign stop with the “shove it” comment.
Mrs. Kerry might have provided the best example of why politicians and candidates should do the politicking. She talked more about herself, than she did about her husband, it seemed.
I tuned out mentally when she got to this part:

With John Kerry as president, global climate change and other threats to the health of our planet will begin to be reversed. With John Kerry as president, the alliances that bind the community of nations and that truly make our country and the world a safer place, will be strengthened once more.

It’s good to know that her husband can can reverse the poor environmental conditions reported to exist by his mere inauguration.
I think Kucinich should have gone in her spot. He actually ran for office. I had to re-read Terry’s speech to know exactly what she said again, because it left no real lasting impression at all. It’s a good thing she’s not on the card tonight.
Tonight, Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards will give his speech before the delegates–the night before he formally accepts his nomination as the party’s choice for the second slot. (No, really…that’s how it goes. It’ll happen tomorrow even though he speaks tonight.)
Edwards will tout Kerry’s leadership as “decisive” and “strong,” which is a very predictable statement. He’ll also go on about Republicans as a whole and charge that Republicans are taking “this campaign for the highest office in the land down to the lowest possible road,” and urge the rejection of “the tired, old, hateful, negative politics of the past.”
The only problem–and perhaps you’ll recall this–is that the truth is not negative advertising.
The Republican “issue ads” that are criticized by the left as negative attack ads contain factual data and information from Senator Kerry’s record. They’ll go through this tired old song until the general election in November.
Outsourcing. Jobs. Benefits. Two Americas. They’ll all likely make an appearance tonight in his speech. Edwards will be really good tonight because he’s a superb communicator and is amazingly charismatic. He’ll likely be President someday, but he has to be careful to not outshine the guy at the top of the card.
That’s going to be really tough for him to avoid doing.
Get ready for tomorrow night. The nominee will take the stage tomorrow night to accept his nomination. If you’ve been suffering from sleeplessness, this is a sure-fire way to get over it.
One more day…
William Smith
ConservativeBlogger.com