All This Is That

Republican convention was most-watched convention on television--ever

2008-09-06T09:20:00.004-07:00

Closing night of the GOP convention - click to enlarge

By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

Party unity, a TV ratings bonanza, an "energized base," and the Democrats on the run have resurrected what might have been a moribund convention. A few months ago, John McCain almost dropped out of the race, and the party was in shambles. The Republicans leave Minnesota with a new lease on life and the stunned Democratic Party once again playing catch-up.

According to Rasmussen Reports polls, the choice of Sarah Palin as VP candidate is only slightly more popular that Obama's choice of Joe Biden. However, the buzz seems to belie that, when coming off the convention Obama/Biden seem--for the moment--to be little more than a footnote, and an irritating presence to disposed of later in the fall.

The Rasmussen Reports now say that Palin’s favorable ratings are .a point higher than either man at the top of the ticket. As of Friday morning, Obama and McCain are each viewed favorably by 57% of voters. Biden is viewed favorably by 48%.

Senator Obama, however, vowed yesterday to fight back: "We're not going to be bullied, we're not going to be smeared, we're not going to be lied about," Obama said. "I don't believe in coming in second."

Unlike McCain, Obama is still madly fundraising. Last night, Obama attended a $2,300-per-person party at the .home of party fundraiser Phil Murphy. About 200 people, including the Bon Jovis and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, attended.

Republican nominee John McCain can raise no more campaign money because he accepted about $84 million in public funding and the restrictions that go with it. Obama turned down the public funding (and broke an earlier pledge to the voters), in hopes he can raise and spend more on his own.

This next eight weeks promise some excellent political theatre.
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Oprah Winfrey refuses to have Sarah Palin on her show. Sarah: Give All This Is That a call!

2008-09-05T14:54:00.008-07:00

That self-important battleaxe Oprah refuses to have Sarah Palin on her show. She HAS had any number of celebrities, felons, junkies, and liars on, but somehow the Republican VP candidate doesn't make the cut. Come on, Oprah! Aren't you a little bigger than that? Yeah, your man Obama is starting to sweat bullets. . .but you acting like this just plays into the hands of what the Republicans were saying all week. We've at least got to act bi-partisan!

Dear Governor Palin:

Consider yourself lucky to avoid The Oprah Show. We may disagree with you on just about everything, but we'd love to have you here for a chat.

Yours,

The Editors

All This Is That

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John McCain's acceptance speech: "We have failed you. Re-elect us."

2008-09-05T06:00:00.003-07:00

John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican Convention, after kudos to the unnamed 41st and 43rd Presidents, and even Barack Obama and Joe Biden, was less a celebration of the G.O.P. than an admission of failure. He hammered away at the failures of the Bush administration over and over and over. After this speech, it's hard to imagine George Bush ever campaigning for McCain/Palin. I've never heard anything like it. It wasn't a great speech, but then John McCain is not a great orator. He didn't offer a lot of substance, but he probably got the job done. And he left the democrats an incredible array of sound bites on failed Republican policies.

Even his own party blanched at the excoriation and abuse he heaped upon the Bush Administration and all of their enablers (including, of course, many Democrats):

Of the 67 paragraphs in his speech, six focused on Barack Obama. One of those paragraphs praised Obama, and five took issue with his policy. But the most interesting paragraph was one that was met with near silence from the assembled multitude.

He did mention his predecessors, George Bush, although he could not bring himself to actually name them:

"I’m grateful to the President for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the First Lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I’m grateful to the 41st President and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country. "

And then, McCain began to talk about his own President, his own party, and the failed policies of the last eight Republican, years. "I fight to restore the pride and principles of our party. We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us. We lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption."
"We’re going to recover the people’s trust by standing up again for the values Americans admire. The party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan is going to get back to basics."
"We need to change the way government does almost everything"
"I know some of you have been left behind in the changing economy and it often seems your government hasn’t even noticed."
"We have to catch up to history, and we have to change the way we do business in Washington."
"All you ever asked of government is to stand on your side, not in your way."
"when we tell you we’re going to change Washington, and stop leaving our country’s problems for some unluckier generation to fix, you can count on it."
"I’ve fought corruption, and it didn’t matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans. They violated their public trust, and had to be held accountable. I’ve fought big spenders in both parties, who waste your money on things you neither need nor want, while you struggle to buy groceries, fill your gas tank and make your mortgage payment.
"
"I’ve fought to get million dollar checks out of our elections. I’ve fought lobbyists who stole from Indian tribes [Jack note: coincidentally, yesterday, Jack Abramoff received an additional four years in prison]. I fought crooked deals in the Pentagon. I fought tobacco companies and trial lawyers, drug companies and union bosses."
"We lost their trust, when we valued our power over our principles."

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John McCain blows a metaphorical kiss to Barack Obama in the McCain acceptance speech

2008-09-05T00:39:00.004-07:00

"...to Senator Obama and his supporters. We’ll go at it over the next two months. That’s the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other. We’re dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. No country ever had a greater cause than that. And I wouldn’t be an American worthy of the name if I didn’t honor Senator Obama and his supporters for their achievement. "

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Kisses at the GOP Convention

2008-09-05T00:01:00.001-07:00

The Republicans have become the party of the air kiss.

Last night, Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin fired a couple at the attractive crowd of Republicans.

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Sarah Palin blows an air kiss and Joe Biden catches it!

2008-09-04T15:09:00.004-07:00

...Click to enlarge image...

If you look at the current (as of 3 PM PDT) Drudge Report page, you'll see Governor Palin blowing an air kiss. If you look at a photo of Senator "Smilin" Joe Biden on the same page, you'll see that it appears he caught the kiss. . .and loves it.
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Sarah Palin Hits A Triple::::::The Outsider::::::::The Velvet Hammer::::::And she did it from memory, due to a broken Teleprompter

2008-09-04T08:00:00.001-07:00

By Pablo Fanque

All This Is That National Affairs Editor

St. Paul, Minnesota 9-4-2008

Greeted by a tidal wave of applause (not quite at the Triumph of the Will level), Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stood in front of the Republican National Convention last night, and, lord knows how many millions of Americans at home (will they beat Obama's 35 million TV audience?), as a small-town outsider ready to join John McCain in "a tough fight in this election against confident opponents at a crucial hour for our country." She was met with thunderous applause.

Palin appeared immediately after Rudy "9/11" Giuliani softened up the crowd with a full throated and systematic condemnation of Obama and a warm (maybe even heartfelt), embrace of Governor Palin.

She appeared nervous at first, her voice maintaining a nervous edge for the first few minutes. And then, she took off. There were awkward moments in the speech, but almost all of them were immediately followed by crowd-pleasing zingers that brought the convention to its feet again and again.

Amazingly enough, her teleprompter quit working in the middle of the speech. She continued, from memory, to deliver her speech without the teleprompter. Republican websites have already compared this performance to one of Barack Obama's who, when his teleprompter malfunctioned during a recent speech, "was left stuttering before a crowd unable to advance his speech until the problem was resolved."

Palin tore into Obama and Biden, and she did it well. She did everything she needed to do and more. This all adds up to one gnarly dogfight between now and November 4th. I don't think there was a blunder, misstatement, or mistake Obama has made in the last two years that she didn't bring up, and mock. She proved she is no shrinking violet and went into the traditional Republican VP attack dog mode with ease and vigor.

"The American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of 'personal discovery.' This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer," Palin said.

Of course, this speech is one of the critical, but easiest, steps she must take in the next two months. She has the base hooked, now it's time to go after that other pesky 50% of the voters.

There is still that albatross hanging around their necks...The President. I may be wrong, but I don't believe she expended any oxygen talking about President George W. Bush, other than obliquely, to say they would go and clean up Washington.

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Photos: Republican Convention opens in Minnesota

2008-09-03T09:34:00.004-07:00

click to enlarge

click to enlarge the opening cermonies

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Pat Buchanan calls Palin "the biggest gamble in presidential history," and it's "paying off big time"

2008-09-03T00:19:00.006-07:00

According to Pat Buchanan, who's usually worth hearing, even when he's wrong (which is frequently), "McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his co-pilot was the biggest gamble in presidential history. As of now, it is paying off, big-time."

"The sensational selection in Dayton, Ohio, stepped all over the big story from Denver – Barack Obama's powerful address to 85,000 cheering folks in Mile High Stadium, and 35 million nationally, a speech that vaulted him from a 2-point deficit early in the week to an 8-point margin. Barack had never before reached 49 percent against McCain."

"As the Democrats were being rudely stepped on, however, Palin ignited an explosion of enthusiasm among conservatives, evangelicals, traditional Catholics, gun owners and right to lifers not seen in decades."

This is spooky. Read Pat Buchanan's op ed piece here, at World Net Daily.
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Band of Horses videos: The Funeral and Is There A Ghost?

2008-09-02T00:03:00.000-07:00

We saw Seattle's Band of Horses yesterday at the Bumbershoot Festival (along with two great art exhibitions, the usual collection of amusing buskers, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams and a few other folks). Here is a video from their first national appearance, on David Letterman...

And another video of the song Is There A Ghost?, from a more hirsute, later appearance on Letterman:

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Hollywood Newsroom's Sarah Palin Naked Photoshop Contest

2008-09-02T00:01:00.007-07:00

The Hollywood Newsroom has just announced their SARAH PALIN NAKED PHOTOSHOP CONTEST. Thanks to Dean Ericksen, fellow blogger and proprietor of Almost There In No Time for this tip. Environmentalist, ethicist, and all-round excellent homo sapien Ericksen comes up with this stuff from Gawker and Defamer so we don't have to. I believe his gym is on the same block as his work. . .which plays out OK. Whenever I read Gawker or Defamer, I almost always feel like I could use a shower. . .
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Offended by "uppity" Obama, Cindy McCain suggests he "doesn't know his place"

2008-09-02T00:01:00.006-07:00

By Pablo Fanque

All This Is That National Affairs Editor

Cindy McCain told George Stephanopoulos in an interview that Barack Obama has deeply offended her. Democrats' attacks on her family's wealth "are unfair and offensive," Cindy McCain said today in an interview airing tomorrow on This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

As you know, the Democrats have relentlessly pummeled Sen. John McCain, (R-Ariz.) for saying he doesn't know how many houses he owns, calling the Republican presidential candidate out of touch with The People. In his acceptance speech at the Democratic convention on Thursday, Democratic nominee Barack Obama cranked up the heat on McCain, saying he "doesn't know" about the lives of middle-class Americans.

"I'm offended by Barack Obama saying that about my husband," said McCain's wife Cindy. When asked if Obama went too far in his criticism of McCain, Cindy responded, "I do. I do. I really do."

In a follow up telephone interview with All This Is That's National Affairs Editor Pablo Fanque, Cindy McCain went even further, calling Barack Obama "uppity," and wondering aloud if perhaps he "doesn't know his place?"

Pablo Fanque asked "his place? What does that mean" to which Cindy McCain responded

"I question whether someone like Barack Obama has the right to challenge anything an American hero like John McCain says or does. Anything. John McCain spent five years in an enemy prison camp. And Obama is kicking dirt in the face of a man who suffered so families like his could be free. How dare he question anything an American Hero like John McCain says or does," she continued, "He doesn't seem to realize how lucky he is," she said, "or what a magnificent gift he has been given." "But this gift he has been so lucky to receive," McCain said, "doesn't mean he can kick sand in the face of the person who gave so much in to assure his freedom. There are limits to the first amendment. And Barack Obama has crossed them."

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Is it just the lefties, or is something fishy with the Sarah Palin maternity news?

2008-09-02T00:00:00.002-07:00

One of our readers emailed me yesterday (I hesitate to use his/her name because it wasn't clear if it was OK), saying that "It's a backdated story intended to clear the air. In a few weeks Bristol will 'miscarry.'

Well, yeah. The original story, whether it offended you or not, had some salient points. The story about the flight back to Alaska after the Governor's water broke, the birth at a small town hospital, and the photographic evidence of a very unpregnant looking Sarah Palin not long before the birth, and some of the other facts and factoids, give one pause. I don't really want this story, or the rumors and innuendo, to be true. I'd rather have a fair dogfight. But the original story, and the sudden press release about Bristol's pregnancy. . .it just doesn't quite fit. There are a couple of pieces of the jigsaw puzzle missing. Even my wife, who is probably one of All This Is That's most skeptical readers (and whose IQ bests JFK's) says these stories just don't make sense....something is wrong, something is being left out. I don't know what it is. Yet.

I'd much prefer this story died and that we got on to the serious business of political Hardball. But something is nagging at me, and I don't feel like we have this story wrapped up with a bow quite yet. Maybe the story dies out tomorrow, once the Republican convention gets into full swing (now that their plans to heroically jet down to New Orleans have fizzled). Or maybe tomorrow we get hit with the next shock wave. In the end, I am sure the story will not be as nefarious as some of the hyper-left blogs and websites are hoping it may be. But I don't think we have the full picture yet. I am so befuddled by this whole imbroglio that I am turning it over to our National Affairs Editor Pablo Fanque to follow up. Along with the whole next 65 days of this political season. I prefer more solid ground like poetry, art, music, Alien Lore, pranks, and conspiracy theories!

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Sarah Palin announces her daughter is pregnant, and will marry the father

2008-09-01T09:59:00.007-07:00

The Palins

After the blog explosion over the weekend (including All This Is That) over the maternity of her son Trig, Sarah Palin put the wild speculation and rumors to rest by announcing that her daughter Bristol is five months pregnant, and will marry the father. The crux of the speculation is that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child's out of wedlock son.

"We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us," the Palins' statement said. "Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support."

John McCain knew about the pregnancy when he chose Palin last week as his running mate, and decided that it was not a deal-breaker.

Campaign officials said the news of Bristol's pregnancy has been released to squelch the "mud-slinging and lies" circulating on liberal blog sites.

John McCain and Sarah Palin, from the mid-calf down
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Triggate: daughter Bristol, not Sarah Palin is the mother of her newborn "son"?

2008-08-31T18:03:00.010-07:00

Sarah Palin 7 months pregnant in 1989

Sarah Palin "7 months pregnant" in 2007

Is Sarah Palin not the mother of her newborn "son"? If this has even a whiff of truth to it--and it looks like it does--the Presidential race just got even more interesting. Daily Kos is claiming, along with other blogs and websites, that Sarah Palin claimed to be the mother of her recently born child, when in fact it was her 17 year old daughter's son.

More possible evidence?

If this is true, the next question is, how did they cover this up through the vetting process? Or were McCain's team so eager to get her on board, they didn't think it would be that big a deal? Is McCain himself part of a cover-up?

Check out the Daily Kos for more potential pictorial and video evidence...

When not even Matt Drudge has picked up the story, you have to wonder about its veracity...but on the other hand, the story on Kos is pretty convincing, and damning.

It may be time to call in Joe Lieberman!!!

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Alien Lore No. 137 - A Montage of alien hostages captured by the U.S.

2008-08-30T00:02:00.001-07:00

This video reprises, with a suitably creepy score, many of the famous alien/grey/hybrid/Martian photos that have been circling the internet for many years now. You may have seen some them previously here in Alien Lore Nos. 1-136.

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OK, they're not named Sunshine or Serenity, but Sara Palin's kids do sound like they were named by hippies

2008-08-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Sara Palin's kids sound like they were named by hippies (missing from picture: Trig):

Track, Bristol, Trig, Willow, and Piper.
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Happy Birthday to Senator John McCain!

2008-08-29T22:47:00.001-07:00

click to enlarge

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Shocker: Sara Palin chosen by McCain for VP slot

2008-08-29T08:14:00.010-07:00

'
Governor Sara Palin rolling out the new Alaska quarter...

By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain shocked almost everyone by choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Campaign officials fed the news to NBC News this morning. Senator McCain passed over Mitty Romney, Kay Hutchinson, Joe Lieberman, and Tim Pawlenty when he opted for Palin. Alaska Governor Sara Palin has only occasionally been mentioned as a VP possibility, and has not really appeared on the leaked "short lists" of late. What seemed to tip the scales is a) the female factor; b) her pro-life position; c) the babe factor; and d) the "common folk" factor ("Well, shucks, she's just people like you and me"). The anti-abortion governor has less experience than Barack Obama and is virtually unknown outside Alaska and the northwest. But she is Christian, she was mostly unexpected, she's pro-life, she's not a Mormon, was never a Democrat, and has never feuded with John McCain (which sank Hutchinson's chances).

Palin is also currently under investigation by an independent investigator the state legislature hired to find out whether she tried to have a state official fire her ex-brother-in-law from his job as a state trooper.

In an August interview with CNBC’s Larry Kudlow, she could not answer the question of whether she wanted the VP slot:

“until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day. I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here….”
She is the first woman and the first Alaskan on a Republican presidential ticket. Palin, 44, was elected Alaska's first woman governor in 2006.

Sara Palin has made at least one previous appearance on All This Is That: http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com/2007/04/salute-to-two-political-milfs-governor.html

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November 4, 2008

2008-08-29T01:10:00.003-07:00

November 4, 2008 - All I can say after this last inspiring week of the Democratic love-fest is that November 4th looms large and may well be my favorite day in the last 12 years (since November 5, 1996, when we voted in the last Democratic President).

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The Hug: McCain hugs Bush and readies himself for four more years!

2008-08-29T00:43:00.002-07:00

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John McCain: "Senator, job well done." - Obama rocks the house in his acceptance speech

2008-08-29T00:29:00.005-07:00

Senator McCain was in Ohio as Obama spoke, but after a series of negative convention week commercials, his campaign aired a one-night advertisement that complimented Obama and noted the speech occurred on the anniversary of King's famous address. Hey, this campaign showed just a hint of gracia, for the first time in a long time...

"Senator Obama, this is truly a good day for America. Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say, 'Congratulations,'" McCain says in the ad. "How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight Senator, job well done."
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The worst wedding ever: the nightmare marriage of Maria del Pozzo della Cisterna to Amadeo, the Duke of Aosta and son of the King of Italy

2008-08-28T23:32:00.002-07:00

I've been to some strange weddings over the years, but none matches what happened at the Princess Maria del Pozzo della Cisterna's marriage to Amadeo, duke of Aosta (and son of the king of Italy) on May 30th, 1867. On the day of Princess Maria and Duke Amadeo's wedding:

Her page (e.g., wardrobe mistress) hanged herself.

The gatekeeper of the palace where the wedding took place, slit his throat (possibly because he was in love with the page?). Slitting your own throat cannot be a cakewalk. But the gatekeeper did it, successfully.

The Colonel who led the wedding procession, collapsed with a "sun stroke," or heat exhaustion, and died.

After the marriage ceremony, the station manager was crushed beneath the wheels of the honeymoon train as it was leaving.

One of the king's advisers fell off his horse and died immediately.

The best man, presumably after witnessing all of this f**ked up stuff, shot himself.

Not long after the marriage ceremony, The Princess discovered her new husband was a degenerate philanderer with an eye for the gals. When she complained to his dad, the King of Italy, the King told her to pound sand.

Three years after this series of tragic events, Amadeo was elected the King of Spain. But Spain was so factionalized that he was unable to muster popular support, and his rule was punctuated by violent uprisings by and among the various warring political factions. He abdicated the Spanish throne in 1873 and went back to Italy. Maria della Cisterna died three years later, nine years after their disastrous wedding.
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The last playground ditty: "On top of spaghetti"

2008-08-27T00:06:00.002-07:00

Interestingly, the last playground rhyme I can remember is probably the most violent one. And it's always the teachers and principals who get the harshest treatment. I can't say I'm proud we sang these songs, but that's life; we did. And of all the people I went to school with, I don't recall any of them committing an act of violence (except the occasional knuckle-head fight in a bar or in the alley). Like I said earlier, I think these songs now would be cause for suspension or even expulsion. Back then, the songs were sick fantasies. Today, they could well be scripts or dress-rehearsals. . .

[to the tune of "On Top Of Old Smokey"]

On top of spaghetti, all covered in blood,
I shot my poor teacher with a 40 foot stud.

I shot her with glory, i shot her with pride,
I couldn't have missed her she was 40 feet wide.

I went to her funeral, I went to her grave,
Some people threw flowers, I threw a grenade.

I opened her coffin--she wasn't quite dead,
So I took a bazooka and blew off her head!
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Barack's dispatch on "The Speech" by Michelle Obama & the speech video

2008-08-27T00:02:00.004-07:00

Barack sent an email to the faithful, or at least those of us who have signed up, about his wife's excellent speech last night. Interestingly, my wife Keelin thought Michelle's speech paled in comparison to Senator Clinton's the next night (I am just about to watch it, in case you thought this was some sort of Frenchified Real Time Blogging®). I'm not so sure...although Hillary is fully capable of hitting it out of the park for Obama. I think she probably will. Whatever you think of Hillary and The Clintons in general, I think you know in your heart of hearts she will come out slugging and she will come out hard-core and absolutely for Barack Obama. Let's face it...there are very few core values Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama do not share. Tonight's the night for her to convince that curmudgeonly, recalcitrant, and intractable 30% of her supporters that can't get behind nominee Obama that they would not only be betraying Clinton herself, but the Democratic Party, and everything they fought for as Obama supports as well. Hold tight; let's see.

Obama's email:

Jack -

I am so lucky to be married to the woman who delivered that speech last night.

Michelle was electrifying, inspiring, and absolutely magnificent. I get a lot of credit for the speech I gave at the 2004 convention -- but I think she may have me beat.

You have to see it to believe it.

And make sure to forward this email to your friends and family -- they'll want to see it too.

You really don't want to miss this.

And I'm not just saying that because she's my wife -- I truly believe it was the best speech of the campaign so far.

Barack

Here is the video of the speech, in case you missed it:

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