Our Op/Ed Page editor, Cindy Paris, recently exchanged thoughts about the Democratic Convention with her daughter, Lindsey. Here’s the discussion:

Lindsey,
We’re in Day 4 of the Democratic Convention now, anticipating Obama’s acceptance speech at Mile High tonight. I know you were a very strong Hillary Clinton supporter during the primaries. What do you think, how do you feel about what’s happening in Denver with the Democrats?

Mom,
  I still consider myself a strong Hillary Clinton supporter, and the reason I supported her was because I thought she could deliver on the promise of restoring the security and economic stability of the United States; redeem America’s image around the world; help bring the war in Iraq to a successful end, allowing our troops to come home with Iraq safely in the hands of its own people; create millions of new jobs; give all Americans health care; and ensure a much brighter future.  These are exactly the promises Barack Obama has campaigned on with such eloquence and inspiration, and each day I become more confident that he can and will deliver.  The Democratic leadership stands with Barack Obama now, and millions of Americans are joining the effort to take back the country.  I’m very excited about the upcoming election.

Lindsey,
  I, too, think Obama can deliver—to the extent that the president can and must be the leader who sets the tone and direction for the country. This is Obama’s greatest strength—his audacity of hope, and the ability to speak it and inspire it in others.
  Most of the talking heads are looking for more red meat: “When will the Democrats come out fighting about .....“ well, you name it: the economy, Iraq, terror. So I’ve listened to the speeches with an ear toward substance, and have found it lacking, when compared with the amount of team-building that’s going on. However, the team-building has been absolutely necessary: for the different factions of the party to be on the same page, and, more important, to inspire the party itself to get back in the game. As Biden’s dad told him, “Champ, it’s not about getting knocked down; it’s about getting back up.“

Mom,
  Some of the talking heads will never be satisfied.  For months after Hillary endorsed Obama in June, they still speculated skeptically about whether or not the party would be united by the convention.  Now that it’s so obvious that Obama’s most enthusiastic supporters, those who traveled to Denver to see him accept the nomination for president, have so much respect for Bill and Hillary Clinton, and more importantly, now that it’s clear that Hillary and Bill are throwing their full support behind Barack Obama, the narrative as to whether or not the party is unified sounds ridiculous.  This team-building, as you called it, has helped me and other Hillary supporters not only to support Obama, which most of us already did at least since June, but also to dedicate ourselves to investing in his candidacy.  We’re fired up and ready to go.  But that doesn’t make a good story.  So the talking heads talk about what else the Dems should be doing.  They could have stopped talking and listened… to Dennis Kucinich, for example, who gave an impassioned indictment of the Bush administration, or to John Kerry, who presented McCain as the ultimate flip-flopper.  Both Clintons and Biden also illustrated the enormous contrast between Barack Obama and John McCain, and it’s so clear that Obama is the one who has the right direction in mind for our country.

 

Lindsey,
      So now we’ve got the direction, AND the Democrats’ boots on the ground, “fired up and ready to go.“ There was direction in what Biden said, in what both Hillary and Bill Clinton said, and yes, in what John Kerry said—although I had to change the channel 3 times to hear what he was saying rather than the running commentary from each and every talking head in front of a TV camera.
      But before we leave the convention, I want to say a bit more about Michelle Obama’s speech Monday night. Here’s the piece that touched me:
   

“I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history, knowing that my piece of the American dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me…. All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do. That we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack’s journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope.“

  “The thread that connects our hearts.“ She spoke to the “people connection” I’ve been yearning for, the community that’s been missing—that at least I haven’t felt a part of —for the entire Bush presidency. There’s a difference between just seeing something done and knowing that you’re a part of it. Obama asks for my participation, my input, and shares the faith that the whole of America can be, should be—indeed, really is—already on the same page. I believe in that community, that piece of the American Dream. 

Mom,
  I was also moved by Michelle Obama’s speech on Monday, and I think you’ve hit the nail on the head when you say that you believe in the community of possibility and hope, that piece of the American Dream.  I’m sure tonight Barack Obama will inspire all of America to remember and live out that dream… on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King’s declaration of his dream of racial and social equity and harmony.  We’ll probably get a little more “red meat” too, but overall, tonight will not be about the mistakes of the past but the promises of the future.
  We stand at another crossroads of history, and we have a choice between further eroding our economy, squandering our national security, and isolating ourselves from the rest of the world through more unpopular, unnecessary war, or rebuilding our standing in the world and securing a bright future.  After eight years of losing health care, jobs, and lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, of losing our dignity in the eyes of the world as we redefine torture and hold prisoners without trial, of forgetting the foundation of our Constitution, this election is not simply about a battle between Democrats and Republicans.  This is about being on the right side of history, as Dr. King was, on the side of progress and peace and prosperity.  The effectiveness of Barack Obama’s leadership depends upon the American people realizing that we each have a role to play in making America a more perfect union.  It’s more than a dream, it’s a vision enshrined in our Constitution, it is our birthright, and Americans from all walks of life can unite with Barack Obama and make this vision a reality.
 

Lindsey,
  I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Our Op/Ed Page editor, Cindy Paris, recently exchanged thoughts about the Democratic Convention with her daughter, Lindsey. Here’s the discussion.