Why conventions count

Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green- a good speech is a good speech. A great speech brings you to tears. Tonight there were two such orations. Michelle Obama hit one out of the park for herself and her husband. Senator Ted Kennedy made a valedictory speech- a prediction of the future and a Last Hurrah, like Ronald Reagan's buoyant 1988 convention speech. As Chris Matthews noted tonight, he is the Kennedy boy who grew old. Like him or not, he is a man the likes of whom we will not see again soon. How many politicians in their 70s mention gay people in a nationally-televised program? You think Uncle Grumpy will?