  You know you're a political nerd when, all day long, all you could think about was the line-up at the Democratic National Convention. And, oh, what a night it's been! It's one of those moments where you really wished you could be there and part of the incredible energy that you can almost feel seeping through the television. Tonight was a giant night with the biggies of the Democratic Party and each person had his or her own unique message. Let's look at each one. AL GORE urlLink Al Gore , I believe, summed up his message to the Democratic National Convention when he said: GORE: Take it from me -- every vote counts. In our democracy, every vote has power. And never forget: that power is yours. Don't let anyone take it away or talk you into throwing it away.
As we all know, Gore won the election in 2000, but, due to shady practice in Florida, that win was thrown into question (at minimum, 537 votes that were in question) and the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately decided in favor of George W. Bush, disenfranchising people of color and older people from the political process. Many of us are still bitter about that. So, Mr. Gore's message was a battlecry that we MUST feel empowered, we must get out and vote. Per the Kerry/Edwards campaign, Al Gore toned down the vitriol toward the Bush/Cheney campaign and, instead, asked, in a very dignified manner, a series of questions aimed at the Independents, moderates and swing voters: GORE: It is in that spirit, that I sincerely ask those watching at home who supported President Bush four years ago: did you really get what you expected from the candidate you voted for?
Is our country more united today? Or more divided? Has the promise of compassionate conservatism been fulfilled? Or do those words now ring hollow? For that matter, are the economic policies really conservative at all? Did you expect, for example, the largest deficits in history? One after another? And the loss of more than a million jobs?
CNN was reporting that Gore got, with the exception of his "every vote counts" message, a very tepid response. Watching from home, I was inspired. I thought he did wonderfully. JIMMY CARTER From what I understand, urlLink Jimmy Carter 's purpose at the convention was to address foreign policy. In years past, Carter was seen as the man who handed the presidency to the Republicans for twelve years. But, nowadays, we view him as, as one delegate was quoted as saying, the "elder statesman of the Democratic Party. " Carter is seen as a foreign policy expert and has even won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He is now very respected. CARTER: Today, our dominant international challenge is to restore the greatness of America - based on telling the truth, a commitment to peace, and respect for civil liberties at home and basic human rights around the world. Truth is the foundation of our global leadership, but our credibility has been shattered and we are left increasingly isolated and vulnerable in a hostile world. Without truth - without trust - America cannot flourish. Trust is at the very heart of our democracy, the sacred covenant between the president and the people.
Unlike other speakers at the convention, the Kerry/Edwards campaign decided not to vet Carter's speech for direct attacks against the Bush Administration because he is seen, again, as the "elder statesman. " And, Carter did use the opportunity to speak out against the Bush Administration. CARTER: When that trust is violated, the bonds that hold our republic together begin to weaken. After 9/11, America stood proud, wounded but determined and united. A cowardly attack on innocent civilians brought us an unprecedented level of cooperation and understanding around the world.
But in just 34 months, we have watched with deep concern as all this goodwill has been squandered by a virtually unbroken series of mistakes and miscalculations. Unilateral acts and demands have isolated the United States from the very nations we need to join us in combatting terrorism. The media, of course, has been all over the comments, particularly the ones above where Carter specifically says "virtually unbroken series of mistakes and miscalculations. " I think Mr. Carter was wonderful. To me, this is the kind of speech that we need to be hearing rather than shying away from.
I don't know if it will hurt the campaign, but I'm glad Mr. Carter was allowed to make his comments freely. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON There was some controversy about urlLink Hillary Clinton speaking at the Democratic National Convention. Some of her supporters were very vocally angry about it. Ultimately, it was decided that she would introduce her husband, but that she would also give a supportive rallying cry for John Kerry and John Edwards. Mrs. Clinton is seen as a possible presidential candidate down the line. Personally, I would welcome her. I think that she's an incredible woman given a bum wrap in a nation that likes to shy away from the fact that its still inherently sexist.
While some would argue that her purpose there was to appease her supporters, I think she was there to humanize things. To me, the most telling part of her speech was this: CLINTON: We've been through our share of challenges as Americans, from a Civil War to a Great Depression to world wars and more. Today we face a new threat. Being a senator from New York, I saw firsthand the devastation of 9-11. I visited Ground Zero right after we were attacked. I felt like I was standing at the gates of hell. I hope no American ever has to witness a sight like that again. That tragedy changed all of us.
I know it changed me. And every day now, as a mother, as a senator, and as an American, I worry about whether we are acting as wisely as we can to protect our country and our people. In this paragraph, she related to viewers not only as a Senator representing a state, but as a mother as well. BILL CLINTON urlLink Bill Clinton is the hero of the Democratic Party. Some say it's because he was the only Democratic president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt to be voted for more than one term. But, watching him tonight, it only reminded me of why he was so great. He's a charming man who just sucks you in. He doesn't talk in broad erudite terms. Instead, you feel like you're having a conversation with him.
Clinton is a powerful speaker and leader. Actually, Amy asked me who I thought my favorite president was. And, I have to say it was Bill Clinton. Was he perfect? No. But, he brought the conversation about gays in the military into people's homes. Gay was, for the first time in history, a household word. Because of that, I felt not only safer to come out of the closet, but it also galvanized me as an activist. So, I can appreciate some of the "greats" such as the Roosevelts, the Kennedys and the Lincolns, but Clinton's decision to take up the gays in the military issue resonate much more with me emotionally and personally.
Anyway, one can see why they wanted to have him speak three days before Kerry himself. While I've actually become impressed with Kerry's speaking abilities, I have to admit that he's no Clinton. Clinton's purpose at the Convention was to give people hope and remind us of the peace and prosperity we all felt during the Clinton years. Clinton spoke very optimistically, too. Instead of outright attacking, he spoke of "choices:" CLINTON: To build that kind of world, we must make the right choices.
And we must have a president who will lead the way. Democrats and Republicans have very different and deeply felt ideas about what choices we should make. They're rooted in fundamentally different views of how we should meet our common challenges at home, and how we should play our role in the world. He then gave a series of examples of how the two parties differed and would end each sentence with a phrase like: CLINTON: Now, if you like these choices and you agree with them, you should vote to return them to the White House and the Congress.
If not, take a look at John Kerry, John Edwards and the Democrats. We've got a different economic policy. It was incredible and compelling stuff. Clinton got some great response when he said: CLINTON: Now, since most Americans aren't that far to the right, our friends have to portray us Democrats as simply unacceptable, lacking in strength and values. In other words, they need a divided America. But we don't. Americans long to be united. After 9/11, we all just wanted to be one nation. Not a single American on September the 12th, 2001, cared who won the next presidential election.
All we wanted to do was to be one country, strong in the fight against terror, helping to heal those who were wounded and the families of those who lost their loved ones, reaching out to the rest of the world so we could meet these new challenges and go on with our democratic way of life. The president had an amazing opportunity to bring the country together under his slogan of compassionate conservatism and to unite the world in the struggle against terror. Instead, he and his congressional allies made a very different choice. This statement, I believe, expresses the frustrations the Democrats have at the continuous slandering done by the Republicans.
Clinton said the one thing we know -- Democrats are the uniters, Republicans are the dividers. The Republicans just love to make us seem creepy and uncomfortable to the midline voters. But, I think Clinton got the most cheers when he said: CLINTON: But the important thing is not what talents he has, but how he has used them. He chose - he chose to use his talents to improve the lives of people like him who had to work for everything they've got and to help people too often left out and left behind.
And that's what he'll do as our vice president. Now their opponents will tell you... Their opponents will tell you we should be afraid of John Kerry and John Edwards, because they won't stand up to the terrorists. Don't you believe it. Strength and wisdom are not opposing values. They go hand in hand. They go hand in hand, and John Kerry has both.
His first priority will be to keep America safe. The problem with most Republicans is that they love to flair their peacock feathers. Their brand of reckless patriotism is dangerous and, as Jimmy Carter suggested, has wrecked our reputation in the global community. All in all, it was a wonderful evening to watch. I jumped up in the air and gave Bill Clinton a standing ovation. I'm very excited to see what more the convention has to offer. Although, I'm going to find it hard to believe that there will be a line-up more electrifying than tonight. That is, of course, with the exception of Thursday when we all welcome John Kerry officially as the man who will represent us in the battle for the White House. 
