Convention Day2

[delga]

So, as opposed to watching it live or waiting until this afternoon's repeat, I watched this morning's repeat instead.

Before last night (I was reading The Independent and happened to see and article in the Convention coverage section) I had never heard of Barack Obama. Before this morning, I had never heard the man speak.

People don't expect -- people don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. They know we can do better. And they want that choice.

(...)

If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child.

If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription and having to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent.

If there's an Arab-American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.

(...)

That's not what I'm talking. I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.

This man is a strong man. I am by no means an American - I feel this election is important - but Obama touched me, sincerely so, with his words of equality. He made more of an impression on me than Teresa Heinz.

Day3 tonight. We'll see how Edwards measures up.