Obama Obliterates McCain

In Denver, Barack Obama faced his toughest challenge to date. In one crucial week, Obama desperately needed to halt his slide in a spate of recent polls. Facing the serious threat of popular momentum toward his opponent, Barack Obama delivered in the clutch and produced a Democratic National Convention that did much more than merely accomplish its mission.

Obama's ringing acceptance speech thrilled the enormous throng at Invesco Field. Turning the tables on McCain, Obama reversed the polarity of the presidential campaign. Obama's spellbinding oratory came not a moment too soon, but it will certainly catapult him upward in the polls with a renewed momentum that will obliterate the faltering surge of John McCain.

Delivering a historic acceptance speech that can only be compared with FDR and JFK, Obama clearly established his vision for America's future in the heart and mind of Middle America.

Against the backdrop of a convention that started cautiously but gradually found its balance and steadily built its narrative of suspense toward the dramatic climax in Invesco Field, Obama calmly yet passionately defined himself and his prescription for America in radical juxtaposition to the record of George Bush and the agenda of John McCain.

Seventy thousand of the faithful gathered in the massive arena to experience their personal epiphany at the epicenter of the Obama phenomenon. Never before in American history have so many people witnessed such an extraordinary political convention.

On the forty-fifth anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Barack Obama recaptured the moment when America pivoted from the age of Jim Crow to embrace Civil Rights. In captivating his audience, Obama painted a far broader spectrum of hope for positive change than even the redoubtable Dr. King.

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Moving decisively into the process of change at the heart of his vision, Obama exploded every minute particle of the now totally shattered case for John McCain. Pointing to the multifaceted crisis confronting America -- from homelessness to massive unemployment and crushing poverty to the collapse of the mortgage industry then expanding his palette from the unjust war in Iraq to the collapse of confidence on Wall Street -- Obama demolished George Bush's America and his heir apparent, John McCain.

The climactic scene had been set by a succession of acts that left the dual mystery of Obama the man and his compelling vision unresolved. On the first night, Michelle Obama and her two charming daughters, Malia and Sascha, presented the evidence for the human dimension of the movement surging around her husband.

On the second night, Hillary Clinton delivered a statement that both encapsulated her own presence in the presidential arena and moved beyond personality to her endorsement of Barack Obama.

On the third night, Bill Clinton accomplished at least two goals: the outright repudiation of John McCain and the passage of the baton to a new generation led by Barack Obama.

On the same night, Joe Biden confirmed the Clintons and embraced Obama as the leader to take America forward at this precise juncture in American history. There were other flourishes provided by a few convention speakers. Dennis Kucinich delivered the most passionate statement made at the 2008 convention, "Wake Up America." Deval Patrick devastated everything McCain stands for and established himself as a potential player in America's future. But after all was said and done, the leading role was under complete control in the capable and steady hands of Barack Obama.

From Obama's perspective the die is cast, and the limelight now falls directly on John McCain who announces his running mate tomorrow and mounts the podium one week hence to argue against the most articulate presidential candidate of our generation. There is now no doubt, McCain will falter, because his message is outdated. McCain's vision is fading. McCain's specter is entering its final eclipse.

The tides of public momentum are massive and elemental energies. The collision between Barack Obama and John McCain is stirring primeval forces now building waves and crests and currents that ripple and crash against the shoals of time. The uncontrollable reverberations of the Obama-McCain clash are reshaping the courses of power and twisting the torque of the planets, the stars and the galaxies swirling above our tiny nation.

Following Obama's speech, the university channel I was watching broadcast an astronomical report on the conjunction of Mars, the planet of war, and Venus, the planet of love, with Mercury, the planet of intelligence, on the eleventh of September, and that is precisely the date when we shall definitely know which direction the winds of change are blowing. The portents and prospects now favor Obama with a minimum of three hundred electoral votes on the rapidly changing political map of America where several key states are Doppler-shifting from red to purple to blue.

For more Huffington Post coverage of the Democratic National Convention, visit our Politics @ the DNC page, our Democratic Convention Big News Page, and our HuffPost bloggers' Twitter feed, live from Denver.

Comments

[Mikjall]

Were there perhaps two speeches? The one I listened to consisted mostly of empty rhetoric.

[Entebbe1]

Indeed, after witnessing his riveting speech, full of confidence and conviction, I can agree with you re, "the capable and steady hands of Barack Obama." Also of importance was his acknowledgement and reminder to us of our individual value as well as our collective responsibility to come to our Capitol and help direct the course for change.

Thanks for the essay.

[mrlucky]

This is utter nonsense. While I agree with the characterization of McCain that appears here, to suggest that the Obama/Biden ticket offers a genuine alternative is disingenuous. One need only consider the Obama 'team'. Principal foreign policy advisor, Zbignew Brezezenski. Principal economic advisor, Austen Goolbee. And now, of course, as VP the demorcatic party's premier warmongerer, Joe Biden.

Obama is not a peace candidate; and Obama does not have an ecomonic policy that supports the middle class. Sorry folks; but we are in for more of the same. Chicago school 'free trade'; the phony 'war on terror' and escalating confrontation with Russia and China.

What makes Obama even more dangerous than McCain, though, is that he has (with the assistance of people like MC) co-opted much of the left. (It is amazing how effective empty rhetoric and impossible-to-keep campaign promises can be.)

Obama is a political fraud. He is the new 'front-man' for Wall Street and the defense industry. And if you can't see this, count yourself amongst the "terminally naive."

[MalleusMaleficarum]

mrlucky's comment falls flat on its face because it is wrong-headed in its presumptions and wrong in its deductions. mrlucky is wrong-headed in his guilt-by-association methods of painting Obama as identical to his advisors. Even so, Brzezinski has been the most trenchant critic of neoconservativism and the war in Iraq. Austin Goolsbee is an advocate of progressive taxation, ie middle class tax relief -- and therefore strong evidence that Obama will help the middle class and might even address poverty for a change. Obama may not be a peace candidate, but he supports a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq in stark contrast to Bomber McCain. Instead of dropping bombs in Iran, Obama wants negotiations with all the players including Iran, North Korea, Russia and China. Instead of accepting the global war on terror so dear to the hearts of the neocons and their darling, McCain, Obama wants to zero in on Bin Laden in his cave in Pakistan. If anyone is terminally naive is might just be mrlucky -- who is happy to pander right-wing allegations masquerading as progressivism. Anybody else like mrlucky who cannot discern the differences between McCain and Obama is probably suffering from a serious case of self-delusion.

[RagingJerseyBoy]

I hope it is true that Obama will obliterate McCain and the entire Republican agenda, that elemental historical forces have conjoined to launch a new era, that America will truly embark in a totally different direction, that the muck of cynicism and fear will finally be transcended, that McCain's choice of the obscure Sarah Palin as his running mate (my inital thought was 'who's Sarah Palin,' and I had to scroll to the headline near the top of this Web page to make sure I got her first name right) is a last gasp of a struggling campaign and a sign of desperation. Do not forget, though, that there is a tremendous amount of work to be done, and that constant vigilance is needed.

[TrialDate]

Thank you for your insightfulness of what just happen. Most Americans still doesn't realize what happen last night. But, a few of us do. Only the blind people will doubt and to continue to hate. I pray for those their souls. It will be a landslide this election. Again, Thank you Michael Carmichael for a great article.

[MalleusMaleficarum]

McCain has just conceded the election by selecting the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin as his VP. Rumors in Washington confirm that Romney, Pawlenty and others turned down their opportunities to becme McCain's running mate. Palin has an atrocious record. Obama did obliterate McCain in Denver, and Palin proves it.

[KBishop]

But question is, will people vote for the policy or the person? If they vote for the policy then you're right. But if they only want a woman in the whitehouse, then you may be wrong unfortunately.

[rwe]

Not really,,, after the stardust settles... Just compare the state of the state of Illinois over the last 8 years Obama was there and it will be compared... ACTIONS or INACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER TAHN WORDS albeit well spoken words...busing starts next week out of Chicago to north suburbs, crime , healthcare, taxes and corruption.

[djarvis]

Well said. My sentiments exactly!

[PumaAnn]

I've been listening to Mac. I never used to pay any attention to the Republicans. I knew what Bush was going to say before he said it and do before he did it.

I'm not sure the Dems will be successful with this attack. I don't criticize the approach. It's the obvious path, and it's the only one I see open.

But I'm not sure it will work.

Not so oddly, I disagree with my left-wing party members. Attack isn't going to work this year. What Dems must address to win, I think, is to own the reality that America doesn't trust them to deliver, either. BOTH parties are under fire. BOTH parties have let us down. and unless Dems truly address accountability?

I think it's likely we'll see the public split the difference. Dems get congress. Repubs get the white house.

[KBishop]

So what makes the Republican attacks so much more effective? Why does Republican strategy of nothing but negative personal attacks get them the White House?

What about Republican accountability? Have they taken responsibility for going to war under false pretenses? Have they taken responsibility for the unemployment and inflation rates? Or the housing crisis?

[protagonia]

PumaAnn = Operation Chaos.

Always has.

[Turq]

PumaAnn-
I truly HOPE you find PEACE in your heart. I really do. (not being sarcastic)

I HOPE everyone does. The sheer HOPElessness of my countrymen/women really saddens. The founding fathers and anyone who died in the revolution are spinning in their graves over the idiocy that has taken over. ( not calling you an idiot, but the system as a whole.)

[JesustheLiberal]

He was great! I would find it hard for even the meanest cold blooded republic voter to find fault with him.

It reminded me when I saw Ronald Reagan give his speech in 1980. As a die hard liberal, I had to admit on that night in 1980 Ronald Reagan delivered.......much like soon to be President Barack Obama did on this night in 2008!

[donkat]

She did - Peggy Noonan was abysmal on MSNBC. Actually, it was kind of fun watching her cruelty come out because she had nothing else to say. Warning to Ann Coulter - that woman is you in about 40 years.

[PumaAnn]

Noonan was wicked about Hill, too. Maybe she's following Dowd. Hate everyone.

[rmajh5]

The McCain argument for his election would appear to be as follows.

Forget about the issues. Ignore your financial problems, the war in Iraq and the growing gap between the rich and poor in our country. Put aside your concerns about America's infrastructure.

Focus on experience. This is the only issue. Twenty six years in Congress versus four years in Congress.

But I have a problem. I am having a hard time ignoring McCain's early votes against tax cuts for the rich followed by his support of these same tax cuts.

I am having trouble ignoring McCain's support of the war in Iraq and his claim just months into the war that the war was won.

I have a bit of a problem with his support of laws which would deprive women of their freedom to choose in the area of pregnancy.

I am having a problem focusing solely on experience.