Democratic 2008 Narrative Begins to Take Shape

Lest we get too completely caught up in how many houses John and Cindy McCain own or whether Barack Obama is more substance or celebrity, three speakers last night reminded us of what this campaign is all about.

Most of the punditry on Monday night declared Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-MA, the Democratic National Convention’s champion thus far.  Kennedy’s journey to his 13th convention was epic this year.  The ‘lion of the Senate’ is fighting brain cancer after all.  He hasn’t been seen or heard from publicly in months, save one deciding vote cast in the Senate earlier this summer.  Whether or not he would make it to Denver was an open question until the night before.  His niece Caroline’s introduction and a Ken Burns video tribute to him and his career built the drama and then the lion roared:

… For me this is a season of hope — new hope for a justice and fair prosperity for the many, and not just for the few — new hope.

And this is the cause of my life — new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American — north, south, east, west, young, old — will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege. …

… And Barack Obama will be a commander in chief who understands that young Americans in uniform must never be committed to a mistake, but always for a mission worthy of their bravery.

Kennedy, the conscience of the Party, took Denver’s attention off of media-hyped Democratic tensions and put the Party back into ‘Putting People First’ mode.

Michelle Obama, the presumptive nominee’s wife had a tough act to follow — and she nailed it. 

She delivered everything that was asked of her and more with poise and comfortable conviction.  She spoke of American shared values with themes that transcend party and should have done much to dispel the qualms of some who still ask: just who are these Obamas?  And importantly, she reached out to Sen. Hillary Clinton and her supporters, acknowledging the struggles of the primary season while reminding all Democrats of their shared values.

… 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. … People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters – and sons – can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher.

The third speaker to set the tone for Democrats this fall was a Republican.  Former U.S. Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa is the national co-chair of Republicans for Obama.  An expert on finance and banking issues, Leach was a member of Congress widely respected across both parties in Washington.  A sober, well but soft-spoken man, Leach has the deliberate approach of a good college professor.

At the Democratic convention Monday night he explained his break with his own party this year in historical terms.  We are in a time of transformation and change, Leach said, much like the times of Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln before us.  He spoke really of the thinking person putting country before party.  And, he laid forth an indictment of the mistakes of his own party in recent years:

The party that once emphasized individual rights has gravitated in recent years toward regulating values. The party of military responsibility has taken us to war with a country that did not attack us. The party that formerly led the world in arms control has moved to undercut treaties crucial to the defense of the earth. The party that prides itself on conservation has abdicated its responsibilities in the face of global warming. And the party historically anchored in fiscal restraint has nearly doubled the national debt, squandering our precious resources in an undisciplined and unprecedented effort to finance a war with tax cuts.

Throughout Monday, the media played up the potential for party division at this convention.  By 11 p.m. or so in the East, the Democrats were crafting a different narrative — one of unity, constructed for all — and yes, one of hope.