Live Blog- Thursday in Denver

7:32PM- Real life takes a back seat to the bizarre for me.  Yes, more speeches about moving forward not backward.  I don’t know what that means, but it sure does sound good.  On MSNBC, my former congressman, Harold Ford, Jr., still trying to sound like a Republican.  “I agree with my Republican colleague that this convention is only a B+”.  Now, he is campaigning for McCain telling a story about McCain hitting his head on a helicopter.  Man, how did he win the 9th talking like that.

7:37PM- Baby Ford just channeled both Jesse Jackson and Johnnie Cochran at the same time.  “If he makes the case, he’ll win the race.”  Dr. Seuss would be impressed.

7:40PM-Why do people still listen to Donna Brazile?  Her only “expertise” is losing an election with a sitting vice president during the strongest economy in 50 years.  At least Bob Schrum had Michael Dukakis, what’s your excuse Donna?

7:44PM- Michelle Obama looks like she is being choked by two blue carnations.  HOT!!!!

7:45 PM- Looking through some other blogs, FiveThirtyEight has new polling with Obama up 13 in New Mexico and up 5 in Nevada.  Interesting.

7:48PM- Correction: Michelle Obama is being chocked by 4 blue carnations.

7:49PM- James Carville is the only grown up(did I just say that?) on CNN.  Do these people think that Bubba is going to tear Obama to shreds tonight?  It sure does sound like that.

7:55PM- In breaking news, Barack Obama is flying to Greece to accept his nomination at the Parthenon.

7:57PM-Drudge is reporting that McCain has decided on his running mate, and yes, he has chosen Chuck Norris from Delta Force.

8:01PM- Rep. Meek blew his introduction load at the beginning of his speech.  A definite no-no.  Does Bill Clinton only have that one powder blue tie?

8:03PM-Michelle Obama looks in much better spirits tonight than when Hillary spoke yesterday.  By the way, does anyone else remember the last time Bill Clinton introduced someone at the National Convention?  I bet Dukakis does.

8:09PM- My internet is as stop and go as this speech is.  Not so good so far.

8:10PM-Bill doesn’t have the fire tonight.  Maybe, he is trying to be serious Bill or maybe he just doesn’t care.

8:12PM-He does seem sincere.  Bill has always been expert in knowing his audience.  Maybe no better politician in my lifetime.

8:14PM-Why don’t the Dems not focus on Bush more?  I haven’t heard his name once during Clinton’s speech.  They are really missing a great talking point.

8:18Pm- Is Bill talking about the same autistic children that HIllary mentioned?  You can’t double dip a hard luck story.

8:19PM-Even as he istalking about the Republicans, he still won’t say Bush’s name.

8:26PM-Clinton just finished up.  I believe his speech, while toned down from normal Clinton fare, will be effective.  He laid out the case and finally went after the foreign and domestic policy plunders of Bush and Company.

8:37PM-Joe Biden coming up soon.  I would love to hear him mock George Bush’s “they haven’t lead  and we will” acceptance speech in 2000.  They haven’t led and the American people need to be reminded of that.  Going back to Clinton’s speech, it does exactly what Obama needs….to set out the reasons for an Obama presidency and against a McCain presidency.  By the way, John Kerry has some anger left over from 2004.  He is going after Bush like my German Shepherd after a T-Bone.

8:43PM- Nice touch with Obama’s uncle.  I just wish that Biden had done that instead.  No one is watching right now.

8:49PM- McCain will announce his VP Friday morning. The speculation is still between Lieberman, Romney, Ridge, and Pawlenty.  I just can’t believe that the Republicans will be excited about Lieberman?  McCain is still running ads targeting Hillary supporters.  Does he honestly believe that this is the best use of his money?  I guarantee when he has only public funds after his convention he won’t waste money on such a small section of the electorate.

9:00PM-Wolf Blitzer-”Stephen Spielberg has worked REALLY hard on this amazing video.”

9:07PM-Tom Hanks is starting to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s little brother.  A very good video..very moving. I’m sure Repubs will say that Spielberg hates America.  FYI, Wolf Blitzer has a puppy crush on Stephen Spielberg.

9:13PM-CNN confirms Drudge’s McCain story.  He will announce his VP early Friday morning and will probably leak the story tomorrow afternoon.  Is there anyway he would pick Meg Whitman?

9:17PM-This woman is HORRIBLE!!!!!! Quincy Lewis just making Joe Biden look horrible and the Democrats like 60’s socialists.  Nice Harold Dean moment.  What could be better than that?  Follow with Nancy Pelosi.

9:24PM-Beau Biden looks like he should play a TV President.  FYI, he literally says literally as much as his dad…literally.  How many times tonight will we hear about the deaths of his child and first wife?  4 or 5 times so far.  It’s a moving story, however, there could be a backlash if you use it too much.

9:28PM-Looks like John Kerry has impressed.  Beau Biden is a great speaker.  Give him some seasoning and he might be running for President.  Here comes Joe.

9:31PM-Joe Biden has borrowed Bil Clinton’s tie.  Nice line about his wife. “Leaves me breathless and speechless.”

9:35PM-Joe Biden’s mother is priceless.  On the verge of tears with pride.  CNN has shown her more than Joe.  I know what you’re wondering….Yes, Yes she accepts the nomination to battle Chuck Norris in a Vice Presidential Debate.

9:39PM-FINALLY!!!!!! Someone mentioned Bush by name.  Kerry doesn’t count….no one was watching.

9:41PM-The last 3 minutes of this speech have been absolutely masterful.  Biden can definitely speak to the mythical “Average American”.

9:50PM-Biden is really going after McCain.  These are points that he and Obama must make to win this election.  He is echoing the “They didn’t lead, we will” meme.  Very good job so far and I feel very sorry for the man he debates in the fall.

10:10PM- Biden did what I thought was unlikely; overshadow Bill Clinton.  He was definitely the star tonight with his ability to first connect with the viewer and then ramp up the charges against the McCain, Bush, and the Republicans.  Yes, he did stumble, yes he did stammer, but that connects when done correctly.  Bush proved that in 2000 and 2004.

"No Way, No How, No McCain"

The crowd loved it, Bill loved it, Michelle Obama loved it, and the media REALLY loved it, but that line is exactly what is wrong with political discourse in this nation.  Not that I’m telling you anything that you don’t already know, but we are a nation of single serving, ready made talking points that don’t tell us anything about what either candidate believes about the problems that plague this nation.  How bout talking up the gradual loss of civil liberties?  How bout the falling dollar?  How bout an overstretched military?  These are real problems that we, as a nation, must fix now.  However, they are issues you must talk, debate, and discuss.  They don’t make for sound bites for our short attention span.  No matter how you feel about Dick Morris, you must read his book The New Prince.  It is as much genius as it is terrifying in cynicism and ruthlessness.

They all want to bankrupt us….

This Washington Post article demonstrates just how much fiscal responsibility matters to our electorate. Yes, surveys always show Americans want politicians to keep our economic house in order, however, any politician seen cutting unneeded waste or dispensing with their districts unneeded pork is seen as heartless or not looking out for their constituents. Furthermore, that politician soon will be looking for one of the millions of jobs they claim to have created while another stuffed suit will continue our long to national bankruptcy.

Sacrifice is needed to solve our long term economic crisis. You can’t cut taxes during the middle of a war….you can’t create the largest bureaucracy in the history of civilized government (Universal Health Care) during the middle of a war and while cutting taxes. The dollar WILL continue to fall, fuel prices WILL continue to rise, and inflation WILL reach untenable levels while average earnings WILL stay stagnant and unemployment WILL rise. That is our future America. Can it be remedied? Of course, but not without sacrifice.

Mr. Obama and Ms. Clinton don’t pretend to offset the cost of extending the tax cuts or fixing the alternative minimum tax, but then, the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), would do the same and more without paying for it.

[hattip: Andrew Sullivan]

MSNBC Democratic Debate tonight…..

I’ll be out playing trivia at the P&H, however, I’ll Tivo-blog it later tonight. Until then….

…..7 Predictions:

1. Hillary Clinton will challenge Barack Obama to a fistfight. Obama will open with the jab, but Hillary is good against the ropes.

2. Both will promise to bankrupt our nation….of course, they call it Universal Health Care. John McCain will do the same thing…..of course, he’ll call it 100 years of occupation.

3. Barack will touch Hillary at least three times.

4. Hillary and Barack will both shill against NAFTA, but neither will say how they would change it.

5. Hillary will tell the media to forget about the Somali-dressed Obama picture, but will manage to mention it repeatedly throughout the debate.

6. Hillary will talk about her experience on getting things done, but leave out that her main domestic(HillaryCare) and foreign(her Iraq vote) policy positions were massive failures.

7. Barack will say nothing of substance, and still, make all the women swoon and men question their sexuality.