Only four speakers made any kind of impact on the opening evening of the Democratic National Convention, but only two of them were seen and heard in the crucial 10-11 p.m. hour when all the networks were covering the convention.
David Gergen said it best on CNN when he stated flat out that the Democrats “frittered away” a huge opportunity at 10 p.m., when the big broadcast networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – came on board to join the all-news cable channels – CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel.
Who did the Democrats have at the podium when all those new viewers started watching the convention at 10 o’clock? One of the dullest speakers of the entire evening – Jim Leach, the former Iowa representative, a Republican who was throwing his support behind Obama.
Someone goofed. They should have scheduled Caroline Kennedy’s tribute to her uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy, for 10 p.m.
She was so self-confident, poised and just plain likable on TV that it made you wonder why we just don’t elect her president and call it a day. Then her ailing uncle took the stage and delivered one of his classic, roaring convention speeches and brought the house down.
Unfortunately, both Kennedy showstoppers occurred during the 9-10 p.m. hour, too early to be seen by the most people.
The stars of the 10-11 p.m. hour were Michelle Obama and her big brother, Craig Robinson, who introduced his little sis and gave a spirited shout-out to the Oregon State Beavers, the basketball team he coaches.
Before Michelle spoke, correspondent Byron Pitts said on CBS that she’ll have to be “less Jackee and more Jackie O.” She wasn’t quite Jackie Kennedy, but nor was she Jackee either as she sought to position her husband as a typical American family man.
In this, she was aided greatly by her youngest daughter, Sasha, who stole the show when she came on stage with sister Malia. From Caroline Kennedy to Sasha Obama, maybe a torch really was being passed to a new generation last night.