Democratic Convention, Day 1

If I gave the Republicans their due last week, you know am going to be watching the Democrats this week.

I just finished watching Michelle Obama speak.  WOW!  If Ann Romney was good, and she was, Michelle was magnificent!!!

I'll get back to that.  The Keynote Speech was delivered by the young Latino mayor of San Antonio, Julian Castro.  He was wonderful.  As signs were waved proclaiming FORWARD and NOT BACK, he said "No matter where you came from, the path is always forward."

The theme of this speech was Opportunity.  Castro said," Yes, we know, freedom isn't free.  Neither is opportunity.  We must invest in it."  We do that through education.  "You can't be pro-business unless you are also pro-education."

Castro talked about his roots, of how he was raised by his Grandmother and his mother, who worked hard to make life better for their children. He said, "The American Dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon.  It is a relay."  Each generation builds on the hard work of the ones that came before.

And then there was Michelle.  She was introduced my Elaine Brye, who is a military mom, with a child in each of four branches of military service.  She honored Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden for their work for military families.

Mrs. Obama was pretty in pink,  and her beaming smile lit up the auditorium.  She talked about the extraordinary people she has met as First Lady, people who inspire her.  In this very personal speech, Michelle revealed her great concern four years ago that her life would change too much.  She loved the life she and Barack had created for their family.  She feared that would change.  She talked about the values she and Barack were raised with and the strength of their parents. She talked about the great love she has for her husband. She has found that she needn't have worried.  "Being president doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are."  She said issues that come across the President's desk are the hard ones.  Barack is guided by his values and vision and life experiences.

On health care, he didn't worry that it was the politically hard thing to do, it was the right thing to do.

She made points about women being capable to make decisions about their own bodies, that people can chose who they love, and that truth matters.

When she and Barack were just starting out, they were " so young, so in love, and so in debt'' with student loans.  That's why education support is so important.  He knows.  And when you make it, when you go through that door to success, you don't slam it behind you.  You reach back and help others.  "Success isn't how much money you make, it's the difference you make in people's lives."

That's why I'm a Democrat.

Oh, there was so much more.  Michelle Obama was amazing, and her speech was so well crafted, mostly by her I think, and so well delivered.  It made me very sure that I'm supporting the right team.