Listening to the man we all called “Al Bore” eight years ago give a calm, serious, engaging, convincing, devastating speech — one that would have won him the Presidency had he given it eight years ago at this time — after listening last night to the man I called “John $#@&ing Kerry” give a very different, but similarly brilliant speech last night — one that would have won him the Presidency had he given it four years ago — makes me wonder whether it’s losing a Presidential election that unleashes the inner Demosthenes in a man, or merely being rid of the Bob Shrums of the world.
It also makes me hope we never have to find out what Barack Obama would be like as a defeated Presidential candidate. There’s such a thing as too much power. He could probably convince me to convert to Christianity.
Update One of Chris Suellentrop’s commenters pointed out that Hillary Clinton also played well above her game. Had she given that sort of speech during the primaries, she would have been speaking Thursday night instead of Tuesday night.