I know a good speech when I hear one. Namely the Democratic Convention keynote by Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama (text at obama2004.com). The content may or may not have been to your taste depending on your politics, but as a Work of Art there is not much dispute, I shouldn’t think. Clear and compelling theme. Perfect pitch. Connection with the immediate and distant audience. Humor and self-deprecation. Memorable stories. Phrases that uplift. Timing to die for. Reminds me of Randy Johnson’s “perfect game.” By 11 p.m. pundits of the left and right alike were envisioning Obama as the first African-American in the White House. I can buy that, but I’m just as interested in the prospective date for the first woman in the White House. Will I live to see it?
