Josh links to David Axelrod being quoted as saying that Senator Obama's acceptance speech will be inspired by the 1980 speech of Ronald Reagan, the JFK speech of 1960, and the Clinton speech of 1992.  

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/08/28/obamas_speech.html

I am not one to dance on the graves of deceased politicians for deeds they did a generation ago, but I can tell  you that I heard Ronald Reagan's speech in 1980, and it didn't inspire this Democrat in the least.   It disturbed the hell out of me.  (The speech is linked to below.)

I'd love to have folks address a couple of questions Axelrod's statement raises in my mind.  What are the political benefits of  referencing any link to Ronald Reagan tonight?  I'm sure Axelrod et al. have thought this through and have concluded that the Reagan reference is a net positive..  In addition,, politics aside, is there anything good we can take from  the Ronald Reagan of 1980, who for the official start of his campaign, went over to Philadelphia, Mississippi and spoke to about state rights?   

http://www.nationalcenter.org/ReaganConvention1980.html

Penny for your thoughts. 

Bruce

This former Hillary supporter and never-ending defender of his junior senator had a bit of a catharsis last night.  I don't usually post my own blogs because it's too much work.  But I want my friends to know that Teddy Kennedy reminded me what November is all about, and I felt some love last night.  

At the threshhold, let me confess that the evening did not start out that well.  Jesse Jackson Jr. was the first person I saw speaking  and he makes me ill.  He needs, I think, to apologize to Hillary Clinton for making the most vile, race-baiting comment of the campaign, when he spoke of Hillary's tears and her lack of empathy towards our brothers and sisters in New Orleans.  Absent an apology, G-d willing, Jesse Jackson, Jr. will fester in the mire of House gridlock for the remainder of his Daddy-boosted cheesy political career.   He is no friend of mine.

But I digress.  Teddy made me weep and reminded me why I am who I am, why I do what I do, what direction this country needs to go, and why it is an imperative that Senator Obama be elected in November.   He is, indeed, a lion, a throwback who nonetheless understands and communicates the necessity of moving forward.  He inspired last night with his ability to come to Denver and speak despite his precarious health, but to me he has always inspired.  Last night, he did a good thing, and for the first time in this campaign I began to feel that maybe I don't have to be an outsider in my own Party anymore.

I know folks like to talk about the disunity, and it's not the fault of the MSM.  People around here eat up the continuing rift between Clinton and Obama folks.  To me, it has been torture to have felt "othered" over the past couple of months in the political party I have always been loyal to.  Teddy Kennedy pushed all of that out of the way, and reminded this guy that health insurance for all is what it's all about.  All this other stuff is just plain stupid and, for guys like me, a bit narcissistic.

Things are coming together.  The president of my biggest client, a staunch Hillary delegate from New York, is out there and when I spoke with him he was saying all the "right" things.  The grown-ups, beginning with Teddy Kennedy, know what to do, and they're bringing it home.  I stuck with Teddy in 1980, perhaps too long, but he was my guy.  He's still my guy, and I'm sticking with him and I'm committed to Obama, and I even started to feel some love last night.

It was a good night to be a Democrat, and it was a good night to be an American.  Just thought I'd let y'all in on that before I go back to my crotchety, contrarian self. 

Peace.

Bruce