ONE MORE NIGHT OF THIS – AT 8:33 A.M. ET:  The Dems are having a fairly good convention.  They've gotten some fairly good enthusiasm going, and shown off the semi-diversity of their party.

I say "semi" because it turns out that "diversity" in the Democratic Party means certain groups popular on the political left.  Women are wanted, but only certain kinds of women.  Blacks are wanted, but not Mia Love or Artur Davis.  Hispanics are wanted, but only if they do what they're told.  Cuban Americans aren't exactly popular with a party where being pro-Castro isn't at all shocking.  And if you're pro-life, forget it.

There are apparently some others who can forget about it as well.  If you're religious, you can smile, but this is the party that left God out of its platform until an uproar forced it to restore him.  And when the vote on the restoration came yesterday, it was one of the most embarrassing moments in the modern history of any political party.  The chair asked for a voice vote to restore mention of God, and the delegates clearly voted it down.  The chair said the ayes had it anyway.  At least he knew how to run a rigged convention. 

Ditto friends of Israel.  Mention of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a mainstay of party platforms for many years, was left out.  Apparently the White House sensed displeasure and ordered it back in.  The same vote on the floor was plainly against restoration, but it's back in by order of the chair. 

There hasn't been anything that embarrassing since Pat Buchanan's unleashing of raw bigotry at the 1992 Republican convention. 

Bill Clinton got things back on track last night with a rousing, effective speech, which was mostly about himself and what he did for America as president.  But he put in his bit for Obama, and so played the loyal soldier, and placeholder for his wife, who will run in 2016. 

The fact is, all these speeches will be forgotten in a few days.  Does anyone recall Romney's acceptance speech last week?  Obama will get a big of a bounce, and it, too, will disappear, as has Romney's.  TV ratings show that Fox is trailing, which was predictable.  Conventions are generally watched by the amen choir, and many Dem members won't flip their remotes to Fox. 

We will be watching Obama's acceptance speech tonight.  It will be good.  And then the whole thing will be forgotten as the real campaign begins.

Oh, by the way, a Seattle Times columnist is starting a boomlet for Michelle Obama in 2016.  It's a ridiculous idea, but you never know who might pick it up.  Stand by on that one.

September 6,  2012