Obama speech

Obama's speech was awesome. He actually said everything I wanted to hear, and more. When he said "Not Red America, not Blue America, but the United States of America," a chill ran up my spine. Which is all the more impressive because it's a slightly cheesy line. Not even an original line. But when Obama said it, it really resonated...it made me feel like the Democrats are returning to the nationalistic progressivism of Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Bill Clinton.

Also, all the policy initiatives were great. Wish he'd mentioned the power grid, but whatever. And his call to develop natural gas, clean coal, and nuclear power was an effective and sharp rebuttal to the Republican mantra of "all we need is domestic oil drilling."

It was also interesting that he ended his speech with a country music song and a benediction by a Southern pastor who closed with "In Jesus' name, amen." It didn't feel like a calculated attempt to reach out to Southerners or the white working class; it just seemed natural. Hopefully this is an indication that the Democrats no longer see the Red States as as alien; in other words, that my favorite line from Obama's speech was completely sincere. If the Democrats move toward being a nationalist party, and the Republicans move toward being a regional/ethnic party, the Dems will win again and again and again.