Mrs. Center Left and I just finished watching the President’s wonderful speech.  I also thought that Tim Kaine did well earlier tonight introducing himself to the nation.  Two of my favorite writer/thinkers, Andrew Sullivan and Josh Marshall have written similarly about Obama and the moments we live in.  Sullivan notes that Obama has framed  the choice between democracy and tyranny. Quoting the President “We don’t look to be ruled,” and “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”

From Josh Marshall:

…as we listened to Obama speak. He’s less attacking Trump as making him seem small and petty in comparison to the picture of America he’s painting. We heard a lot about how Obama was going to take it to Donald Trump. And he did. But it wasn’t in a way that I would have expected based on those words. It was more organic and sweeping.

I think Obama hit all the points he needed to hit in the pageantry and process of this convention. He summed up his presidency, he knocked Donald Trump, he vouched for Hillary Clinton. But he did something more substantial. I think he captured the reality of the moment, which is a sobering one but also one that is grounding and revivifying because it reminds us who we are. Hopefully it reminds us as a country what we need to do.

Michelle’s speech earlier in the week was also outstanding.  We will miss the Obamas when they leave office.

I choose to believe the positive vision of our country presented by the Obamas and Clintons will carry the day over Trump’s dark vision of a divided country driven by fear.  I hope the polls move in that direction in the coming weeks.