Kerry Acceptance Speech

Wow.  Again, Wow.  They let Kerry be Kerry, and it worked.   Six lines stand out in my mind.
1.  We have it in our power to change the world, but only if we're true to our ideals - and that starts by telling the truth to the American people.   As president, that is my first pledge to you tonight. As president, I will restore trust and credibility to the White House. 
2.  Tonight, we have an important message for those who question the patriotism of Americans who offer a better direction for our country.  Before wrapping themselves in the flag and shutting their eyes and ears to the truth, they should remember what America is really all about. . .  The American flag belongs doesn't belong to any ideology or party, but to the whole American people.
3. I do not wear my religion on my sleeve, but my faith has helped me live from Vietnam to today, from Sunday to Sunday.  We should not claim that God is on our side, but humbly pray that we are on God's side.
4.  America should be energy independent.   I want to rely on America's ingenuity and innovation, not the Saudi Royal family.
5.   There are some who accuse me of seeing complexities, but some issues just aren't all that simple.
6.  I want to address these next words directly to President George W. Bush: In the weeks ahead, let's be optimists, not just opponents.  Let's build unity in the American family, not angry division. The high road may be harder, but it leads to a better place. And that's why Republicans and Democrats must make this election a contest of big ideas, not small-minded attacks.

Tears came to my eyes when I finally heard a major Democratic politician say that it is wrong for GWB to claim that God is on his side, and that it is wrong for him to accuse his critics of being unpatriotic.   

My only criticism is that the opening line "Reporting for duty" was cheesy.  Of course, when the Republicans open their convention we'll remember that nobody has a monopoly on cheesy.  They'll have country music, after all.  To be fair, outsiders should understand that cheesy moments play differently in person.   I was present with a press pass at the 2000 convention, when Gore came on stage and kissed his wife Tipper in a rather deep kiss.  It drew the crowd to its feet as the climax of an emotional frenzy.   Really, the crowd in attendance looked on it as Gore finally shwoing his true colors in public.  Only later, on television replays, did I see how bad it looked to the rest of the country.