As Bill Clinton walked out onto the stage, my only thought was "If he's going to support Barack, he needs to just get out there and say it.  No hedging, no waffling... just say it." Bill said:

"Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she’ll do everything she can to elect Barack Obama. 

 

That makes two of us. 

 

Actually that makes 18 million of us – because, like Hillary, I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November."

I'd say you can't be any clearer than that.  A point that Bill made many ties was that I've been President of the United States, and I know what it takes to do the job."  He goes on to say unequivocally that Barack can handle the job.  As with last night's speech, Bill like Hillary was saying that the cause is what's important.  Bill was honest, you could tell he was disappointed that his wife wasn't going to be making the candidate's acceptance speech Friday night.  But Bill, if he is anything, is a realist.  I was worried that we Democrats would load the usual round in the chamber and shoot ourselves in our collective feet.  It didn't happen.

VP candidate Joe Biden closed up the evening with a speech that made me confident that the right man has been chosen for the job.  As far as I can see, there's no artifice in Joe.  As with Brian Schweitzer what you see is what you get.  Bill's the consummate politician.  Seeing him you always feel like he is "on stage".  Joe, on the other hand, has been in politics for an age and a day, but he doesn't feel like a politician.  His years in Congress have been a job.  A special job.  But, at the end of the day, still a job.  And, at the end of the day Joe has gotten on that train and taken that long journey back home to his family in Delaware.  Yesterday I mentioned "professionalism" and how there's nothing wrong with being "professional".  What I see in Joe is a professional congressman, not a professional politician.  That's a significant difference.  The latter is always thinking about the next election while the former is thinking about his job.  And his job is doing what's best for his constituents and his country.  Barack has chosen a man who will be working with him on the tasks at hand, and not thinking about taking over in eight years.