Spectacle to Behold

Last night was quite a spectacle to behold. 84,000 people all in attendance to watch Barack Obama accept the Democratic nomination for the presidency of the United States. I am certain that's the biggest crowd ever to attend an event in that stadium (and that should be the biggest crowd to attend an event there for a long time, considering that John Elway isn't coming back anytime soon). As usual, Sen. Obama gave a masterful speech. He gave the crowd exactly what they have come to expect from him, and they absolutely ate it up. Regardless of whether you like Sen. Obama or agree with his policies, it is undeniable that the man can deliver a speech that inspires the masses.

Ordinarily one would expect a huge bounce in the polls following this convention, and it is likely that Sen. Obama will rise a bit. However, Sen. McCain may have been able to do what seems to be the impossible and upstage the Democratic nominee. With his unprecedented congratulatory ad last night and his selection of Sarah Palin as his VP nominee, Sen. McCain has managed to alter the dynamic of this race. Short term, it was a shrewd move, as it changes the focus of the race and brings lots of media and popular attention to the upcoming Republican convention. Long term, it is a high-risk, high-reward strategy, and it is essential that she deliver a powerful speech this coming Wednesday.

This should be very interesting going forward.