Obama's conversation with America

I admit to being more than a little worried about the Obama campaign's half-hour extravaganza this evening. I was worried that it was going to be OTT in a this-is-me-already-being-the- president kind of way. I was worried there would be more Greek columns or Oprah appearances (in fairness, there were hints of columns and Lady O, but only partially in frame during some of the video clips). I was worried it would be a love me, love my personal history I-was-Barack's-high-
school-sweetheart-and-he's-a-great-man disaster.

I was wrong.

It was a fine line the campaign was walking here. Presenting Obama's message to the American people without being preachy or didactic. Settling some of the scores with McCain without resorting to personal attacks. Energizing the base to get out the vote in the last week while still remaining moderate and centrist enough to win over independents still on the fence. All in all, I think they accomplished all this beautifully. Here are a few notes about the program in no particular order - no live blogging tonight.

I wasn't sure Obama's message would resonate with me. Then again, I'm not exactly the audience he was aiming for. I was firmly in his corner - hell, I already voted for the man - but I have been unhappy with some of his choices during this campaign. And, given my druthers, I'd rather it be Hillary Clinton in his position. But as it's not, I've come to accept Obama as the nominee. And, in a post-Sarah Palin world, I've come to view him as the only sane choice. But tonight's message even got me a little misty-eyed. I was very impressed by Obama's repeated calls for personal responsibility - a call that has been sorely missing from American's politics for more than thirty years. With regard to energy conservation, children's education, and public service Obama made clear that the American people had as much to accomplish in their own lives as did American government. That's a sentiment that strikes a real chord with me. And it dovetails nicely with Obama's continued calls for people who can afford to pay taxes to actually pay them. Maybe I'm alone, but I don't feel my part of the tax burden is all that burdensome. It's a chunk of money, and Lord knows I'd rather spend it on purses (or at least that's what my husband thinks), but it's not an extraordinary amount to ask of a citizen, especially when the country faces a deficit larger than most country's GDP. Paying taxes and giving back through service and responsibility - that's what American values should be about.

It was interesting that there were no personal testimonies by senators until well into the second half of the program - most were by governors. A subtle attempt to undercut the lack of executive experience argument that's been used against him. If all these executives think he'd be a good president, the argument goes, what's the problem?

The most poignant parts of the whole thirty minutes for me? First, the segment with the American family in Louisville, Kentucky. The confluence of my hometown and a family that's facing many of the same financial stresses and fears that some many of friends left in Louisville are also faced with made it that much more powerful to me. Secondly, the African-American couple, both retired, whose medical bills forced him to go back to work. The segment showed him getting ready to go to that retirement job - at Wal-Mart. I cringed audibly at that one. And if you didn't too, then you need to go rent "The High Cost of Low Prices" right now. It's even on Netflix.

Tomorrow's spin - Will definitely focus on the fact that the campaign is now saying that Obama's tax plan will only cut taxes for American's making $200,000 or less, not $250,000 or less as previously stated. Too, the sheer cost of the add. Obama is going to get slammed on the fact that the only reason he had the funds to pay for it was because he reneged on a promise to use federal campaign funds. But, honestly, he earned those knocks. He did go back on his word, and he's going to have to take the punishment for it.

So here's the real question - did this add make any difference for the folks it was supposed to reach? That no one knows. But it was far from the disaster I feared it would be and much more a serious and measured appeal to the American people. And that's got to be at least partially a good thing.