After listening to the pundits prepare and obsess before Hillary Clinton’s speech at the Democrat’s National Convention, I thought there was no way she was going to pull this off. I was pleasantly surprised by the grace, enthusiasm and conviction that she displayed. I have never thought of her as an engaging speaker and believed that it was a big reason behind her loss. Tonight, she engaged the crowd, especially with her tales on women’s voting rights, Harriet Tubman’s instruction on the Underground Railroad to keep going, and the No way, No how, No McCain declaration. She even injected humor into her speech with her traveling pantsuit line among others.

Although she was upbeat and repeatedly stated her support for Obama and Biden, she did not abandon her own platform for health reform. I definitely felt that she was throwing down the gauntlet when she said how proud she would be when Obama signs into law, health care coverage for everyone. I got the “OK I am doing this speech for you to rally the team, this is what you need to do now” vibe. Although her enthusiasm seemed sincere, at least for a politician, she did not reverse her prior criticism about Obama not being ready. Her speech wasn’t about him being the best man for president but it was all about the Democrats doing what it takes to take back the White House. McCain supporters are all over her that she didn’t say that he is the one you want to call at 3am that but I actually have more respect for her for that.  She focused on his strengths instead of reversing her opinions on his weaknesses. If she had, the Republicans would have jumped on her just as fast for that.  I thought it was a very generous speech, one that engaged the crowd and one that maintained a high degree of integrity for a political rally speech.