Diablog: Real-time repartee

During each convention night's keynote address, watch political analysts and keyboard comedians Peter Robinson and James Norton exchange wit and wisdom in a real-time format.

Join us each convention night at 10pm (ET).

 • Thursday night (July 29): John Kerry

Read Monday night's Diablog, featuring commentary on Hillary and Bill Clinton.
Read Tuesday night's Diablog, featuring commentary on Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Transcript of Wednesday night's Diablog, featuring commentary on John Edwards

Josh Burek (Wed. 7/28, 9:56:34 pm ET)

Good evening, and welcome to Diablog: real-time repartee. We're delighted to welcome back, from the right, Peter Robinson, and from the left, James Norton. Assuming his voice has regained its North Carolina luster, John Edwards will deliver his important address in 30 minutes. Gentlemen, what will you be looking for in his speech? What bar must he clear?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 9:57:14 pm ET)

Peter, good evening – it's an honor and pleasure, as always.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 9:57:52 pm ET)

Too, too kind, James. The honor is all mine, I assure you. So then. What will you be looking for in Edwards's remarks?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 9:58:08 pm ET)

You ask about the bar Edwards needs to clear. From a big-picture viewpoint, I think he needs to somehow project more charisma than Dick Cheney.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 9:58:34 pm ET)

More charisma than Dick Cheney? Surely, James, you have higher hopes than that?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 9:58:44 pm ET)

But in terms of substance: I think people will be looking for a positive message, an absence of Gore 2000 "class warfare" rhetoric, and an upbeat personal vibe.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 9:59:49 pm ET)

My own formulation? I'll be looking for the good (does he convey a basic sincerity of purpose), the beautiful (is he technically skilled as a speaker), and the true (do his remarks bear at least a tangential relationship to the reality the country now faces).

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:00:38 pm ET)

My gut tells me that Edwards will do all three, and the pressure on Cheney – implicit, not explicit – will be that much higher for the RNC.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:00:46 pm ET)

Query, James: Hasn't Edwards's famous stump speech about the "two Americas" already made it pretty clear that he does indeed intend to engage in Gore-like class warfare?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:01:20 pm ET)

I saw a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll today that said Edwards is beating the socks off of Cheney among independents and moderates. Get Edwards up there with his 10,000 watt grin, and you emphasize that split.

Josh Burek (Wed. 7/28, 10:01:44 pm ET)

How would you distinguish Gore's "people vs. the powerful" theme from Edwards's "two Americas" mantra?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:02:05 pm ET)

Well, let's back up a second. I think the Democrats are more sophisticated about the "class warfare" rhetoric this time around, and the economic facts about the Bush Administration's policies are more evident to most people.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:02:09 pm ET)

Re: Cheney, the Vice President has done something truly extraordinary in politics: He has made an actual virtue out of his lack of charisma. It's his steadiness-even, almost, his earnest dullness – that gives him his principal appeal, which is rock-solid competence.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:03:13 pm ET)

I'd agree with that, but Cheney is less popular among Republicans than Edwards is among Democrats. He may same rock-solid, but he's seen as a rock-solid backer for corporate hooligans.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:03:33 pm ET)

"Same" should have been "[be] seen as" – my apologies.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:04:06 pm ET)

If I can evoke Coleridge for a second – Halliburton is an albatross around Cheney's neck. And as long as Cheney's the first mate on the USS Republican Victory 2004, that ship is going to be hitting a freaky number of icebergs.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:04:18 pm ET)

"More sophisticated" about class warfare? Edwards is more cheerful than Gore, who, although sober as a judge, could seem mad as a hatter. But more sophisticated? That "two Americas" speech strikes me as class war at its most basic. Anyway, that's what I mean about the importance of the "true." Demagoguery – no matter how cheerful – won't cut it tonight, I don't think.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:04:55 pm ET)

Is it demagoguery, though, to point out who has been helped and hurt economically by the Bush Administration's policies?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:05:17 pm ET)

At the same time the government's giving mega breaks to the mega rich, they're cutting the veteran's healthcare system.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:05:31 pm ET)

In 2000, that sounded like spooky leftist talk.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:05:39 pm ET)

Now...it's a lot more credible.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:05:42 pm ET)

An honest and accurate assessment certainly wouldn't be remotely demagogic. But that ain't what your boy Edwards has been doing in that "two Americas" speech.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:05:59 pm ET)

That doesn't change the fact that we don't know whether Edwards will really hit that button when he speaks.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:06:21 pm ET)

What's your read on "two Americas" – where does it fall down as being honest?

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:07:17 pm ET)

Another critical distinction for Edwards tonight: So far in this convention, we've seen speakers present plenty of reasons to vote against W. But reasons to vote for Kerry have been all but absent – even, astonishingly, from the speech last night by the candidate's wife. Edwards needs to transcend the rhetoric of the convention so far, presenting a truly compelling case for Kerry. Yes?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:08:00 pm ET)

I think his very presence is an incredible testament to Kerry – to his flexibility, to his humility, and to his wisdom as a campaigner.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:08:50 pm ET)

But, you're right – explicit support will help. What we've heard so far is that Kerry is tough, he's a leader, and he's got a real track record making hard decisions under fire. Edwards can, should, (and I suspect will) pound those points.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:08:54 pm ET)

Oh, the "two Americas" is full of groaners. For example, "There's the America that pays the taxes, and the America that gets the tax breaks." That doesn't even make sense. It is quite obviously taxpayers who benefitted from Bush's tax cuts – and the lower on the income scale the taxpayer, the more of a tax break, in percentage terms, he received.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:09:10 pm ET)

And seeing his handsome face up there is going to emphasize that the Democrats stand for a positive change.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:09:38 pm ET)

Americans DON'T think they're better off than they were four years ago – Edwards can convince them that the Democrats are bringing something new and better.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:10:29 pm ET)

Well, it sounds like he's talking about how people who are taxed on income – i.e., working stiffs like us – are hit hard, while people who are taxed on money made from investments – like the super rich – get off increasingly scot free.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:10:38 pm ET)

Just to get this out of the way, shall we simply stipulate that Edwards is handsome, buoyant, and cheerful? I'm giving you all that James – take it for granted. What do you actually want to hear him say? Substance must mean something to you, right?

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:11:04 pm ET)

Oh, Lord. It was Bill Clinton who cut the capital gains tax rate, for crying out loud!

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:11:32 pm ET)

At a convention – yes, and no. A convention is about a telegraphing a simple message, delivered clearly and redundantly. We should look for clues about major themes. But no one expects Edwards to give a policy statement.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:12:06 pm ET)

Forbes magazine rated Clinton the best economic president we've had since World War II. How do you think George W. Bush will stack up?

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:12:13 pm ET)

What do you make of Cate Edwards? Do you know her? Does she have any reputation as a speaker?

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:13:13 pm ET)

James, James. Must I watch every sentence you type? Forbes made it quite clear that Clinton proved successful on the economic front because Newt and the GOP captured the House in 1994, imposing fiscal discipline on the man.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:13:41 pm ET)

The Edwards clan is as fresh to me as they are to America. But she's coming off very nicely right now, I think. She's really poised, and very familiar...seems like someone you'd run into on Main Street, or at the local Starbucks.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:14:17 pm ET)

Yes, I completely agree. Cate is poised, attractive.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:15:37 pm ET)

Mrs. Edwards seems relaxed, unpretentious, refreshing. Not to be catty, but she seems so much more normal than Teresa. Agree?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:16:03 pm ET)

Elizabeth Edwards is projecting a much more gold-standard First Lady archetype...I'd have to agree with that.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:16:59 pm ET)

An old rule: Even as voters are trying to decide what they make of political figures, they're also trying to figure out what the figures would make of them. Mrs. E seems like the sort of person who would be perfectly happy to have a cup of coffee with anyone – even a Republican like me. Stop me. I'm swooning....

Josh Burek (Wed. 7/28, 10:17:23 pm ET)

Is there a higher premium today on how well a candidate's family members resonate with the electorate?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:17:51 pm ET)

Heh, I'd stop you, but that'd be counterproductive. Perhaps the siren song of Elizabeth Edwards will woo you to your political senses.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:18:09 pm ET)

Josh, today as opposed to what period specifically?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:18:50 pm ET)

Ah, Edwards has just made the Bubba Clinton fast-food reference. Keen.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:19:09 pm ET)

Though the bios of Edwards do say that the guy was a fast-food maniac.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:19:23 pm ET)

To be honest, I don't know of any polling data that shows family members have any impact on voting whatsoever – even Hillary didn't have much impact on votes for (and against) Bill.

Josh Burek (Wed. 7/28, 10:19:47 pm ET)

It seems there has been an extraordinary level of attention on spouses and children of candidates in this election cycle.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:20:06 pm ET)

Wendy's? Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's, was a big Republican. Met him a couple of times when I worked for George H. W. Bush. But here comes John Edwards himself....

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:20:38 pm ET)

Here he is. This is legitimately exciting pageantry.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:22:50 pm ET)

Ah, the camera absolutely loves him. I'll say again what I said yesterday – he and Kerry shine together. He brings the glamour, Kerry brings the gravitas.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:23:51 pm ET)

Interesting nugget about Edwards – at a recent White House press briefing, McClellan was asked whether there would be a VP debate this year.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:24:00 pm ET)

He dodged and jigged like crazy.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:24:03 pm ET)

You know what? I give both Edwardses a LOT of credit: Neither has so much as mentioned the death of their 16-year-old son, let alone attempted to use it for political purposes. (A contrast with Al Gore's speech about the death of his sister.)

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:24:21 pm ET)

If I were the GOP, I'd keep Cheney at least one major media market away from Edwards at all times.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:24:29 pm ET)

That's a really good point.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:24:40 pm ET)

Oh, there just has to be a debate. McClellan simply hadn't had it formally cleared by Cheney yet. (That's a hunch, not inside info.)

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:25:30 pm ET)

At this point, Cheney will have the low expectations thing going for him. But almost everything else will be working against him.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:25:53 pm ET)

Another sign of a grownup: Edwards has gone directly into a set of remarks about Kerry rather than lingering over his own virtues. Here he's better – much better – than Teresa.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:26:25 pm ET)

But Teresa was a total unknown – she had to at least introduce herself. Edwards has been higher profile.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:26:53 pm ET)

You're right, though – he's really talking up Kerry, and on the issue of military service, which makes Bush – and especially Cheney – look not so good.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:27:27 pm ET)

Have you been inside the Fleet Center? How big is it? Is there any echo? For a practiced speaker (which he certainly is) Edwards seems to be having a little trouble knowing how long to pause for cheering and so forth. Maybe the hall is technically difficult?

Josh Burek (Wed. 7/28, 10:27:32 pm ET)

Do either of you think the "split second" comment was a veiled reference – and implicit contrast – to Bush's alleged indecisiveness, as showcased in the film "Fahrenheit 9/11?"

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:28:32 pm ET)

That's a good insight, Josh – Bush's seven minutes with "My Pet Goat" were some of the most memorable of that film.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:28:47 pm ET)

"The politics of what's possible." No real substance there, but it's a nice appeal to the deeply-ingrained American belief in fresh starts. And it fits Edwards persona: young and fresh. The guy's good, James.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:29:05 pm ET)

I suspect you're right on that. F 9/11 just passed $100 million domestically – Peter, could it have a real impact, in your opinion?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:29:25 pm ET)

You know, ignore that if you'd like – we can focus on Edwards.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:30:03 pm ET)

The impact of Moore's movie? Very close to zero. The folks who are clamoring to see it weren't going to vote for W in the first place – not no way, not no how.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:30:17 pm ET)

That's great – warm, fuzzy, American Dream populism. Not dark, not angry. But he does mention "no matter who your family is," which is a good dig.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:30:45 pm ET)

Uh, 40 percent of those who saw 9/11 were independents, I think.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:30:53 pm ET)

Two Americas? Here it comes....

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:31:02 pm ET)

I can double check that number. But it's not just Democrats, and millions more will rent the DVD.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:31:52 pm ET)

That's got some policy heft. Really speaking to the healthcare issue, and in a positive, "here's our plan" kind of way.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:32:04 pm ET)

"Anchorman" did more business in two weekends than F 9/11 has done since it opened. Pray let's keep scale in mind here. But back to Edwards....

Josh Burek (Wed. 7/28, 10:32:12 pm ET)

Edwards's "It doesn't have to be that way" theme reminds me of Robert Redford's "There's got to be a better way" line from the movie "The Candidate."

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:32:46 pm ET)

Resources for schools? The "No Child Left Behind Act" increased federal fund for public schools by 35 percent.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:32:59 pm ET)

I'm not sure how Bush's Medicare debacle has been covered locally, but anyone who's been sensitized by its scandals and pharmaceutical company giveaways has got to be sympathetic to this.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:33:36 pm ET)

Heh, No Child Left Behind is an hour long debate unto itself. But Bush's record on education is not entirely spotless.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:34:12 pm ET)

In 2002, Bush proposed cutting teacher quality programs by $163 million, resulting in 16,000 fewer teachers receiving quality training than the year before, and 92,000 fewer teachers than could be trained under the education bill.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:34:58 pm ET)

OK, the message here is shaping up: Youthful freshness combined with the same old stale message of bigger and bigger government. (Nota bene: Every promise he's made so far would involve a new and/or expanded federal program.)

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:35:51 pm ET)

Oh my goodness. You want to talk about big government? What does "Homeland Security" mean to you...?

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:36:28 pm ET)

This is interesting: Preserve tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans? That does indeed sound specific. I trust there will be a detailed press release tomorrow morning? Something the press will actually be able to examine, deciding whether it all adds up?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:36:37 pm ET)

It's a Kafkaesque maze of red tape and overlapping agencies, bloated with money and inefficiency.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:37:21 pm ET)

Considering that about half the Bush tax cuts went to the top one percent, that sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Josh Burek (Wed. 7/28, 10:37:25 pm ET)

Let me pose a reader's question: "If it came to foreign-policy issues, do you think Edwards could hold his own in a debate with Cheney? He didn't seem to know very much at all about international affairs during the primary debates. Is this a liability, or does it matter?"

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:37:54 pm ET)

I'm no fan of the Dept. of Homeland Security myself. (Or of the very term "homeland," which sounds too much like the Russian "motherland" or the German "fatherland.")

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:38:20 pm ET)

Under Edwards and Kerry, we can just roll back the "Merry Christmas to All of You Super Wealthy People!" holiday that the Bush team rolled out with such vigor.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:38:43 pm ET)

I think during the course of a debate, the foreign policy issues will be Al Qaeda and Iraq, plain and simple.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:39:03 pm ET)

On foreign policy, it wouldn't surprise me if Edwards found himself simply shredded. Remember that Cheney bested Joe Lieberman, a shrew, knowledgeable, and well-spoken man. Cheney lacks charisma, but not presence – and certainly not knowledge.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:39:18 pm ET)

Edwards can just hammer Cheney on how we went into Afghanistan far too light, failed to roll up Al Qaeda, and then inflamed the world against American interests by invading Iraq.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:40:06 pm ET)

It's not a matter of grasping the tiny details of policy here, Peter – it's a much broader narrative. We could have done Afghanistan right. We didn't. We didn't need to invade Iraq. We did, and 900 American troops are dead.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:40:07 pm ET)

My goodness me: Joe Lieberman, I meant to say, is shrewd. Sorry for that typo a couple of entries back.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:42:15 pm ET)

That's nice, unambiguous anti-Al Qaeda stuff coming from Edwards.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:43:04 pm ET)

One of Limbaugh's favorite talking points is that Democrats will cave to Al Qaeda. No truth in that at all. Democrats might occasionally listen to our European allies, but that's a very different question.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:43:04 pm ET)

Now that he's talking about the war, his youthfulness seems (to me) merely...young. He's fine when he's making promises. But solemnity just doesn't seem to be his register. A lack of gravitas. That's purely subjective, of course. But that's the way it feels to me.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:43:48 pm ET)

You want to talk about a lack of gravitas when it comes to war, though.... To quote The New York Times: "On Oct. 6, 1965, the Selective Service lifted its ban against drafting married men who had no children. Nine months and two days later, Mr. Cheney's first daughter, Elizabeth, was born."

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:44:00 pm ET)

That's a magical testament to Cheney's courage.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:45:13 pm ET)

Double our Special Forces? Very tough sounding, and probably not bad policy. I don't think I've heard this before.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:45:30 pm ET)

It may be out there, but this is a good time and place to tell America about it.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:45:33 pm ET)

Oh, really, that is low, James – not funny, not pertinent, not insightful, just low.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:46:26 pm ET)

I actually think it's directly pertinent. You want to hammer Edwards for lack of war credibility? Look at his counterpart – and look at most of the Bush Administration's war records.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:46:46 pm ET)

Now, in that litany of what needs to be done in Iraq, Edwards didn't name a single step that the present administration isn't already taking. Not one.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:46:52 pm ET)

The GOP talks tough about war, but many of those who pushed hardest for the invasion of Iraq didn't know what they were talking about.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:47:09 pm ET)

So when Edwards gets hit for youth, or a lack of military experience, it makes my blood boil.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:47:28 pm ET)

The Bush administration's war records? Is that a typo? You mean Bush's personal records?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:47:43 pm ET)

There's an underlying point, though – Kerry will be able to reach out to our allies in Iraq in a way Bush can't.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:48:09 pm ET)

There will be a renewal of US diplomatic credibility under a Kerry Administration that can allow for a sharing of the load in Iraq and the global war on terror.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:48:41 pm ET)

John Edwards total public experience amounts to less than a single term in the Senate. Not nothing. But not an extensive background, either.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:48:52 pm ET)

No, I mean the records of Wolfowitz, of Cheney, of Bush...and any number of other draft avoiders at the policy-making helm of this administration.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:49:45 pm ET)

"Hope is on the way?" That's patterned after Cheney's 2000 convention speech. Can that possibly be intentional?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:49:48 pm ET)

Well, again – Bush floated into office with a not-so-dignified business career, and his experience in the less-than-powerful position of governor of Texas.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:50:06 pm ET)

What was the Cheney refrain?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:50:42 pm ET)

Well, you heard Gephardt say Kerry would be a uniter, not a divider – there may be a subtle theme here of ironically using GOP slogans against the GOP.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:50:43 pm ET)

Can't remember the Cheney refrain exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was something close to "It won't be long now."

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:55:08 pm ET)

James, a couple of questions from a Republican to a Democrat. Compared with your expectations, how'd he do? And does it concern you at all that he didn't lay out more of a substantive case for Kerry? Or are you feeling relaxed about that?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:56:49 pm ET)

Well, I would take issue with your statement that this wasn't substantive. It was broad, yes. It was simplified, yes. But this is a convention speech. What did we learn? Kerry is dedicated to fighting Al Qaeda. We will toughen our military where it counts. We will look at ways to help the least powerful in the country, possibly – but not necessarily at the expense of the .1 percent who have done so well over the past four years.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:57:35 pm ET)

It was smart political theater, and it alluded to the very real themes of the campaign to come. So I'm satisfied, and I remain excited about Edwards as a veep nominee.

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:57:55 pm ET)

"Kerry is dedicated to fighting al Qaeda?" You can't seriously mean to suggest that that was news to you?

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:58:24 pm ET)

No, it's not news – but it's a point that he's been hammered on by FOX and friends constantly.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:58:33 pm ET)

It has to be said, and said unambiguously.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:58:44 pm ET)

Edwards did it with force and grace.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 10:59:46 pm ET)

Wonder how the Black-Eyed Peas are going over in the swing states...

Peter Robinson (Wed. 7/28, 10:59:54 pm ET)

Here's what I'm getting at: The only real, overarching theme at this convention, I think, has been a loathing – an unreasoned loathing, in my opinion – of George W. Bush. The Edwards speech leads me to suspect that the Kerry campaign is counting on that loathing just a little too much – that the campaign supposes that if it merely puts forward two plausible candidates, the country will rise up to vote against Bush. That is to say, the Kerry folks have decided they don't need to build a really substantive case for Kerry. That strikes me as terribly risky.

James Norton (Wed. 7/28, 11:01:48 pm ET)

If you're listening for the loathing, well, you're right – there is a powerful wellspring of anger among Democrats about what's happened to America over the past four years. But "anger" isn't what Edwards generally projects, and it's not what he projected tonight. I think the enthusiasm about changing things for the better was palpable.

Josh Burek (Wed. 7/28, 11:02:30 pm ET)

James and Peter: a pleasure, as always. We'll look forward to another rousing discussion tomorrow night during John Kerry's acceptance speech.