Keep the momentum going- Hillary Clinton & Tim Kaine

A preliminary post Democratic Convention poll shows some encouraging election news for the Clinton-Kaine presidential team. Apparently, initial polling shows a post convention spike.

Here are the reasons I believe the Hillary Clinton and Senator Tim Kaine Convention in Philadelphia worked:

I love this Hillary 2016 Philadelphia Convention photograph

1.  Communiations were expertly coordinated. It was a beautiful convention.

2.  Michelle Obama's "First Lady Speech" on Tuesday night set a unifying tone for the convention. I'm not sure if her exquisite speech had a title, or not, but in my mind it was her "Proof of Greatness" speech.

3.  Although not reported so much, those compelling presentations from the public, the messages from individuals who spoke about being immigrants, were exceptional and, in the aggragate, they had a positive impact.

4.  Rather than base the Democratic convention on a  focused "anti_Trump" theme, the messaging demonstrated a bright alternative.

5.  A politically star studded line up of Democrats, Republicans and the Independent Michael Bloomberg drew attention. Regardless of a person's political (or non-political) persuasion, the Philadelphia Convention provided something to hear, for everyone.

6.  Hillary Clinton's family - President Clinton '42 and her daughter Chelsea Clinton, were believable. They are familiar to Americans and they lived up to our expectations about them. Contrast their believability with the glitzy Trump family, the Clinton's have human qualities, flaws and all, rather than "made for TV".

7.  Democrats took political risks.  For example:

• Michelle Obama raised the word "slaves"; 
• Mr. and Mrs. Khizr Kahn proudly represented their Muslim and Islam heritages; 
• Mayor Michael Bloomberg raised the concept of Donald Trump's mental stability, by calling for support of a "sane" presidential candidate
• Democrats reached out with an invitation to Republicans to join in the 2016 support for Hillary Clinton
• Mothers of the Movement took on the National Rifle Association
• Invoking iconic Republicans: President Barack Obama invoked the name of President Ronald Reagan and Admiral Hutson praised Senator John McCain- opening the "big tent" political concept to embrace American Republican icons.

8.  Debbie Wassereman Schultz stepped aside as the DNC chair, to minimize obvious and distracting internal power stuggles.

9.  There were absolutely no controversial negative speeches!

10.  Although the "friendly fire" Democratic protestors were vocal, there were no overt clashes to silence them, thereby eliminating the visuals reminiscent of the 1968 fiasco, still a brutal memory in political history.

Congratulations to everyone who worked very hard to create a magnificent 2016, Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Now, on to  a Hillary/Kaine victory in November!

Thank you Democrats! We're looking for a "huge" victory.

Quotable Quotes from Democratic National Convention 2012- Julie's Choice

President Barack Obama's speech tonight will capstone a highly touted successful Demicratic National Convention. Will the exhuberance displayed this past week in Charlotte NC be enough to win our President re-election? I suppose his speech tonight will help determine the answer to that important outcome. Meanwhile, here's my picks for the week's most important and memorable quotes:

1. Best quote so far: Governor Deval Patrickhttp://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/09/04/deval-patrick-tells-convention-mitt-romney-failed-massachusetts/YD7GBZ4K5aeWd7OMCC6MOP/story.html

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Governor Deval Patrick, in a forceful rebuke of his predecessor, said Tuesday that Mitt Romney failed as governor of Massachusetts to create jobs, repair crumbling bridges, and invest in schools.

“Mitt Romney talks a lot about all the things he’s fixed,” Patrick told delegates at the Democratic National Convention. “I can tell you Massachusetts was not one of them.”

2.  Victims of Bain Capital explains "Romney Economics"

Randy Johnson, Cindy Hewett and David Foster, former employees of companies taken over by Bain Capital, gave speeches attacking Bain. They said Mitt Romney "Lacks A Moral Compass":   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/randy-johnson-speech-bain-capital_n_1859779.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012

"Bain Capital was front and center at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, with three speakers knocking the private equity firm that GOP nominee Mitt Romney founded for costing them their jobs."

Randy Johnson has needled Romney as far back as 1994, when he ran for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, the same year Johnson was laid off.  

"I want to tell you about Mitt Romney's record of cutting jobs. Mitt Romney once said -- quote -- 'I like being able to fire people,'" Johnson said, quoting a remark Romney made in January.. Well, I can tell you from personal experience, he does."

"On July 5, 1994, Mitt Romney and his partners at Bain Capital fired me and more than 350 of my coworkers. It came without any warning. They rushed in security guards to walk us out of our plant. We weren't even allowed to take our personal items. They handed us job applications and told us, 'If we want you, we'll let you know'."   http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/05/4791485/2012-democratic-national-convention.html"America cannot afford Romney economics. Mitt Romney will stick it to working people. Barack Obama is sticking up for working people. It's as simple as that."

3.  Mrs. Barack Obama, Michelle, in a stunningly personal speech, spoke about the moral values she and President Obama learned from their families, when growing up:

http://www.npr.org/2012/09/04/160578836/transcript-michelle-obamas-convention-speech

"They (speaking about their families, parents, grandparents) simply believed in that fundamental American promise that, even if you don't start out with much, if you work hard and do what you're supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grand kids. That's how they raised us...that's what we learned from their example."

"We learned about dignity and decency – that how hard you work matters more than how much you make...that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself."

"We learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters...that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules...and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square."

"We learned about gratitude and humility – that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean...and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect."

"Those are the values Barack and I – and so many of you – are trying to pass on to our own children."

4.  Sister Simone Campbell, Executive Director of the Sisters for Social Justice.

"Campbell touted the healthcare law while telling the story of a woman she met in Ohio during the bus tour. 'In Cincinnati, I met Jini, who had just come from her sister's memorial service. When Jini's sister Margaret lost her job, she lost her health insurance. She developed cancer and had no access to diagnosis or treatment. She died unnecessarily. That is tragic. And it is wrong'.”

Sister Campbell's stunning quote here:  “The Affordable Care Act will cover people like Margaret. We all share responsibility to ensure that this vital healthcare reform law is properly implemented and that all governors expand Medicaid coverage so no more Margarets die from lack of care. This is part of my pro-life stance and the right thing to do."

5.  President Bill Clinton, obviously, gave us more than a few wonderful quotes but my favorites are:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/transcript-bill-clintons-democratic-convention-speech/story?id=17164662#.UEkzkMFmSj8

"Though I often disagree with Republicans, I never learned to hate them the way the far right that now controls their party seems to hate President Obama and the Democrats. After all, President Eisenhower sent federal troops to my home state to integrate Little Rock Central High and built the interstate highway system. And as governor, I worked with President Reagan on welfare reform and with President George H.W. Bush on national education goals."

"One of the main reasons America should re-elect President Obama is that he is still committed to cooperation. He appointed Republican Secretaries of Defense, the Army and Transportation. He appointed a Vice President who ran against him in 2008, and trusted him to oversee the successful end of the war in Iraq and the implementation of the recovery act. And Joe Biden did a great job with both. He appointed Cabinet members who supported Hillary in the primaries. Heck, he even appointed Hillary! I'm so proud of her and grateful to our entire national security team for all they've done to make us safer and stronger and to build a world with more partners and fewer enemies. I'm also grateful to the young men and women who serve our country in the military and to Michelle Obama and Jill Biden for supporting military families when their loved ones are overseas and for helping our veterans, when they come home bearing the wounds of war, or needing help with education, housing, and jobs."

"The Recovery Act saved and created millions of jobs and cut taxes for 95% of the American people. In the last 29 months the economy has produced about 4.5 million private sector jobs. But last year, the Republicans blocked the President's jobs plan costing the economy more than a million new jobs. So here's another jobs score: President Obama plus 4.5 million, Congressional Republicans zero."

6.  And my last most memorable quote above all others came from San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who told the audience what his grandmother said to him and his twin brother when they were children, before they went to school:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/julian-castro-convention-speech_n_1856340.html

"Que dios los bendiga." "May God bless you."

I'm anxiously looking forward to posting President Obama's quotable quotes from tonight's awaited acceptance speech.