Democrats In Denver: Yesterday's Gone

This year's Democratic National Convention is being held at the Pepsi Center in Denver, home of the NBA Nuggets and NHL Colorado Avalanche. Soon, Senator Barack Obama will be anointed as the Choice of a New Generation. (Next week in St. Paul, the Republicans hope Senator John McCain is The Real Thing.)

Before that happens, however, they have to deal with the ghosts of the past. The theme song might as well have been the old Clinton campaign staple, "Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)" by Fleetwood Mac.

Senator Hillary Clinton, for whom there are still hard feelings among her supporters for the way she lost in the primaries, and for being passed over by Obama for the vice-presidential slot, gave a great speech supporting the presumptive nominee while touting her own record. And she didn't skimp on the McCain-bashing.

Now the problem is getting her fans on board to support Obama, who don't think he's ready to lead yet. Some of them have been moving over to McCain, a fact his campaign has been only too happy to tout.

On Monday, Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, who is dealing with brain cancer, got out of his sickbed long enough to deliver a rousing speech to the delegates. But everyone knew it may have been the last hurrah for the Senator as well as the Kennedy political dynasty.

Michelle Obama's speech didn't tell us much beyond what's already been written in celebrity magazines, reminding the delegates (and anyone else watching) what a great guy her husband is. (That's why I tuned out the speech, because what did you expect her to say?) And lo and behold, who should appear at the end but her daughters and a satellite image of their father from Kansas City?

What happens in Denver will go a long way towards determining whether things go better with Obama, or be discarded along with Clear Pepsi or New Coke. And I'm done with the cola references.