Lion and Lamb of Democratic Party

Honored at Convention:
Kennedy and Carter make final appearances to DNC

While Democrats have gathered in the Mile High City of Denver at the Pepsi Convention Center, the ProConPundit is diligently and flawlessly corresponding to you from the Horseshoe Casino & Hotel in Elizabeth, Indiana, near Louisville. I am here on business but still tending to the important matter of giving you the finest, dim-witted, partially informed coverage and commentary that you have come to expect from me.

The opening night of the Democratic convention has been lackluster. Its been too liberal and short on substance, generally. Nancy Pelosi, Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy all on one night with nothing substantiative impresses me as poor planning.

On the plus side, the introduction of the video tribute to Ted Kennedy was given by Caroline Kennedy. Her very presence is touching. The video tribute, also, was touching. Whatever you think of Ted Kennedy, behind Bob Byrd and Strom Thurmond, he is the longest serving U.S. Senator and has had a tremendous impact on American life. It was not known until the last minute whether Teddy would be able to attend the convention, let alone speak. His doctor and wife had advised against it. His wife, Victoria Reggae, incidentally, is a class act and loves him dearly. She was a pal of his for many years before she married him, so she was well aware of his drinking and carousing, and married him still. They seem really caring of each other. Ted forged ahead. The next suggestion was that he simply come out on stage but not speak. Notta. Then there was a plan for him to sit on a stool. He axed the stool. He gave a characteristic Teddy Kennedy barn burner speech. It had Shrummy written all over it (Bob Shrum his speech writer.) Make no mistake, this was Ted Kennedy’s last speech at a convention. I don’t mean that callously. He is 76 and has brain cancer. I was touched by the fact that he chose to speak of the future and not the past. He has been part of a past that was glorious and tragic, brave and shameful. Yet, he made it not about him or his brothers but about the dream which continues and he past the torch to Obama. Whatever you think of Ted (I like him), whatever you think of Obama (I don’t), it was touching. It was most touching to the cold heart of the ProConPundit as Teddy spoke, the camera occasionally panned to Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver who were crying as they listened to their Uncle Teddy belt out his last barn burner at a Democratic convention. My heart goes out to them even as they experience something unique in their family: someone dying. They have so often been robbed of the opportunity to say goodbye and so often forced to grapple with premature death. Teddy has run his race and fought the good fight. Its nice that the Kennedy’s have been blessed with a family member living a long and vibrant (and controversial) life.

Just 30 minutes before the Kennedy event was a video tribute to Jimmy Carter’s humanitarian efforts. Following that, Jimmy & Roslyn walked the stage to a standing O, but no speaking event. This was a mistake. Jimmy Carter will be 84 in October. This is his last convention and the ProConPundit is the only one who knows it. I know a lot of my friends despise him. His presidency was a dark time and, in fact, the worst of my lifetime. He is a decent man and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Given the sick and twisted and pathological influence of the Clinton’s on this convention, it bears mentioning that Jimmy Carter, for whatever the failings of his presidency, always intended to do well, never placed a cigar in the vagina of a fat intern and was never impeached. (Sorry for the crudeness but it’s true.). At a Democratic convention, if nowhere else, he deserves a little more respect.

The real missed opportunity as everyone waits to see how unified the Clinton’s and Obama’s are was that the Kennedy’s and Carter’s were on the stage within 30 minutes of each other. Hello? Remember the 1980 convention when Teddy refused to shake hands with Jimmy Carter? Imagine the power of Carter and Kennedy shaking hands together, hugging each other on stage tonight. Neither will likely be on the stage of a convention again. That was poor.

I agree with James Carville and David Gergen who both believe this first night, except for the Kennedy sentiment, has been a wasted night in terms of substance. Michelle Obama is next. If I stay awake...I will report.