Democratic convention

The Democratic Convention started on Sunday: this is the time when the party is expected to unite around the candidate. Will this aim be accomplished by Thursday? 

The issue mainly revolves around Hillary Clinton and how her supporters will chose to act.

Hillary Clinton will be delivering an important speech tonight: keep an eye on the news to see if her speech is a very warm embrace and full-hearted endorsement of her former rival or a lukewarm and dutiful speech of support. Her keynote address will probably set the tone for her supporters and their own attitude towards Barack Obama. (Read the NYTimes account of the state of relations between the Obama campaign and Clinton's operation.)

One of the highlights so far was Michelle Obama's speech, which was much awaited since many have been questionning the candidate's wife ability to become an acceptable first lady. Some mainstream Americans suspected she was not patriotic enough ( she once said that for the first time in her adult life, she was now proud of her country) and that she was a activist lefty. 

She made an extremely patriotic speech, reassuring the general public ( the convention is almost completely broadcast on American television). 

Let's read the transcript of the speech or watch the speech (only 17 first minutes of the video, at the end you will see Obama on a video conference from Kansas city, congratulating his wife and takling to his children): 

Some of the highlights : 

• hommage to her family : hardworking, brave while ill father, older brother watching over her; stay at home mother. 
• reminder of the working class origins of both of their families. Michelle Obama emphasized that they knew what it was to have a hard time paying the bills. Remember that Obama has had a hard time connecting with and getting the support of blue-collar voters who flocked to Hillary Clinton during the campaign and might not bother to vote or support John McCain in the general election. (go to 2' => 6')
• constant mentions of the American dream and how her life has been both shaped by it and to a great extent a fulfillment of the promises it contains. (go to 7' and 10') 
• brief references to the anniversary of the 19th Amendment ( women's vote) and of the I have a dream speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in Washington, DC. 
• several utterances of her love for America including her valedictory words, classical and yet meaningful in this context : "God bless you and God bless America". 
• praise of the servicemen and their patriotism.
• she also repeated the talking points of the Obama campaign and heaped compliments and praise on her husband. 
• there was little mention of her personal faith

What do you make of Michelle Obama's speech? 

What do you think Hillary Clinton should do? 

-   Embrace Obama very warmly and truly try to get her delegates at the convention to vote for him. 

-    Be faithful to the 18M Democrats who voted for her and try to assert her difference by paying lip service to the cause of unity and keeping in mind the 2012 elections in which she could probably claim the nomination if Obama lost the general election in November. 

I'd love to hear your perspective on all this...