Because Peggy Noonan thinks that Barack Obama's speech last night was very serious, even "stern" at times.
I agree. And I thought Obama went that direction because he was listening to Democrats, and others, who argued he hadn't been passionate and fiery enough, and hadn't given enough specifics (Paul Krugman and Bob Herbert in the NY Times have been very vociferous in pushing these points). But Noonan thinks there's a larger point that Obama was trying to make, and she thinks too, in a fascinating point, that in doing so, the Obama people left John McCain an opening:
"I think Mr. Obama decided it didn't matter if he repeated much of what he's said on the campaign trail before, which he had, because more than 30 million people were watching, and for a lot of them what he was saying was new. I think he decided to show an America that hadn't fully absorbed him that he was a person of seriousness and stature. I think he was saying, I'm a surprising person, but I can be president. I'm attractive, but I have depth. And by the way, the past eight years? I will be so much better than that. Take a chance. Not a gamble, a chance. Will it work? We'll see the polls on the final convention bounce soon. We'll know some of the answer then. But I have a feeling this speech will be like the Europe trip. It will take time for people to let it sink in, and decide what they think. And I'll tell you, Mr. Obama left a lot of space for Mr. McCain to play the happy warrior next week. He left the Republicans a big opportunity to wield against him, in contrast, humor, and wit, and even something approximating joy."
And I can see McCain being eager to assume the happy warrior mantle. Let the fun begin.
