First, let me congratulate and give one more round of applause to the great speeches we all heard tonight. Castro killed it, Patrick kicked Butt. Michelle knocked it out of the park. And then you had Lilly Ledbetter, and Stacey Lihn giving truly heartwarming speeches that put a face and human story to concrete policy gains of the Obama administration. They gave marvelous speeches.
In the middle of all that though, my boy O'Malley did not have a great night. Can we admit that?
My response while watching it live was a completely different kind of "WOW!." Every time he awkwardly employed a call and response with the audience gesturing strangely "Forward, Not Back," I started cringing after the third time and a little every time after. He employed it too much, and just lacked real presence on stage.
While positive and on message, O'Malley seemed transparent in his desire to make the speech primarily an introduction for himself to the country. I happen to think he's been a not so bad Governor for Marylanders but he came off so Beaver Cleaver, even when on the attack. The speech at times struck the wrong tone, and lacked the right amount of intensity.
I'd never heard O'Malley speak before, but I guess i figure the former Mayor of "Bodymore" would have had a tougher harder edge to him. He's no Carcetti!
Watch:
Chances for 2016?