At the Democratic Convention in Boston in 2004, a magnificent keynote address transformed an unknown Illinois state senator into a future president. A keynote speech gives a candidate a lot more name recognition all around the country. It also makes the candidate's ideas part of our national Democratic platform.
There will be televised speeches from Denver running all weekend, but the ones that get the most attention will be the ones right before the President's and Vice President's address. With so many excellent politicians on our side, it's hard to choose who should get these coveted spots. I put a lot of thought into it and here is who I would recommend:
Scott Kleeb
With so many good Senate candidates, it's hard to choose one. Scott Kleeb is the rising star that Obama was 4 years ago. If he can pull off an impressive speech that gets national attention, then the whole country will look to Nebraska to elect Kleeb. He has an interesting biography, impressive academic credentials, and fresh new ideas. With a keynote address at the convention, he can tell us all about it. Obama polls better in the prairie states than any other recent Democratic presidential candidate. Giving a platform to Scott Kleeb can help us turn this popularity into electoral votes.
Jim Webb
He's not running for anything, but we need his voice at the convention. He gave an impressive rebuttal to Bush's State of the Union, where he talked about the need to pull out of Iraq, and the need for more economic fairness. His military background and his time in the Reagan Administration will help him win over Republican voters. We all know McCain's convention will be military-heavy, so it won't hurt to give a prominent spot to a military guy on our side.