I watched with teary eyes as the first black President, bear hugged the first black Presidential nominee, in a Splenda coated moment worthy of a Hollywood production. If day 2 of this convention featured an endorsement without an embrace, day 3 was marked by an embrace without an endorsement.
The white former First Lady who was also the first lady to have a serious chance at being the first female President and the first black presumptive First Lady were on their feet in the stands; each occasionally stealing a brief peek at the other.
The white lady was beaming and waving the tiniest flag I have ever seen in my life, and waving it in the funniest way I have ever seen a flag waved. I read lips so I am almost sure I saw Chelsea lean over from her mom's right side and whisper in her ear, "sit down mom, your embarrasing me." Her beaming mom did not answer and instead acknowledged an adviser on her left who was telling her that she looked great.
The black lady, undoubtedly,the classiest human on earth...(note, not satire here,she really is.)was also beaming but it seemed forced, as if she was saying to herself:
OMG,when will this interregnum end?
When will Barack become the real first black President?When will I never ever again have to see the metaphorically first black president and the actual white former First Lady, except at official dinners and state funerals?
I began to day dream myself and pictured her and Barack riding in the back seat of a black limo with the metaphorical first black President in a black uniform in the drivers seat driving them back to the White House after a charity event.
While he parked the car they entered through the humongous front door of the White House and handed their coats to the white former First Lady, who was still beaming.
I quickly slapped myself on the back of my head so I could return to reality.
Bill Clinton was finishing his embracement speech He was saying that he and Chelsea and Hillary were going to make Obama President of the United States of America. Was he really saying that or was I still day-dreaming?
I would read the text later but I'm sure Chris and Keith would not let him get away with a statement like that.I must have heard it out of context.
I'm listening intently now but still no actual endorsement,although his embracements were becoming even gushier. Hillary was now waving the tiny flag even more violently and I wondered if John McCain would remain her friend and colleague after what appeared to me to be a slightly disrespectful flag-waving.
Now, on the floor Bill was literally both endorsing and embracing Joe Biden. Apparently ,with the Biden selection, Barack had passed Bill's CIC test.
Now the first Democrat nominee to be swift boated was hugging the second Democrat nominee to be swift boated. It couldn't have been a racist thing because one was black and one was white.
But sometimes what seems black and white doesn't turn out to be black and white. One thing I knew for sure. This Convention may have started out black and white but somewhere along the line Mr. Softee sneaked in with that soft ice cream machine and turned it into the technicolor cone they call a Twirl.
A few minutes later, after an interminable musical interlude consisting of what seemed like a stuck loop of "can't stop thinking about tomorrow," the whole evening turned into a surreal time warp.
The convention had reverted to a 90's prom and Al and Tipper and Hill and Bill were up on the podium, arms enfolded and swaying back and forth. Hillary was wearing a dress like she used to, and she looked fabulous. Tipper and her husband were all dressed in green, Bill was breathing through his mouth and all seemed right with the world.
But I missed Jesse and Sharpton and Tawana Brawley and Kumbaya.
Well maybe day 4 would belong to the real first African-American President.
I read somewhere that the metaphorical one had flown back to New York last night and was skipping the Invesco event tonight.Was that why he seemed to be rushing through his speech? Before he started he had shushed and hushed everyone to "quiet down."
I have known this incredible man for a long,long time and worked very hard for him in 92 and 96.I never knew him to cut short a convention demonstration. Omg, there I go again, dreaming up all kinds of crazy reasons why he needed to get back to New York. And Hillary was staying in Denver.
Hmmmm?