Written by: Beck

Yeah, I hadn't heard of him before today either. Evidently he's running for senate in Illinois. Presumably, his chances are strong enough that the Dems are willing to throw the entire might of party support behind him. Here we go.

Update: From the introduction of Obama, it's safe to presume that the Democrats regard him as the key to retake the Senate.

Update: His father was a goatherd from Kenya. His mother is a Kansas native, and her father fought with Patton, while her mother worked in a bomb factory. This guy is the real deal. I'm already more impressed with him than with all other speakers tonight combined.

"I owe a debt to all the others who came before me, and on no other country on earth is my story even possible." Great line.

Update: He just quoted the opening to the Declaration of Independence, adding, "That is the secret to American greatness." Again, this guy is great. It sounds like he's delivering a Republican speech.

Bah, he just spoiled it all by making a joke about the Florida recount.

Update: Obama just used the word "forbearers" which Kennedy also used. I guess "forefathers" is no longer politically correct. Someone should have informed Lincoln.

Now he's talking about how people where he comes from don't expect government to solve all their problems. I hope he's right, but I don't believe it.

Update: "John Kerry believes in energy independence." Well then, he believes in an impossible myth. Sorry, but energy independence is not possible inside the next 50 years. Believe in it all you want.

Update: I wish I could type fast enough to give the full line he just delivered about our obligations to our troops. It was perfectly written. Learn this guy's face and remember his name, I assure you we'll all be hearing much more of him over the next thirty years.

Ramesh Ponnuru, over at the corner, wishes Ted Kennedy could speak every night. I'm just glad Barack Obama doesn't speak every night, because he's fantastic.

He's now going on about how you shouldn't divide the nation up according to blue state/red state as the pundits do. "We are one people...in the United States of America." The crowd is chanting his name now, and he just supplanted Clinton as most effective speaker of this year's DNC.

Update: First black president of the United States: Barack Obama in 24-32 years. You heard it here first.

Update: Wizbang posts a roundup of liberal reaction to Obama.