Written by: Beck

That was getting a bit long. Considering how long this speech is anticipated to be, I hope I won't have to break things up into too many more pieces.

Talking about Edwards, Kerry just said he'd be good to replace Dick Cheney as the new VP of the United States. Funny how they're not afraid to use Cheney's name (I've heard it perhaps 3 times during the convention), but they never use the word Bush.

Now he's praising Teresa, but briefly. He loves her. How sweet.

Update: I'll need to go over a transcript afterwards, but in thanking his children, I'm pretty positive I didn't hear the name "Alexandra." Oops.

He's thanking everyone now, including every single person who ran against him for the Dem nomination. "Thank you for teaching me and for testing me, but mostly, we thank you for standing up for our country and for giving us the unity to move America forward."

Update: He's moved on to Sept. 11. "It was the worst day we have ever seen." "There were no Democrats, there were no Republicans, there were only Americans, and how we wish it had stayed that way."

Now he's getting defensive over use of "nuanced," only now he's using the term "complexities." "Proclaiming, 'Mission accomplished,' doesn't make it so."

"I will immediately reform the intelligence community." "I will bring back this nation's time honored tradition--the United States of America never goes to war because we want to, The United States of America goes to war because we have to."

Update: "You will never be asked to fight a war without a plan to win the peace." Kerry's message to our armed forces. "I know what we have to do in Iraq. We need a president who has the credibility to bring our allies to our side... That's the way to get the job done and bring our troops home." I must say, Kerry's rhetoric, while reminiscent of much of what has come before him in the past 4 days, is better worded and better delivered than that of any of his colleagues.

Update: Kerry first firm policy recommendation: to add 40,000 active duty troops. Again, this is the first Democrat--nominee or president--that I can recall calling for an expansion of the military. Followed again by that rapidly-becoming-trite line "Help is on the way."

Update: "Strength is more than tough words." I wonder if Kerry fully realizes the implications of that statement.

Update: Second firm policy recommendation: to fully implement all recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Update: "When Americans stand up and speak their minds... that is not a challenge to patriotism, that is the heart and soul of patriotism." These people have it all wrong. When the patriotism of the likes of Michael Moore is attacked, it's not because he calls into questions the policies of the nations' leaders, it's because he directly attacks American beliefs and values. Patriotism and nationalism go hand in hand, and people who like to call themselves internationalists, so long as they are ever willing to make domestic sacrifices to the benefit of the rest of the world, are not acting patriotically. Nonetheless, this campaign has tried to insulate itself against any such accusations by trying to take a holier-than-though, or rather, more patriotic-than-thou approach to pandering to the opinions of foreign states and leaders who ultimately do not have America's best interests at heart.

Update: He's moved onto family values. "I will not privitize social security." Do you have any idea what a damning thing you're saying Kerry? Do you have any idea what a boon it would be to the welfare of the nations' middle-aged citizens the privitization of social security would be?