Kerry's acceptance speech: 8 out of 10

Missed the openning remarks but caught most of Kerry's acceptance speech. Overall I'd give him an eight out of ten, maybe eight and a half. He hit some good points; had some good lines. Most importantly I think he did a good job at reclaimingt/redefining issues previously co-opted by the GOP: flag, faith, and military response.

I would, however, ding Kerry a few points for incessantly harkening back to his wartime service. Yes, it is valid to mention and deserving of being honored but Kerry kept pulling out his uniform so often it began to appear as if he only served in the military in order to be elected. "Oh, and did I mention I am a war hero?" Secondly, while I like the reiterative "Help is on the way" line, the fact that it was on pre-preinted banners and placards cheapened it into crass show biz glitz.

Still in the end, I think the Dems are starting to give folks someone to vote for rather than just a candidate who is not Bush.