Bigger than 'American Idol'?
This should put to rest the snarky pre-speech criticism of Obama's extravagant DNC address:

Obama’s speech before 80,000 spectators in Denver drew a bigger TV audience than the opening night of the Beijing Olympics, the final “American Idol” or this year’s Oscars.

Thirty-eight million viewers is 38 million viewers. Obama's address was a ratings smash hit. The fact McCain knocked him off the top of the ratings chart the very next day is almost equally impressive. ... A reader notes that Harry Truman was not a nobody when FDR picked him as his VP choice (see post below). His points are well taken: Truman, a U.S. senator, was prominent in D.C., holding high-profile hearings etc. But he was a nobody outside D.C. and even he didn't think he was ready to be president in the middle of a world war. That's all I was trying to convey. ... Some are also making comparisons to Dan Quayle, as did I yesterday. It's an easy comparison. But keep in mind Dan Quayle's selection ultimately didn't make a difference in '88. George Bush I still won. ... I'm still trying to sort through my reactions to McCain's pick. The first thoughts that jumped to mind were: 'pander' and 'uninspired' and 'light weight' and 'Dan Quayle' and 'Jane Swift' etc. But she was impressive on the podium and could be a huge surprise. ... Lots of reactions here. Note: Dan Quayle's speechwriter likes the Palin pick. ... Charles Krauthammer on McCain's huge gamble: "The McCain campaign is reveling in the fact that Palin is a game changer. But why a game changer when you’ve been gaining? To gratuitously undercut the remarkably successful "Is he ready to lead" line of attack seems near suicidal." ...  ¶ 5:01 AM