I spoke with my cousin C. today. She echoed the general sentiments of the analysts regarding Al Gore’s speech at the convention: dry and boring.

She felt like he simply read from his speech.

Let me offer a different perspective–perhaps you could have seen the speech as a truly dry wit? True, Gore is not given to grandiose displays of emotional involvement. True as well, he has the intonation of a college professor. .

Well, it seemed to me as though he was a dry wit. Of course, I could only see his back, but the Jumbotron showed his face, and I saw the crack of a smile as he talked about how the world might be different had people voted differently in 2000 (ESPECIALLY Justices O’Connor and Kennedy). This is no laughing matter, folks, so the fact that he is able to make a joke. . .  albeit a dry joke. . . well, that is simply a good speech.

Being there in the stadium, feeling the energy around me, hearing his speech, well–that made me very happy to be a Democrat.

Gore’s cadence, intonation, and whisps of smiles gave me all of the emotion I needed in a speech that contrasted what could have been with the present day.