...there was the sense that thanks to this careful, but ultimately bravura performance, somewhere out there, great white Middle America just might be a goner.

I for one hope so. Change is long overdue, and I remain optimistic about the Obamas chances to be a part of it.

And poised, and intelligent, and articulate, and she made such a good speech. The whole evening was taking us back to that prime time when JFK was in the White House.

I hope she did win over Middle America. I don't know how they could resist.

Michelle Obama, and not some gaggle of paper tiger PUMAs, is the top item on Salon. As she should be on a night like this.

Clever writing. I like how you talk about the Michelle Obama makeover without too explicitly discussing the Michelle Obama makeover.

I remember when I first saw a photo of her here at a Salon. She was wearing a short white skirt and was being viewed from below a high platform. Not a good idea.

She has "come a long way baby" from being an outspoken woman to being the perfect image of first lady fifties-style vanilla meringue. You could plunk her right down in that movie "Pleasantville" and she would threaten no one. She wouldn't even turn into technicolor.

Tonight she was lovely. The speech was lovely. The dress was lovely. The sublimation to the demands of the occasion was lovely.

They really should pay women a great deal to assume the role of first lady, since those women have to give up so much.

And that was an editorial opinion from Miss. AKASmith, the unpleasant albeit mayor McCheese of Pleasantville. Thank you Miss. Smith.

I was flipping the channels and saw her preaching and it sounded just like she was introducing Jesus Christ. Lifting text from sermons is highly effective but it turns me off. The rerun of Prison

Break was far less offensive.

The Panamanian prison scenes did make me think of Congress, albeit populated by a far more wholesome looking crowd.

You guys actually think Obama is bringing back "hope" or "honour" to your country's system? I truly feel sorry for you.

Here we go again with the Punch and Judy show. Same as it ever was. Orwell weeps for you all from beyond the grave.

But First Ladies really do have to give up so much - stop being smart and professional and stay-home-and-bake-cookies, so to speak. Bill Clinton wouldn't have had to do that. I didn't see the speech (just the syrupy intro and the first few words - it had been a hard day and bed called), but this account says Barack came on (on screen) afterwards and called Michelle "cute". Says it all.

Thanks for the wise 'ol words 'o Wonda bread, don't let your brew go all up to ya head.

Please. Bring peace to Pleasantville.

My realest regards to Miss. mayor McCheese.

a day late and a dollar short, as usual lately, but good nonetheless.

And notice that this one only gets about 12 letters while the sensationalist egging everyone to fight article got almost a 100 so far.

And also notice that the 12 are, at least so far, mostly the same bitter, right wing, racists, and everything in between downplaying anything positive about this incredible speech, and incredible historic evening.

Hey they're out there, progressive blogs like Daily Kos get more comments in about five minutes than you could dream of in an evening. You've just lost that crowd. Except for a few who stick around here as scolds.

Nobody quite captures class like AKASmith

I wonder where Michelle would have been in the 1950's?

Cleaning AKA's kitchen

Ridin' at the back of the bus?

Are these some of the "feminist issues"

That Smith wants to discuss?

When it comes to feelin' indignant and embittered

'Ol Mayor McCheese is no kind of quitter.

Glad to have this piece on the top of Salon instead of Traister's other piece, about the PUMA brigade outside. Rebecca, you've had a busy day! (And I can only assume this is just a warm-up for you...)

Now for the criticism:

Traister: "When Obama announced, in that canned presidential way, that he was sitting in Kansas City with the Gerardo family, young Sasha grabbed the mic and said, "Hi, Gerardo family!""

How about a little spell-check? I am pretty sure their name is spelled Gerardeaux.

Falhaar: "You guys actually think Obama is bringing back "hope" or "honour" to your country's system? I truly feel sorry for you. Here we go again with the Punch and Judy show. Same as it ever was. Orwell weeps for you all from beyond the grave."

Who are you addressing? Why the snootiness? As for Obama bringing back hope and honor, you seem to have missed the point. The point isn't that Obama is perfect or that he's going to reform everything to some Platonic ideal. The point is that the U.S. has been run by a corrupt set of jackals for the past 8 years and we're hungry for a leader who doesn't completely suck. The low-suckage Obama could just be that leader. We're not asking for much here. I'm not sure what Orwell has to do with anything, though I am sure it makes you feel smart to make a British literary reference.

wychwood: "I didn't see the speech, but this account says Barack came on (on screen) afterwards and called Michelle "cute". Says it all."

Translation: "I don't really know what I'm talking about, and I didn't see it, but I am going to pass judgment on the one out-of-context thing I can find fault with."

I just watched the video and I was blown away by how natural and direct Michelle Obama came across. What was perhaps most impressive was that she was able to emphasize her role as a wife and mother without sacrificing her clear intellect. I kept thinking to myself, "when are you gonna run, Michelle?"

You clearly watched a different Michelle than I did. She was far more natural on the stage than almost anyone I've seen in a long time. She looked happy and confident and full of purpose. Michelle certainly bore no relation to the uber-plastic Cindy McCain. Now that's a lady I feel sorry for. Her smile looks tight and her eyes look wired.