Convention: What To Watch For

I fly out tomorrow midday, by which time apparently we will all have learned that Joe Biden is the VP pick. If true, I think it's a great choice for a variety of reasons, including A) the pick does no harm, provided Joe can stay reasonably disciplined; B) he's a great attack dog; C) he's a classic, working-class, Scots-Irish Catholic who plays great in PA, OH, VA, etc.; D) he's sufficiently pro-Israel to assuage many Zionists' lingering doubts about Obama; E) the party insiders love him; F) the press generally loves him.

Also note: Biden is considered one of John Kerry's main competitors for a potential Sec'y of State appointment, so Biden as Veep moves Kerry one step closer to State.

In any event, here are my predictions for the top five rhetorical questions that will be answered repeatedly in Denver.

1. How much does Barack Obama love America? I'll bet he loves it very, very, very, very much; the kind of overwhelming patriotic love that makes you want to make constant, heavy-handed allusions to that great love for America. Which he loves. Patriotically. Can we get another flag over here?

2. What web site should you go to if you want to contribute? Obama is opting out of public financing, which makes him the first major candidate in recent history who can spend whatever he can raise in the general election. Ergo, welcome to the first fundraiser-convention in American politics; will they have the chutzpah to actually have a tote board?

3. Is John McCain just another rich Republican? I'll bet he is. I'll bet this is one of many ways that McCain is just like other Republicans and not actually some kind of independent maverick at all. I'll bet he and Mitt Romney and Dick Cheney and fat-cat CEOs of Exxon and Halliburton all get together (at one of their many, many houses) and roll around in big piles of money and oil, not caring about working people like you and me.

4. Is Barack Obama a man of the people? Pal, this guy is going to be so populist you'll think Eugene Debs is the party nominee. You'll think he built Invesco Field with his own two hands. He might be late for the speech because he's back in the beer line. And you know, he was practically born in Kansas, almost.

5. Can anyone have more and deeper genuine affection and admiration for a fellow human being than Hillary & Bill have for Barack? I didn't think so!