That's the buzz of the day. With Bush having plummeted in the polls since his post-9/11 and post-Iraq war highs, can Kerry deliver the goods to win the election in November?

Everyone agrees that the speech tonight will go a long way towards the November tea leaves coming into clearer focus.

Depending on which polls you read, roughly 60-65% of Americans say they want to see the country moving in a different direct. All the polls seem to be saying that of that 60-65%, between 40 and 48% of those likely voters would vote for Kerry. Probably. Well, maybe. But maybe not, if the economy improves. And if NATO can be brought on board in Iraq. Or not. In other words, 60-65% of likely voters are really pissed at Bush and his bungling of the economy and the war against Iraq. Angry. Really angry.

But not John Kerry. He not only isn't angry. He has told the troops not to display anger either. Anger bad. This has become what Arianna Huffington has jokingly called The Anger Management Convention. The main anger, according to Princess Arianna, seems to be centered around delegate hotel envy.

Now some leftist media pundits, who rarely agree with the mainstream media pundits, have said that with those kinds of dissatisfaction numbers (that 60-65%) among likely voters, that this election will be an up or down vote on Bush, Inc. and that it is Kerry's to lose.

Michael Moore reminds us that just because the clear majority of likely voters are truly angry at Bush and want to see the country move in a different direction, that Democrats are REALLY good at losing presidential elections if the past 50 years or so is anything to go by.

Then there are those minions (and they are many) who say Kerry has NEVER, not no how, delivered A Great Speech. This would not portend well for him needing to make The Greatest Speech of His Life, Not to Mention of the Convention.

He has to beat out some pretty good orators to do that. Jesse Jackson was safely sidelined in a non-prime time spot, so his main threat is gone. Al Sharpton, the second best orator of the Democratic party today, pulled some punches and got the most rousing response so far. But everyone knows he cheated, and didn't play by the Kerry/DLC/New Democrat Rules of Order book. Also, people don't love him the way they love Jesse, so it doesn't appear Al did much damage. The rest of the speakers, from Bill to Hill, to Lizzie and Johnnie, to Obama, there were only brief cheap thrills.

Since here has been no rousing speaker from the podium that has come before him (except Jesse, who no one heard), the DLCDNC has managed the stage well for Kerry. Except for Teresa's "shove it" thing, which is getting all the late night attention of the week. The "Beat That Bitch" thing has really gone into overdrive, hasn't it? Maybe instead of trying to rule the Democratic party world, the DLCDNC ought to have kept their eyes on their own backyard, eh?

So what do you think folks? Will Kerry cut it? Will he give a speech that sends him roaring out onto the campaign trail with a big bump in the polls and riding a wave of excitement, or will he rise to his usual level of mediocrity, and not even acknowledge all the anger we feel? After all, none of us needs to be convinced that change at the top is needed. We do, however, need to hear that you understand and share our anger and feel our pain.

And saying "safer and more secure" won't cut it either. Bush, Inc has that one covered already. "Hope is on the way" sounds too cynical, too much like "The check is in the mail".

Anger can easily be converted into excitement and positive energy. When people get mad, the first thing they want to do IS TAKE ACTION!!! If Kerry ignores that simple fact of human psychology, my fearless prediction is he may not even win Massachusetts. Nor would he deserve to.