"It was a remarkable scene last night. The mood of the crowd, the stagecraft, the pageantry and the sheer enormity of the stadium made the evening feel like a cross between Lollapalooza, The Oscars, and the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.

Obama's speech was brilliant: well crafted and well delivered, touching on all the right notes. All that was expected, of course, and Obama delivered in spades. He got somewhat specific at times, deftly portrayed McCain as out of touch on the economy, put up his dukes on national security, and finished with an emotional flourish that drew on the history of the moment.

He made one mistake, though. His line knocking McCain for not following Osama bin Laden to his cave struck me as flippant and unnecessary. Though the crowd got a kick out of it, my sense is that that line that opened the door for Republicans and it will come back to haunt the Junior Senator from Illinois.

Whether the speech connected with the voters he needs to connect with around the country, we'll have to wait and see. This much is for certain: Obama is the muse of the liberal wing of the Democratic party. He moves them in a way no candidate has in two generations.

Yet, as the massive crowd inside the stadium testified, Obama's appeal reaches well beyond hardcore Democrats. It was no small feat to get inside Invesco field yesterday: a mile trek on foot, an hour or more wait in line in the hot afternoon sun. Yet people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages made the pilgrimage and filled the seats for the chance to see Obama accept the Democratic party's nomination for President - and he did not disappoint."

(From http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2008/08/obamas_night.html