The second item of note is that today marks the fifth "birthday" of this column series. September 14, 2007 saw the very first Friday Talking Points column ever (although the name and the column format wouldn't solidify for a few months). Since then, almost every Friday, we've been attempting to provide Democratic talking points for politicians to use to get their point across in a snappy and memorable fashion. How much success we've had doing so is open to interpretation, but we're still here doing it, which tends to indicate that Democrats still have a ways to go to match the Republican ability to keep "on script" during interviews. To put this another way, it's the old Democratic "herding cats" problem.

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That being said, the pride I feel having been in attendance of the spectacle that was the Democratic National Convention is truly ineffable. I have never been more inspired to be a liberal than after the first night of the convention. Politics was put into perspective for me. Before, government was more theoretical and I could speak in an idealist liberal voice without considering the actual implication of the next president. Up until now an election has never directly impacted my life, just my parents' lives (which subsequently affected me). The decisions Americans make in 2012 will affect my ability to get a job and afford college. So everything materialized for me, and as Sandra Fluke illustrated, two distinctly different futures are in front of us. One future in which millionaires and billionaires will get tax cuts and women don't have the right to control their bodies and their health care, or a future in which jobs continue to be created and women can earn just as much as men for doing the same amount of work.

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Part of this thinking ("conventional thinking" one might call it, if one were looking for a cheap laugh) most likely stems from the fact that professional pundits (those on expense accounts, in other words) were visibly worn out in Charlotte. The Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention appeared on each others' heels this year, with absolutely no break between the two. This wasn't a problem for the partisans on either side, but it was indeed exhausting for the professional journalists covering both events. I spoke to very conservative and very liberal "A-list" media folks who all said almost exactly the same thing: "The last two weeks have been such a blur, it's hard to keep it all straight in my mind." Which leads to wondering if the media won't eventually pull back on their own coverage -- further than they already have, that is.

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I must come out forthright and say I will be bitter about tonight regardless of the quality of the speeches. The DNC's decision to shift the venue from the stadium that could seat 70,000 to the convention center which seats about 22,000 has prevented me from attending the last night of the convention. I will still give my thoughts on the night but be aware I was not present for the speeches or events that took place.

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Here's a radical thought, as we change full-steam into convention season: Could the "marijuana vote" propel Barack Obama to victory in the upcoming election? This may sound a little far-fetched (and might indeed provoke "What are you smoking, dude?" sorts of comments) so please allow me to explain how this demographic could become key to the entire election, in one particular state.

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Unfortunately, the Democrats couldn't restrain themselves from going after Romney with three people, all of whom worked at an ex-company that had once been owned by Bain Capital. Each gave a relatively similar story in which their company was ruined by Romney while he profited off their failure. He cost Americans jobs, broke Tiny Tim's leg, and probably even talked about Fight Club. I have no love for Romney, but such a exaggeration of negativity demoralizes the entire base and moves the focus from Obama's outstanding accomplishments to Romney's shortcomings.

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Well, I'm not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place. One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage. Two is to assure that the marketplace allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family up to whatever age they might like.

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I am sitting here listening to the speakers at the last day of the Democratic National Convention. Call it a liveblog. I will be posting here throughout the night, although I am going to shut things down when the final hour begins, so I can pay attention to the most important speakers. [...]

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The election of President Barack Obama made me realize that I could no longer be an observer on the sideline. I had to be a participant, so I became an American citizen. I knew I had made the right decision when my husband Chris and I attended Barack Obama's inauguration in January 2009. It was a day I will never forget. [Editor's note: see photo, above] There we were, two amongst thousands, on the Mall in Washington D.C. in the freezing cold waiting to see the swearing in on the giant TV screen. Before the event started, Bono warmed us up. It was worth it though to experience that "being a part of something great" feeling.

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The first night had two large overarching themes: Women's rights, and President Obama's accomplishments. A multitude of women spoke not only about abortion and being pro-choice, but about equal pay for equal labor. However, the dominating pattern was the constant praise of President Obama, and the effectiveness of his policies. Obama's ability to save the auto industry and create jobs for twenty-nine consecutive months was a focal point in why he deserved to be re-elected. In addition, Obamacare and benefits for veterans were mentioned repeatedly by speakers. Last but not least diversity was constantly stressed. I lost count of the number of times I heard the line, "you should be able to defend the country you love, regardless of who you love." Overall, a very strong performance by the Democrats -- they were consistent in their backing of Obama, and unlike the Republicans they gave examples of concrete policies that have actually made a difference.

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