Pundits Give Michelle Obama's Convention Speech A-Rating But Say Ted Kennedy Brought Down The House

Denver, CO (AHN) - Pundits were unanimous in their appraisal of Michelle Obama's keynote address during the Democratic National Convention's opening night on Monday, saying the potential African-American first lady did an excellent job of breaking the Republican caricatures of her and her husband as radical and unpatriotic.

"The Democrats should be enormously grateful to Michelle Obama," CNN's David Gergen said, calling the convention's opening "a slow start." "The first evening was in danger of becoming an entirely lost opportunity. But Michelle rescued it," he added.

Fellow network political analyst Bill Schneider called it "an unusually effective performance" and even went so far as to say, "Democrats are looking at this speech and thinking: This is a future candidate."

Fox said she "charmed" Denver, while CBS senior political editor Vaughn Ververs called her speech "heartfelt." ABC's Rick Klein praised her for giving "a reintroduction that worked on a few different levels."

"She glowed while she spoke affectionately of her devoted, hardworking parents, her love for her husband and the issues facing the country," Time's Mark Halperin wrote in a report that summed up Michelle Obama's first official outing to mark the start of the fall campaign: A. "Those Americans just getting to know Michelle Obama likely found her warm, accessible, beautiful, and relatable; those who hope Cindy McCain will be the next first lady may grumble over Michelle's prudently gentle delivery," he added. "In her one big chance to convince the country she is ready to be first lady, Michelle Obama checked the box in a major way."

But if observers agreed that Michelle Obama's speech did exactly what it was supposed to do and more, they were overwhelmingly enthusiastic in their appraisal of the surprise address by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

The ailing lawmaker, who is battling brain cancer, gave a speech Monday night that brought the crowd at the Pepsi Center to tears and to its feet. Repeating a line from his 1980 convention speech, "The work begins anew, the hope rises again and the dream lives on," Kennedy passed on the torch to Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL).

"This is one of those great moments in political history," CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer quipped.

Taegan Goddard said the speech "reminded all the delegates that the Democratic Party is still best represented by the Kennedy family," and that Kennedy "embodies what the delegates hope an Obama presidency will be about."

But James Carville led critics who said the first night of the convention, despite the rousing speeches from Michelle Obama and Kennedy, did not launch enough attacks against Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

"I guarantee on the first night of the Republican Convention, you're going to hear talk about Barack Obama, commander-in-chief, tax cuts, et cetera," Carville, a former backer of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), told CNN. "You haven't heard about Iraq or John McCain or George W. Bush... If this party has a message it's done a hell of a job hiding it tonight, I promise you that."

Democrats began their four-day national convention on Monday in Denver. The first three days will be held at the Pepsi Center, while the fourth day will feature Obama's acceptance of the nomination before a 75,000-crowd at Invesco Field at Mile High.

Clinton is scheduled to speak Tuesday night, followed by Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), as the nominee for vice president, on Wednesday, the same day a roll call vote may be held for the former first lady. Former President Bill Clinton will speak just before Biden's address. Obama accepts the nomination on Thursday.

Clinton's speech coincides with the 88th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed women the right to vote. Obama's acceptance falls on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.