had a table full of water bottles and little Marco at the ready

This event never really is much a showcase for new talent at best.
And often a disaster. Best to have a politician emeritus deliver the speech,
one who was a very successful politician. I enjoyed the speech.

The Governor was a big supporter of Obama and ACA, despite political risk. But the rebuttal needed to cover more.

She is a disabled veteran, a female, mixed race, a mother, wife and hero. She has never let her injuries stop her from a career in politics.

She speaks well, too!

and put her in front of a bunch of American flags, and flanked by a rainbow coalition of every age and color. And at the end say "We are all Americans and we love our country."

Then watch as something so simple, so pure, so apple-pie, is mercilessly derided by the Breitbart crowd. Days of showing their horrid alt-right, racist tweets, etc.

Politics. Are we playing the game or not?

Geesh!

I thought Tim Kaine was a bad VP pick, too. If the dems don't start cultivating some younger candidates & get them out there in the limelight, they are going to lose again.

The one John Oliver uses to "educate" the yokels on just what the Democrats stand for. Have him look like one of them "the forgotten ones" as they like to call themselves. Have him talk all folksy-like, real close up. Then at the end, pan out and show his multi-racial, multi-ethnic, extended family, all coming in for dinner, with kids laughing with each other, and some wearing yamakas and headscarfs, all sitting down at a big table for a feast.

"This is the America we all deserve. This is the America that my grand-pappy fought for."

I mean, it really isn't that hard to get to these folks.

Sigh...

Although I liked about 65% of his message, it wasn't terribly inspiring.