As I noted in my Michelle Obama write-up in the current edition of the paper, there’s always a danger of a previous speaker upstaging the main event at the DNC convention hall. The mood at the hall ebbs and flows—it’s impossible for thousands of people to pay attention for 6 hours straight—and a good speaker is often greeted by a loud murmur from the floor that doesn’t subside until two or three speakers (usually of the sympathetic ordinary citizen variety) have had their turn.

From what I can tell, though, the multiple climaxes are being spaced intelligently. On television, there may be a risk that people (especially on the East Coast) tune out after an early-evening star, like Bill Clinton last night. But in the hall, at least, they ensure that people stay attentive but never strain to pay attention.

The climaxes last night:

1) The roll call. I liveslogged this from the floor, wedged in between the Washington and Texas delegations, and—wow. Even though most delegates in the later states knew that they wouldn’t get to hear the list of their native lands’ cute and occasionally bizarre attributes (Nebraska bragging about its unicameral legislature was a little pedantic, if amusing), the mood was electric. Hillary Clinton’s entrance (Eli dubbed it a Deus Ex Clintonista) was well-timed—I didn’t think they were going to get all the way to the Ns—and awesomely executed. The nay vote on her motion to nominate Obama by acclamation was noticeably rushed, but nobody near me seemed to mind. Did you see that Washington state delivered 26 votes for Hillary Clinton, with hardly any pledged delegate reversals? That’s shocking. Many HRC-heavy states managed to convert themselves into unanimous delegations for Obama. Washington’s reticence probably has something to do with the Clinton whip, Paul Berendt, not being particularly inclined to crack it, given that he intended to stick with Clinton himself. And it didn’t hurt that Clinton formally released her delegates hours and hours after the delegates received their ballots.

2) Eli liveslogged both the Clinton and Biden speeches (that’s heroic work, Eli) because I was stranded without internet access. Here was the most riveting speech of the evening:

Bill Clinton put Hillary’s initially sotto voce support for Obama to shame. (Don’t get me wrong—I thought Hillary ended very strongly, but it was a problem that her praise for Obama came so early, when her speech hadn’t really heated up.) Whatever his personal feelings, Clinton clearly decided to banish any rumors that his public support for the Democratic nominee was ambivalent. And his transition from domestic to foreign policy was slick. This speech had all the drama, and the crowd would have licked butter off his palm.

3) John Kerry was excellent too (transcript & audio here). He delivered the first faux Freudian slip of the evening—Bush for McCain—and I bought it, initially. (When Biden did the same thing, though, I changed my mind.) The role of McCain attack dog worked pretty well for him, I thought. It was also very nice to hear policy reversals being criticized without the use of the term “flip flop.” And I think Democrats have been starving for this:

This election is a chance for America to tell the merchants of fear and division: You don’t decide who loves this country; you don’t decide who is a patriot; you don’t decide whose service counts and whose doesn’t.

Four years ago I said, and I say it again tonight, that the flag doesn’t belong to any ideology. It doesn’t belong to any political party. It is an enduring symbol of our nation, and it belongs to all the American people. After all, patriotism is not love of power or some cheap trick to win votes; patriotism is love of country.

Years ago when we protested a war, people would weigh in against us saying, “My country right or wrong.” Our answer? Absolutely, my country right or wrong. When right, keep it right. When wrong, make it right. Sometimes loving your country demands you must tell the truth to power.

4) Finally, Joe Biden. Eli wasn’t quite so enthralled with Biden, and he made some teleprompter mistakes early on. But again, great choice of close-relative introducer (Beau Biden is dreamy, as our commenters all observed), and a really strong sale to working class voters. I hadn’t before, but yesterday I definitely bought the notion that Biden will help secure Pennsylvania. Here’s the video:

Tonight: Charles, Eli, and I will be watching and liveslogging Barack Obama, Al Gore, and Bill Richardson live from Mile High Stadium. (Mile High is the original, city-boosting name of the stadium; Invesco is the corporate sponsor. The fact that Obama called it Mile High Stadium last night was not a mistake, I think.) Shawn Johnson is doing the Pledge of Allegiance, which must mean she’s a Democrat! I promise to abandon my love for Nastia if she does the Pledge at the RNC.

In the meantime, please enjoy debating whether Obama kissed Jill Biden on the lips. I vote bad camera angle.