The speech -- liveblogging

The speech has to be a relief after all that slop.

Maybe they made it lousy on purpose.

Can't they shut up? Can't he even control his own crowd?

Matheson showed great insight by staying home.

We're hearing a lot about Biden's Amtrak train. Not so much about his Iraq policy, his obstructionism in filling judgeships.

The actual time, Mountain Time, is an hour behind what is being posted.

Bills you can't afford to pay -- so make more or spend less.

Cars you can't afford -- well, so that's George Bush's fault?

"lets vets sleep on the streets" -- so is Obama going to round up all the troubled people who once served in the military?

He's ripping McCain. We've become "a nation of whiners." Well, at least there's one stadium of them.

He's trying to link McCain to Bush and an aide. But what about McCain?

Tax breaks for corporations and oil companies -- well, who do you think might hire people?

I'm not blogging much because this is just much.

Bush, Bush, Bush. Why not talk about Hoover or Lincoln?

He's like a comedian who's run out of material.

I am my brother's keeper -- but heaven help any teacher who tries to teach that in school!

Changes in tax code -- which ones?

He will eliminate capital gains taxes on small businesses.

But they don't make capital gains -- until they become big ones.

We will finally end our dependence on oil for the middle east -- OK, how?

Drilling is a stopgap -- gets big cheers. OK, that's fine.

I will help auto companies retool -- How?

I'll invest $150 billion in renewable energy. Why don't private companies?

Why does he think govt. is better investor?

He will ask for higher standards and accountability. But can an Obama do that? Can he defy the teachers unions?

Affordable, accessible health care. It will lower your costs -- but raise taxes!

More sick days and leave! And more jobs going overseas!

How he'll pay for it -- by closing loopholes. I will go through budget line by line and eliminate obsolete program.

But how can the party of government do that?

Intellectual and moral strength? Each of us must do our part.

"Programs can't replace parents." But can he make the Democrats do this?

All this runs against the essence of the party he will be leading; and plainly he doesn't have the backbone to defy them, the bold remarks to the contrary.

"We are the party of Roosevelt, of Kennedy .... " No, not of them, not on foreign policy. And note that he didn't mention Truman.

He says he will fight if need be ... But what about Darfur?

New partnerships? How will diplomacy work?

He's straining now, like an actor with bad or tired lines, hoping emoting will take the place of content.

Aside: (Yes, I'm having trouble paying attention): Michael Medved (thanks to Real Clear) has summed this up: there's a contradiction.

Back to Obama: now he's pretending there are no real differences.

Narcissim or circular logic: people like my campaign so my campaign must be right.

He's like a pop singer who had a couple of hits and can't follow up.