And the Democrats are trying to make his prediction come true with their late, late, late night convention here in the Eastern time zone. I am not used to staying up watching television until midnight, and then getting up early to perform baby sitting duties, as I am this week when camps are closed and so are schools.

But the convention is now 50% over and I watched everything that C-Span has shown, with the exception of the roll call. During the roll call, I watched the Nats playing the Rockies and when the game ended, the last state to be polled, California for some reason, was just finishing: “My name is Gavin Newsom, and the Great State of California casts its thousands, or is it millions, of votes for the next president of the United States, who will not be me”, or something like that. Was it just a coincidence that things worked out this way, did the DNC and MLB plan it that way, or is this a reason why you shouldn’t stop believing in a God?

I have been trying to compare the Democrats’ convention with the Republican convention that I watched not quite as religiously a month or so ago. I remember virtually nothing about the Republican convention. What I do remember is (a) I thought the Republicans put on quite a good show and wondered if the Democrats can match it for showmanship (I think they can’t), (b) I wondered what that Teamster president was doing talking about things that had nothing to do with partisan politics (he wanted to speak at both conventions, but the Dems limited the union speakers to those from unions who are supporting Harris – that may be all of them except for the Teamsters, who are still officially neutral), (3) I remember the recent Harvard grad whose excellent talk badmouthed my alma mater for the way it has been handling anti-Israel/anti-Jewish protests (he wanted to speak at both conventions, as well, but hasn’t shown up yet at the Dem convention – my guess is he won’t, although he is apparently a Democrat – what I would call a self-hating Democrat?), and (4) I remember that Trump and Vance both spoke, but neither convinced me that they were the A-team.

I must say this: most of the speeches at the Democratic convention are better than those at the GOP convention, and the showmanship is, if not as good, not painful. With the exception of Patti LaBelle. Now, I don’t know much about Patti LaBelle, except I now think she is different from Patti Lapone (or is it LaPone?), something before I probably wasn’t too sure of. I have seen Patti LaPone (or is it Lapone?) perform a few times, and never thought she was an A+ entertainer, and now I can say that Patti LaBelle is in the same category, and that – thus – perhaps they are the same after all. All I heard, as I saw her face, was a lot of screeching. A lot of screeching. Oh, well, one man’s torture is another man’s………?

I also must say this: No one could have given a better speech than the one that Michelle Obama gave last night. No one, not even her husband, who gave the next speech which was a very good speech, but didn’t compare to his wife’s. She looked terrific, she sounded terrific, and who could not love her remark, after talking about Barack and Kamala, when she said that maybe someone should tell Donald Trump that the presidency is one of the “Black jobs” he refers to?

There have been other good speeches as well. Two of the best were by AOC and Bernie Sanders. Another was by Trump’s former press secretary Stephanie Grisham – her address should be played over and over and over to MAGA audiences, or at least to audiences comprised of the undecided. I was also surprisingly impressed with Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic candidate to replace Ben Cardin as Senator from Maryland. I had never heard her speak before, and really not paid attention to her campaign (she is polling well ahead of former governor Larry Hogan, whom everybody does like). She’s a Maryland native and a graduate of Banneker Academic High School, the DC magnet public high school where my son in law teaches, and then Duke and the University of Maryland Law School. And she can deliver a good speech – content and style, both. Oh, yes, and one more speaker: Hillary Clinton. Her talk was gracious, on point, and persuasive. I wonder if she has ever thought about the presidency.

I was a little disappointed with the speech that Doug Emhoff gave. It was very personal, about his relationship to his wife, and the dynamics of their blended family, and there was nothing wrong with it, although it was a tad too personal, I thought. But I am sure that is what he was asked to do. But it lacked dynamism – he spoke in a very laid back style that under normal circumstances might be fine, but I thought lacked the oomph you needed if your wife is running for President. My talk will be much different if Edie throws her hat in the ring. Oh, I forgot, she really doesn’t have any hats, other than a baseball cap or two.

Other than that, although no one gave a bad speech, the speeches were easily forgettable. Twelve hours after they were given, I have forgotten them already.

Tonight? Bill Clinton (I am looking forward to him, although he looks and sounds so old, old, old – his wife, the same age, still looks and sounds like she is in the prime of her life), Nancy Pelosi (she just isn’t the best speaker – and, by the way, neither is her counterpart Shumer, who spoke last night), and Tim Walz. Truth be known, I am still undecided about the Walz choice. I will accept that he is a very pleasant guy, and a fine all-American fellow, but is he ready for prime time? I am not yet sure. So I will watch and listen closely to him tonight (if I stay up that long – but of course I will – I can sleep when I’m dead. I forgot).

You may have noted that there is someone I left out. A guy named Biden. I heard his speech. It was a good speech (“As I leave you, let me tell you all the wonderful things I have done. And, oh yes, I am not leaving you quite yet.”). But, perhaps sadly, he is already part of the past. There may be important decisions that have to be made between now and January 20, and he is the President who will make them, but…….he really is part of the past. And, assuming he is listening to or watching the full convention, how bittersweet is must be. Because, although his name is mentioned now and then (and always accompanied by “Thank you, Joe” shouts from the crowd), one thing is clear. He really is the past.

Okay. The past is past. And as Bryce Harper used to say “The best is yet to come”, and as my first cousin once removed Al used to say “You ain’t seen nothing’ yet.” And yes there is work to do between now and November 5, and as Tim Walz has said……..