Three subjects were conspicuously absent from essentially all of the numerous speeches in this convention:

1. Barack Obama’s legislative record in Illinois: Given his marked lack of experience, how could the speakers completely ignore and avoid his years in the state senate—the single longest-held job on his resume? (Answer: they reveal an extremely liberal record).

2. The September 11th attacks: In reviewing the record of the Bush administration, how could it be that practically no one made any mention of the fact that America was attacked early in his first term? Did that have nothing to do with the economic record? With foreign policy? Does it matter going forward that this attack occurred? This was a September 10th convention in the extreme.

3. The surge: The past year and a half has seen an extraordinary turnaround in Iraq. Was there a speech at this convention that talked about Iraq in terms different from those you might have heard in 2006?