By Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

Best: Defining one-liners

"If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice, but it is not the change we need." -- Barack Obama

"I stand here today at the cross-currents of that history knowing that my piece of the American Dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me." -- Michelle Obama

"No longer will the eight most dreaded words in the English language be: "The vice president's office is on the phone." -- Joe Biden (alluding to current Vice President Dick Cheney's tenure)

"That campaign generated so much heat, it increased global warming." -- Bill Clinton on the race for delegates between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama

"It makes perfect sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities, because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton

"To my supporters, to my champions -- to my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits -- from the bottom of my heart, thank you." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton

"If I'm not mistaken, Hillary Rodham Clinton rocked the house last night." -- Barack Obama during a surprise visit to the convention

-- Jevon Phillips