Unity, for a Moment

Democratic vice presidential nominee Joseph I. Lieberman went before a jammed Staples Center crowd of delegates and guests to tell them a bit about who he is and his hopes for the campaign ahead. “Is this a great country or what?” he asked at the outset, seemingly awed by the idea that the Jewish son of a bakery truck driver should rise to such political heights. But it is a great country, and despite the half-century that elapsed since Lieberman was a boy, such dreams can still be dreamed and fulfilled. It was a theme he worked like the seasoned pol he is.

Lieberman gave a folksy if merely workmanlike speech. It was in some ways a collection of assurances to core Democratic groups that want to be sure the moderate senator from Connecticut is truly committed to their agendas. So there was the predictable reminder of how he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with praise for public school teachers, and he even found a way to favorably mention Hollywood and an appealing, family-friendly star, Tom Hanks. He made the most of a rather stock speech by delivering the words with a self-deprecating ease.

In three days, this convention has gone through three predictable phases. First was the farewell to President Clinton and Clinton’s emphatic recitation of his administration’s achievements, followed by a strong boost to his vice president and successor as party leader, Al Gore.

Tuesday night brought the nostalgic recollections of the Kennedy family, keyed to the fact that the last time a Democratic convention was held in Los Angeles was in 1960, when John F. Kennedy was nominated for president.

Present and past segued to future on Wednesday: the formal nomination of the new team of Gore and Lieberman and Lieberman’s acceptance speech. In that address he assumed the role of sharp critic of GOP presidential nominee George W. Bush, attacking his positions on the environment, health care, education and economic issues. For the crowd, there was a burst of star power from actor Tommy Lee Jones, an old pal testifying to Gore’s character. There was the all-in-the-family nomination of her father by Karenna Gore Schiff and even a hands-raised but nonspeaking “surprise” appearance by Gore.

In signaling his own shift to a more argumentative stance, Lieberman said, “Let others argue the case for the old guard. We’re the new guard, and we’re going to bring positive change to the United States of America.” On the environment, he was pointed about the failings of Gov. Bush’s stewardship in Texas: “I’m sad to say that in Texas, the quality of the air and water is some of the worst in America . . . [on health care] I’m sad to say that Texas is also falling behind.”

For all the concerns about infighting at this convention and about Gore’s candidacy, party loyalists--on Wednesday night, at least--stood firmly united behind the Gore-Lieberman team. For that moment, the wail of thousands of protesters outside and the simmering anxieties of the party’s left wing faded temporarily into a unified cheer for Joe Lieberman, who managed to make all in the hall feel good about another political barrier falling.