Best and worst of the Democratic National Convention

Best: Steven Spielberg’s video tribute to U.S. veterans

Spielberg’s Wednesday night film was short and poignant, and surprisingly, not overly sappy. The famed director interviewed veterans of multiple wars and touched on an array of lifestyles and issues in a matter of minutes.

Unlike most of these sorts of tributes, Spielberg’s film wasn’t lacking in details –- a pan of houses with service flags hanging out front, a shot of empty boots and uniforms from fallen soldiers -– and and ever-so-slight hint at the deeper concern -– the quality of care and service being provided to our vets upon their return from the front lines.

-- Todd Martens  (Reed Saxon / Associated Press)

Worst: Party crashers

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani shocked reporters when the Republican interloper showed up in the convention hall to poke around.

The uninvited guest was eager to chat with reporters telling CNN that the Democrats “made a big mistake in the choice that they made.”

Giuliani wasn’t the only Republican to make his presence known at the Democratic National Convention. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was also spotted.

-- Stephanie Lysaght  (Shawn Thew / EPA)

Worst: Former Recording Industry Assn. of America CEO Hilary Rosen’s on-air snafu

Here’s what HuffingtonPost.com’s political director told CNN audiences Tuesday about Hillary Clinton’s speech:

“This was a message from Hillary Clinton that basically said, ‘I am not your therapist. I am a Democrat. No matter what you are doing, you need to get it together and vote for John McCain if you care about energy and middle-class tax cuts and jobs and healthcare and getting out of the war in Iraq. I think that message was so clear.”

The Democratic strategist for CNN obviously meant to say Barack Obama. Anderson Cooper didn’t even catch it..

During the DNC.

-- Joseph Kapsch  (Peter Lennihan / Associated Press)

Worst: Dave Stewart’s “American Prayer”

Released on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention, Dave Stewart’s “American Prayer” is a pro-Obama ditty designed to tug on every heart string known to man, coming complete with a “We Are the World”-like video ( Jason Alexander! Barry Manilow! Whoopi Goldberg! Perez Hilton! Perez Hilton? Yes, Perez Hilton.)

He may mean well, but it’s still pompous.

What does anyone expect from a song that boasts Bono as a co-writer?

-- Todd Martens  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Worst: CNN’s handling of the news that John McCain had picked a running mate. Announcement coming … soon.

A quick blurb telling the world that Republican presidential hopeful John McCain had picked a running mate would have sufficed.

Yet with anchors yammering on and on, milking the fact-free announcement, it became very clear why McCain’s camp had “leaked” the news, which simply said more news would be coming soon. CNN’s coverage played right into the hands of the source who tipped the media off to the story in the first place.

As of Wednesday evening, there was still no further news to report.

--Todd Martens  (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press)

Best: The DNC’s opening act, Michelle Obama

Pundits criticized Democrats for forfeiting the first day of the convention by talking about idealism and family. Why not capitalize on a perfectly good opportunity to lay waste to the Republicans, they asked. But those Beltway cynics missed the Obamas’ big idea: Fight for the way the world should be.

In that regard, Michelle Obama performed her opening night role like an Oscar-winner. In a staged event filled with political shilling, there was nary a hint of disingenuousness in Michelle Obama’s speech.

Who will ever forget the image she introduced into the public imagination of Barack Obama peering into the rearview mirror at his wife and newborn daughter as he drove them home from the hospital? What a powerful metaphor for the kind of leadership at least 50.7% of the country might want behind the wheel.

-- Sheigh Crabtree  (Stephan Savoia / Associated Press)