The Ross Writ

Twenty years ago, a relatively little-known governor with a outer-borough accent (like my grandfather) transformed himself into a 800-pound gorilla in presidential politics -- the giant everybody thought would clean house if only he stepped into the fray. He created all this buzz with only a speech at the Democratic national convention. He passed on running for president 1988, but almost got on a plane to file his papers in the New Hampshire primary in December 1991. If he had got on that plane, you may never have heard of the man from Hope. Mario Cuomo could have been a contendah.

Wasn't meant to be. But it goes to show that you never know who will arise out of the usual boredom of a national political convention. Right now John Edwards looks like the exciting, fresh face of 2004. But might it turn out to be someone else?

Someone like U.S. Senate candidate Barak Obama? He evidently has been granted a prime-time slot by the DNC -- rare for a guy who hasn't even been elected yet. He is impressive -- maybe Flatiron Dante will recount his meetings with the guy in the comments -- and probably would have been destined for prominence without giving a speech in Boston. But how far will his speech take him?

forty years ago, a certain ex-actor gave a campaign speech on behalf of his party's nominee. The speech didn't win the election for Goldwater, but it did put a Ronald Reagan on the path to the presidency.

A single speech can turn a person into presidential material.

Another Reagan is set to give a speech next week at the convention, by the way. Prime time, too. But it doesn't sound like Ron Reagan has an agenda beyond stem-cell research. Not yet at least.

So in Boston next week, we look to see if Obama will have his moment. It depends on what he says. Maybe he'll eloquently express an alternative to center-right politics of the Democratic party. Maybe he'll condemn the insider corruption that consumes the hacks in DC.

Maybe.