High Marks for Michelle's Passion, Kennedy's Emotion Obama cleans up her image as Teddy draws tears By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff Posted Aug 26, 2008 11:37 AM CDT Copied High Marks for Michelle's Passion, Kennedy's Emotion Michelle Obama Speaks at the Democratic National Convention. (Illusive71b) DNC Monday Highlights. (PoliticalEvolution) Senator Edward M. (Ted) Kennedy giving his perhaps last speech. (ticorazz) 1 of 3 How did the speakers do on the first night of the Democrats’ big show? There’s no shortage of opinions: Mark Halperin, in Time, gives good grades to Caroline Kennedy and Michelle Obama, the latter of whom likely convinced the country she’s ready to be first lady “in a major way.” But he saves his highest praise for Ted Kennedy’s moving speech. Sen. Kennedy dominated the evening, which became a “bittersweet celebration” of his life, Patrick Healy writes in the New York Times. But his prominence is a reminder of his soured relations with the Clintons. Meanwhile, John Tabin thought Michelle’s speech was “high-gear damage control,” softening the hard, angry edges of her image, he writes in the American Spectator. But even he admits that she “knocked her speech out of the park.” (More Democratic National Convention stories.) See 1 photo Report an error