Hillary's Task

Tonight, Hillary has a thankless task. She has to convince her supporters to get behind Obama. There is no shortage of people waiting to pounce on any sign that her enthusiasm is not authentic or sufficient and they will be quick to use those words to fit the media's pre-decided convention theme: party infighting.

Compare the number of people who would be quick to praise Hillary for a brilliant speech to the number of people who would pounce on even a hint of hard feelings. Which story will the media cover more? That is what Hillary is facing tonight.

Marie Cocco has a brilliant piece at the Washington Post on this very topic.

If there is a political job more fraught with peril than running to become the next commander in chief, surely it is being cast as cheerleader in chief.

Hillary Clinton will be damned if she looks too methodically perfect, too much the purveyor of practiced routine and not enough the cheery personification of enthusiasm. She'll also be damned if she's too exuberant, too obviously raising her voice in unbridled exhortation for the team. She will either be deemed too cool or all-too-cagily warm.

Clinton can't win tonight. But then, she knows that.

The piece is brilliant, well-worth a read. Click here to read it in its entirety.