DENVER - As first nights of conventions go, I don't think you could find any fault with what occurred in the Pepsi Center last night. Ted Kennedy's appearance was the signature moment of the night, made more so by the fact he delivered a much more robust speech than anyone expected. It was the kind of poignant drama that conventions are built for.

Much was expected from Michelle Obama, and I don't think there's any question she delivered, turning in a solid speech. It appeared somewhat forced and transparent in parts - particularly when she made the reference to Hillary and the line about how much she loved her country. Those two remarks also received the loudest ovations from the crowd. Overall, though, her speech was exactly what the moment required. (At this point I'll defer you to Jay's analysis, since it pretty much mirrors my own.)

Bringing Barack in live via satellite at the end was a nice touch. Despite his flub (saying he was in St. Louis when he was really in Kansas City), the interaction between Barack, the crowd and his family helped reinforce the image of him as a likable guy, a father, and a family. Obama's family is one of his biggest assets and, his advisors hope, the strongest possibly testimonial to what kind of person he is and a key touchstone that allows people to relate to him in a direct way. It's no coincidence the family portrait of Barack, Michelle, and the two girls has been the landing page on his web site since the beginning of the campaign.

So with Michelle having taken her star turn, we're now on to Act II - and you know what that means. For a guy whose nickname is No Drama Obama, he finds himself in the middle of a convention that is anything but.

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