The bounce starts here: Hillary's speech unites Democrats, rallies America

Going into Tuesday night's Democratic National Convention in Denver, pundits and Punditty alike were wondering if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) would be able to deliver a speech that would succeed in uniting the Democratic party. Pundits and Punditty alike are in general agreement that the former first lady either:

A) Hit a home run/knocked it out of the park/smashed a grand slam.

B) Delivered a crushing/powerful/knockout blow to GOP hopes for the fall.

C) Kicked a field goal with time running out in the snow during an AFC Championship Game in Buffalo.

D) Hit something like eight or nine three-pointers in a row while being double-teamed during a road game.

E) Swam faster than Michael Phelps being chased by the Aqua Cops during a party weekend in Venice.

Whatever.

Even with the GOP convention slated for next week, upcoming polls by the second week in September should reflect the bounce Hillary's unity speech will give Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) in the very tight race with his Republican rival for the presidency, Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Hillary struck just the right tone; she never sounded that focused during the primary season. But then again, she was up against a better candidate.

Clinton supporters who were understandably upset at her inability to hold off the upstart junior senator from The Land of Lincoln were treated to an unexpected display of Hillary as Phoenix: In rising with such eloquence and grace from the ashes of defeat, she has become, once more, a political force. As if there were ever any real doubt.

Invoking the words of Harriet Tubman, the runaway slave and early suffragist who became known as "the Moses of her people" for her work in transporting slaves along the Underground Railroad, Hillary's rhetorical skills soared to heights that made Bill proud as he looked on. If the former president had other plans for the night, I'm guessing he cancelled them and basked in the glow with Hillary. She spoke with great feeling and confidence:

"On that path to freedom, Harriet Tubman had one piece of advice. If you hear the dogs, keep going; if you see the torches in the woods, keep going; if they're shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop; keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.

And even in the darkest moments, that is what Americans have done. We have found the faith to keep going. I have seen it. I have seen it in our teachers and our firefighters, our police officers, our nurses, our small-business owners and our union workers. I've seen it in the men and women of our military.

In America, you always keep going. We're Americans. We're not big on quitting. And remember, before we can keep going, we've got to get going by electing Barack Obama the next president of the United States. We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare. Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hangs (sic) in the balance."

Get going so we can keep going, indeed. Clinton's words amount to not only a ringing endorsement of Barack Obama, but a resounding reassertion of her own political relevance and evolving place in the panoply of Great American Politicians and Great American Women.

Just what the Democratic Party and America needed to hear. Party stalwarts and political junkies alike will be keeping an eye on electoral-vote.com and realclearpolitics.com (see Punditty's links section at lower left of his profile page) over the next few weeks to see how the polls are tracking. These sites take averages of all the major polls and provide at-a-glance information in an easy-to-understand format.

As of this Punditty News and Opinion Event (PNOE), Punditty expects Obama to have a 3-5 point lead in most national polls going into the first debate, scheduled for Sept. 26. But that's not Walter Cronkite telling you,"That's the way it is," that's Punditty prognosticating, and right now, that's the way it isn't.