Well, that’s over.  And that.

Seven days of two conventions, stuff and nonesense in abundance, some great speeches, some…’tis kinder to pass over them in silence, don’t you think?

But there is this left:  Two men, Barack Obama and John McCain, got up on their hind legs (h/t Brian Schweitzer) and told us who they were, what they thought America needed, and asked us for our support.  They did so a week apart, and now as citizens we are tasked to weigh their claims on our votes

What with the speed of news and just daily life (the start of my kid’s third grade school year has blown a lot of the memory of last week straight out of my head) I — and my guess is others — find it hard to keep that necessary juxtaposition firmly in mind.

So here, without further snark or comment are the videos of both Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s nomination acceptance speeches.  Make of them what you will.

(And btw–consider this a shout out to any and all fellow bloggers to post these two videos together — these are, after all, the fullest statements of the kinds of people they are and the Presidents they could be that either man will make in any form unmediated by debate rules or what have you).

McCain:

Obama: