The election of an African-American to be the nominee of one of the two major parties is a definite milestone, and one which is deeply resonant with many people. I’m glad to see this milestone reached. America is truly a great country.

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Now, it would sure be nice if the individual achieving this milestone were not such an empty suit. And as for Barack Obama’s Temple of Doom, from which he will address over 70,000 disciples tonight: there seems little point in mocking it any more than it already is being mocked, including by the increasingly sharp and funny McCain campaign. The fact that it was designed by someone who has also designed stage sets for Britney Spears is just the crowning cherry. The degree to which the Obama campaign is walking right into these laugh lines ought to have Democrats pretty worried. And indeed, I believe the sensible ones are pretty worried.

Whatever takes place tonight, the 70,000 + worshipping fans who pack the Invesco Stadium are not the ones that Barack Obama needs to persuade, in order to win the presidency. How this spectacle will play with the actual voters he needs to persuade remains to be seen. These voters are likely a good deal more pragmatic; at least pragmatic enough to realize that they are electing a president, and not a deity.

Obama has explained the grandiose setting this way:

“We’re going to be moving to Mile High Stadium tomorrow, and I want to let you know why,” he said. “We want to open up this convention to make sure that everybody that wants to come can join in the party and join in the effort to take America back.”

In fact, this is just as much a staged event as anything that has taken place at the convention, obviously — it is merely on a much larger scale. Obama will stand and make a prepared speech to a crowd. What’s the difference?

On the other hand, had Barack Obama accepted McCain’s invitation to a series of pre-convention town hall debates across the nation (as he said he would back in May) that would have truly been something like opening this campaign up to the people. Obama likes the symbolism, we know. It has turned out that he just doesn’t much like the reality.

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