I again asked students in my American Political Parties class at Columbia College if President Obama’s acceptance speech was a success and if it changed their minds about him. Of the six who sought the bonus points, four went in supporting Obama and none changed their minds. Most comments were about the emotional power of the speech and how good a public speaker he is. The criticisms were of the lack of specifics. One was very positive despite her feeling that he had made little progress on his promises from four years ago.
