Adlai Stevenson

Only one half of the Democratic ticket is actually set. With this afternoon's acclamation vote, Barack Obama is now officially the party's candidate for president. But Joe Biden, his handpicked running mate, must still win the convention's formal blessing. Technically, the party could go through another time-consuming roll call of the states to nominate Biden, but there's no need for that. Instead, Biden will be nominated just after 10 tonight (after Bill Clinton's speech) by Quincy Lucas, a Delaware woman and domestic violence activist. There will be no seconding speech; to save time, delegates will simply be asked if anyone seconds the nomination -- and hundreds of them will shout back "I do.  read more »

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano noted at the top of her speech that three previous presidential candidates from her home state - Barry Goldwater, Morris Udall, and Bruce Babbitt - were all unsuccessful in their efforts.

"Speaking for myself, and at least for this coming election, this is one Arizona tradition I'd like to see continue," she said.

Not a bad line. Of course, the track record for presidential candidates from Barack Obama's Illinois isn't much better than for those from John McCain's Arizona:

* Adlai Stevenson twice served as the Democratic presidential nominee, suffering lopsided defeats to Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 (442-89 in the Electoral College) and 1956 (by a 457-73 spread).  read more »