I flew back to sea level today after learning the big news, and spent much of my journey home pondering it and discussing it with people in airports and on planes. My initial reaction, which I still hold, was, "well, that should ensure that Obama wins 40 states."

It's a Hail Mary pass, and although I thought that he probably needs one, I didn't believe he would make one; I thought he would make a safe pick and keep hammering away and hope for the best.

Do you know in Gillette Stadium, that slim rally/ad strip that runs all the way across from end zone to end zone, between the lower stands and the private box level -- the one that flashes things like "DEE-FENSE!" and "MAKE SOME NOISE!" during the action, and ads for beer and anti-perspirant during the breaks? Invesco Field has something similar, except it's four sets of four slim panels -- anyway, the point is that during Obama's speech those panels were saying things like "Obama/Change/You Can/Believe In," and sometimes the message would change, and sometimes it would flash when people were expected to cheer a lot.

**UPDATE: 10:48 pm - AOL's Political Machine blog states reporting unequivocally that Pawlenty is the nominee. Culture War quotes anonymous sources inside McCain Communications Staff and RNC as saying "95 percent sure" it's Pawlenty. Remember that sourcing, because McCain's sure to deny that his communication staff leaked the nomination tonight.

VIDEO: Obama: The Movie

VIDEO: Barney Smith, Not Smith Barney (or, for that matter, Barney Frank)


VIDEO: Al Gore at Invesco Field

I again did not schlep out to the GOP opposition press conference this morning, which again was held in the new location which would have required me to waste several hours of this historic, not to mention beautiful, final day of the Democratic National Convention. I watched on live streaming video, to watch supposed VP finalist Tim Pawlenty, gov of RNC host state Minnesota, take his turn as yet another Republican with no foreign policy experience question Barack Obama's experience and judgment to be commander-in-chief.

At a press conference Monday I had an interesting conversation with some reporters, the upshot of which was that it is not widely known just how little access John McCain gives to the media now -- and that it will be interesting to see how that plays when the real campaign stretch begins a week from Friday. That's when the big media will begin really tagging along daily with the campaign (until now, it's remained much more a Hillary/Obama obsession), and it shouldn't take long for them to start getting seriously annoyed at never, ever, getting to ask any questions of the candidate, let alone get a 'straight talk' answer.

I was down with the Massachusetts delegation when they officially announced their votes to the convention. State senate president Therese Murray got to do the state-bragging honors, and announced the 52 Clinton votes; Gov Patrick announced the 65 Obama votes. Murray included in her intro shout-outs to the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots -- not the Bruins -- which drew good-natured boos from the New York delegates seated directly below Massachusetts.

Here's what I know, or think I know, about the delegate voting. This morning at the breakfast meetings, delegations gathered official votes from delegates; delegates could continue to submit (and change) their votes as the day went on.

Hillary Clinton has reportedly "released" her pledged delegates, told them that she has cast her vote for Obama, but that they are free to do as they please.

First, a confession: I did not attend today's Republican opposition press conference; the RNC moved it from the very inconvenient location of their temporary Denver war room across the Platte River from the Pepsi Center to a extremely inconvenient location several miles south of Downtown. I decided to watch on live streaming video.

DENVER -- You may recall that for many months of this year, the pundits prattled about how Hillary Clinton was hurting the eventual nominee by hanging in the race. That was a dubious claim; the competition seemed to draw more people, more coverage, and more excitement to the Democrats. Now this week, the wise analysts have hyperventilated on the importance of Clinton getting her supporters to "unite" with Obama, for if not he shall surely fail.

I thought Warner was weak -- in fact, a generally weak evening considering how many millions of households presumably had the DNC on in the background waiting for Hillary. So, what do you think: did Deval shine from among the dullards, or blend in?