Netroots grievance
Four years ago, their presence was greeted with confusion and bemusement no one knew what to do with the Internet interlopers behind Howard Deans emergence.
Will the famously cantankerous Netroots get behind Obama with hyperpartisan vigor? Or will they be consumed by subdramas that dampen their spirits?
Will Bill sulk?
Will he use this opportunity to bury the hatchet? Or will he continue to fan media speculation about a rift between the Clintons and Obama? The ex-president is famous for wandering off-message and ad-libbing; it isnt clear whether he or the Obama campaign will be able to keep that habit in check.
Rogue Clinton delegates
Over 1,500 loyal pledged delegates for Hillary Rodham Clinton will attend the convention though the most anti-Obama delegates, such as the Wisconsin backer who said she would support McCain, have been kept from attending.
Clintons staff has created a whip team to keep supporters from getting out of control. But the moment of catharsis which could also include a resolution condemning media sexism combined with a pro-Hillary rally through the streets of Denver scheduled for the second day of the convention (and the anniversary of womens suffrage), could easily spiral into chaos on live television.
The Speech
Outshining his own memorable 2004 keynote address is a tall enough order for Obama. He also has the burden of a delivering a memorable acceptance speech in a stadium venue that seats more than 70,000 and has been expanded specifically for the event.
Some of the 15,000 journalists attending wont be able to get into the actual stadium. Other media outlets will need to move their entire studios and workplace in one day.
And, if thats not enough pressure, think about the date: the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream speech
The next time around
As the Obama-Clinton race entered its final days, the uncertain status of the Michigan and Florida delegations, which had been penalized for holding unauthorized primaries, held the Democratic Party hostage. The Clinton campaign hinted it would take the race all the way to the convention if the results from the rogue primaries didnt count.
