Mark Warner will deliver the keynote address on the second night of the Democratic Convention. Warner is the former Governor of Virginia and candidate for U.S. Senate. This is big for Mr. Warner!

Typically, the keynote address is awarded to an upcoming figure in the Democratic Party. The future. It’s not awarded to power, its awarded to potential. Previous keynote speakers include:

• Barack Obama, 2004
• Barbara Jordan, 1992
• Ann Richards, 1988

A speech at the Democratic Convention doesn’t guarantee success, however. Former House of Representatives member Harold Ford Jr. spoke in 2000. However, he lost a hotly contested bid for Senate in 2000. Today, he is a party insider, working behind the scenes.

Update: Politico has an excellent article outlining my ideas in this post. The major difference being their skill in political writing! Read it here.