While the opening day of the convention pulled out the heavy hitters – former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and former vice president Al Gore – Day two featured three of the people who lost the presidential nomination to Senator John Kerry and another who is already being offered as future heir to the throne.

Kerry's wife bats for women

Barack Obama, a black candidate for the US Senate seat in Illinois and keynote speaker at the convention, made his mark on the Democratic faithful by offering a passionate vision of a nation united rather than divided, one in which blue and red states are little more than artificial constructs that fail to capture the complexity and vibrancy of the country.

The decision to put Obama – until recently a relative unknown – in the spotlight may now be seen as inspired or even brilliant. While former President Clinton's speech on Monday could be seen as harkening back to better days for the party, the 42-year-old Obama provided the strongest proof yet that the party has capable statesmen in its future. His speech was repeatedly interrupted by roars of approval from the crowd, which waved placards proclaiming "Obama," as if they'd been waiting for him for years.

Earlier in the evening, Howard Dean, Richard Gephardt and Carolyn Mosely Braun each offered their enthusiastic support for Kerry while invoking their losing efforts to win the Democratic nomination earlier this year. The speeches suggested that the Democratic party has been able to avoid the divisiveness of its past under pressure to mount an effective campaign against President Bush.

While speaker after speaker referred to Kerry's illustrious service during the Vietnam war, there was a greater emphasis on the policies and vision of the party overall, a tacit acknowledgment that voters are less interested in Kerry the man than in Kerry the standard bearer of an ideology stretching back to FDR through the civil rights legislation of the 60s and up through the multilateralism that characterized the Clinton years.

Outside the convention hall, things quieted down from the first day, when convention attendees dealt with ineffective organization and the chaotic conditions of Boston. The city, which is engaged in an unending road reconstruction project known as the Big Dig, appears practically disembowelled, with long stretches of highway shut down and construction crews working late into the night.

During the day, delegates scattered across Boston attending fundraisers and rallies. On Monday, the American Jewish Committee organized a meeting to highlight relations between Indian-Americans and Jewish-Americans and to promote strategic partnerships between India and Israel.

Democrats wooing South Asians

And in yet another sign that the South Asian community has become vital to the interests of lawmakers, a number of leading politicians attended an event meant to honor several Indian and Pakistani Democrats. Senator Jon Corzine of New Jersey spoke briefly, as did Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and New York Congressman Joseph Crowley.

While little of substance was offered, Representative Crowley told rediff.com that Senator Kerry and his campaign had toned down his rhetoric against outsourcing after Crowley conveyed the uneasiness it was generating in the Indian community.

"Job loss is a legitimate issue in this campaign, and anything that contributes to that factor is something that should be talked about," he said. "[But] I think we're going to stay away from demagoguery against any particular country or any particular people, and I think you're hearing less of that."