Kennedy passed the torch. Michelle brought the crowd to tears. Hillary stepped up. Bill even said some things that Hillary…forgot (”he’s ready to lead”). Biden broke the ice in breaking down McCain.

No doubt Barack’s going to work the crowd into a frenzy tonight, preaching to an 80,000 member choir.

Whether any of the above makes a difference is going to rest on whether Obama and crew can, in clear and simple language, tell us all what he’s going to do to unscramble the rancid egg Dubya and his thugs left in the pan. He can talk all he wants to about fixing the economy, health care for all, ending the Iraqi debacle, improving world relations, reducing dependence on foreign oil, alternative energy, and on and on and on.

It’s not going to matter if he can’t tell the undecideds how he’s going to do it. Platitudes have to yield to particulars. And don’t refer the voters to the pages and pages of policy wonk positions on his web site. Don’t dumb it down, just make it clear.

Because until that happens it’s going to seem like Obama and company are traipsing down the road of good intentions without a clue of how to reach those laudable goals. It’s all well and good that he and his family are the ultimate embodiment of the American dream. But folks are not going to identify with him until he speaks to them directly and coherently about the specific steps he’s going to take to make their lives better, steps that will clear the fog that surrounds and blurs the hope they have left.

Time to communicate the recipe: ingredients, measurements and all, and not just breathlessly describe the dish like an overeager waiter listing the specials in an upscale restaurant.

If the example sounds elitist, it’s intentional. If he want to shed that label he’s got to tell us all how he’s going to whip up one fine blue plate special.