The demigod falls to earth

The demigod turned out to be entirely human, and his results were disappointing. On Thursday night, as Obama admitted to “failings,” Democrats who dreamed of the biggest and the best in 2008 were learning to accept good enough.

To appreciate the transformation, I spent some time Thursday afternoon in the convention hall with the Indiana delegation. Four years ago, as the Obama wave was building, Indiana was in play (it eventually went to Obama) and the delegation was seated prominently. This year, Obama isn’t contesting Indiana, and the delegation was assigned to the back, in between solidly red Alabama and Idaho.

“It was just so moving, so emotional, to be just one individual in a sea of Democrats,” delegate Bionca Gambill of Terra Haute told me, recalling that night at Invesco Field. “There were a lot of people in tears.” But this year, “you don’t have that magic,” she said. “We need to find some of that energy. I don’t think we can find 100 percent of it.”