Edwards Scores, Kerry On Deck

BOSTON, July 29--Tad Devine is carrying around 50 faxed pages that have convinced him things are going real well here.

The Kerry strategist and his colleague, communications director Stephanie Cutter, have just done six network "tongs." This means they visit each work space here and deliver their spin. And Devine has the front pages from 50 papers around the country. The two Kerryites, stopping by The Washington Post tent, are practically giddy over the headlines.

Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Hope is on the way"

New Orleans Times Picayune: "We Must Build One America"

Des Moines Register: "Edwards Promotes 'Politics of Hope'"

Rocky Mountain News: "Edwards Proclaims 'Hope' for 'One America'"

John Edwards, they concluded, has hit the message bullseye.

They just smiled when I asked whether the speech had been written with headlines in mind, or whether Kerry's speech has a phrase or slogan they hope to see on tomorrow's front pages.

Devine says Kerry's address is 99 percent done but still undergoing some last-minute tinkering. Naturally, I pumped him for details.

I've been thinking about this for the last few days. Can one speech really determined whether a man -- particular one who many people say they don't know, or who famously has problems connecting with audiences in Edwards fashion -- is elected president?

The 15,000 journalists camped out here would all say yes. I'm not so sure, but it would be silly to deny the importance of tonight's spotlight.

(Kerry is lucky that the mistrial in the Scott Peterson murder case was declared early this afternoon, as opposed to late today, when it would have upstaged the runup to his big moment.)

So, is it possible expectations are too high?

"I guess they always are, and you have to deal with the reality of that," Devine says.

"We obviously know this is the most important part of what has been a very successful convention. This is his first opportunity to speak on such a broad national stage. The first thing he has to do is show presidential capacity."

But what about the notion that he has to make people like him, that he has to present a warmer side of his personality?

Devine brushed aside the question. "He's a serious man, and politically we think that's very good for us, because this is a serious time. During the primaries, the voters intuitively understood that he had the capacity to challenge on the issue of national security.

"He has to be who he is, and who he is fits the mood of the election."

That, as they say, remains to be seen. My colleagues will have plenty of opinions around 11 p.m. tonight.

But how many people are watching this thing? Here's an intriguing tidbit. Preliminary figures for Washington -- presumably a politics-obsessed place -- show that Edwards was not a big draw. WTTG, the local Fox station, stuck with its regular 10 p.m. newscast -- and outdrew the convention coverage on the local CBS, NBC and ABC stations combined.

Tonight could be different, of course. But ratings don't lie.