"John Kerry knows that the power of America is our values and ideals. John Kerry knows that our soldiers embody the best of America's values: service, courage, compassion." — Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, former presidential candidate

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"A month from now, we're going to have our convention in New York and we're going to run on President Bush's record. We're not going to run away from it as they have been doing for the last four nights." — former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani

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"The issues we discussed here are the bread and butter issues that all Americans care about. Issues Utahns care about, such as health care, education and good jobs." — State Sen. Patrice Arent, D-Salt Lake

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"You could not tell if it was a speech given by a Republican or a Democrat." — Mark Shields, syndicated columnist, on PBS

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"(John Kerry) is an authentic American hero (who willingly risked his life for fellow Americans). There is no greater act of patriotism than that." — former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland

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"They've spent over $100 million. No challenger has spent that kind of money to introduce himself to the public and still be in such a weak position." — Matthew Dowd, President Bush's campaign strategist

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"For someone who is not known as a good speech giver, he gave a pretty good speech." — Wolf Blitzer of CNN

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"The only thing John Kerry has to do is for them to walk away from their TV saying, 'I kinda like the guy.' " — U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

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"Conventions have come to be about themes rather than details." — Eric Davis, political science professor, Middlebury College in Vermont.

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(The convention has) "defined John Kerry in the way he wished to be portrayed." — Peter Jennings of ABC

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"He also came off as pretty human." — Nina Easton of the Boston Globe on CNN