Analysis: Democrats off to a good start

By Justin Webb BBC correspondent in Boston

The political master works the Democratic crowd

Bill Clinton can still rally the troops in the Democratic Party.

And on the first night of the party's convention here in Boston, he showed John Kerry and other Democratic leaders how to rouse a crowd.

But Bill Clinton also showed them how to make a speech that has real content but also humour delivered in simple language.

And he showed how to do it in a way that gets the message across to people in the hall as well as people watching on television.

The former president showed once again that he is a political master.

Some in the party may have feared that the party's star would overshadow their candidate, John Kerry.

One way to deal with those fears was to have Bill Clinton speak on the first night. Clearly that was on the minds of the schedulers.

John Kerry is in an unenviable position. He will be judged on Thursday night against a speech like Bill Clinton's. It is a hard act to follow.

For the Democrats to win back the White House, John Kerry must learn from this speech what he must do to gee up this audience and the wider audience in America.

Hillary's lifeline

Of course, Bill wasn't the only Clinton appearing on Monday night. He was introduced by the party's other star, Hillary Clinton, now a senator for the state of New York.

Hillary is in a strange position.

If John Kerry loses in November, she would be a very strong contender for president in four years time.

Hillary Clinton has thrown her weight behind John Kerry too

But if he wins, she will have to wait eight years for another shot at the White House.

By then, would she really want to run? Would she be too old? Would she be forgotten? Those are very big risks.

She is looking at supporting John Kerry for president and potentially abandoning her own ambitions, if indeed they exist.

It was a poignant moment for her, but she grasped the nettle.

She was very open in her praise for John Kerry calling him "a serious man for a serious job".

She made it very clear that nobody is going to be able to suggest after this convention that Hillary had been lukewarm in her support of John Kerry.

There must be some relief in the Kerry camp that she has thrown her popularity behind his campaign.

Boost for Kerry

The Clintons remain political divisive figures in America.

But you have to ask yourself the question: Does it damage John Kerry by reminding conservatives what they dislike about the 1990s and getting them out to vote, or does it improve Kerry's chances by energising Democrats and independents in a way that John Kerry can't?

I think it does the latter.

John Kerry and John Edwards will get a boost from the Clintons' support

The key is that Mr Clinton does energise Democrats and Middle America. Al Gore probably should have used him four years ago.

Clinton does have issues, character flaws, but at the end of the day, he did - as he reminded the audience - deliver peace and prosperity.

And that face, that memory, going around the country will be extremely helpful to the Kerry campaign.

But this is John Kerry's week, and the appearance by the Clintons started it well.

Democrats have got over the chief potential stumbling block of the whole week - the appearance of the Clintons, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter.

They made speeches - especially in the case of Mr Gore and former President Jimmy Carter - that were quite aggressive in their criticism of President Bush but just about within the bounds of what the Kerry team want.

The Kerry team are very keen that this convention doesn't become just a Bush-bashing affair.

Al Gore tempered the strident anti-war rhetoric that he has used in recent speeches.

Monday was hurdle day, and the Democrats have crossed it.