MORNING READ

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) convention speech on Tuesday has earned praise from Barack Obama’s blogging backers but skepticism from his critics. Tuesday’s Alaska House primary results, which are still too close to call, have bloggers hoping that voters oust Rep. Don Young (R).

Only Clinton could have united the Democrats behind Obama, and she did it with her speech, writes Taylor Marsh. The speech was “powerful” because it built upon themes as it went on, writes TalkingPointsMemo’s Josh Marshall, who doubts Clinton could have given such an address before she ran for president. Clinton’s mission was straightforward — to embrace Obama and attack John McCain — and she made clear she would accomplish it with her first lines, writes The Plank’s Jonathan Cohn.

But Clinton said little about Obama’s excellence, which makes The Corner’s Victor Davis Hanson think that she’s looking ahead to 2012, when she herself can take on President McCain. Clinton didn’t talk about Obama in personal terms and did little to back him aside from telling her supporters to do so, writes Carol Platt Liebau at Townhall.com. Judging by the Clintons’ actions, particularly former President Bill Clinton’s likely decision not to attend Obama’s nomination acceptance speech, they still don