I have been privileged to attend 16 national nominating conventions in various capacities going back to 1956.

Each, inevitably, has produced a unique dynamic — a blur of memorable speeches, distinctive receptions and friends I thought I would stay in touch with forever.

Like anything else in nature, no two conventions are alike. This year’s pair could not be more dissimilar in style and substance, but each, the Democratic National Convention in the Mile-High City and the Republican National Convention in the Twin Cities, accomplished the goals they set out to achieve. They unified the party base, finalized the presidential ticket, appealed to the independents who ultimately will decide the outcome of the election — and predicted victory in November.

In the first election in a half-century in which an incumbent or sitting vice president were not on the ticket, this year’s drawn-out primary season produced a Harvard-educated African-American, a genuine American war hero, a “happy warrior” from Delaware, and a “pistol-packing mama” from Alaska.

In stark contrast to Democratic Sen. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech last week before 80,000 supporters in an open-air stadium on a brilliant Hollywood set, on Thursday night Arizona Sen. John McCain made his promise, “I won’t let you down,” in a hockey arena before a devoted party faithful prepared to do what they can to help him reach his goal.

He was preceded by his wife Cindy, who in a soft-spoken, genuine and heartfelt manner introduced their seven children and shared interesting, intimate insights into her years of helping those less fortunate.

Sen. McCain’s opening remarks were disrupted by hecklers, strategically located in various positions around the arena, who were shouted down by enthusiastic howls from the delegates: “USA! USA! USA!”

This caused McCain, a self-described maverick, to depart from his prepared remarks with, “Please don’t be diverted by the ground noise and static,” to a great cheer by a visibly upset audience. He marched on like the good soldier he was, delivering a speech the audience expected from a candidate not known for his soaring rhetoric or lofty eloquence. Pretty words, he reminded them, are not a substitute of leadership.

After the speech, Lynn and I waded through a sea of balloons that rose up to our waists, on a red-carpeted floor littered with circles of paper confetti picturing John and Cindy McCain. We breathed in the moment.

At one point I mounted the podium, and stood in the exalted place created for the nominee, looking out upon an emptying arena. Gazing high into the rafters, balloons popping like firecrackers everywhere, I imagined what it must feel like addressing the world with my vision for the future. It was a moment of pure magical fantasy, an American dream my immigrant parents could have never imagined.

Unlike the disaster awaiting Democrats as they tried to leave Denver’s Invesco Field the week before, the Republican buses were punctual and orderly, taking sated delegates to their final celebrations.

The California delegation bedded down at the Sheraton 15 miles from the Xcel Energy Center in Bloomington, Minn., were treated to a party in the transformed grand ballroom, including country music from Montgomery Gentry and midnight snacks of prime beef, roasted turkey, drinks of their choice and pastries too good to pass up. Doug Pharr of Napa thought McCain gave the best speech of his life and, along with the other delegates from California, is optimistic that the Republican team will prevail.

The election season now begins in earnest, and on the first Tuesday in November millions of Americans will flock to the polls. They will have heard the scripted speeches, listened with great interest to the debates and considered the myriad vital issues confronting the republic. In the end, in the quiet privacy of the voting booth, they will cast their ballot for the team they believe is best equipped to guide this nation for the next four years.

Ultimately, all elections are decided by two questions: Whom do I trust, and who has the character to lead our great nation forward?

For me and millions of my fellow Americans, this is the most important political decision we can make.

Lynn and I are privileged to have had front row seats as witnesses to history. We have memories, souvenirs, and new friends that will last a lifetime.