It's time for a change!The excitement surrounding the party conventions is over and we can take stock of any real boosts gained by either presidential candidate.

The Republican National Convention focused on the economy and what it’s going to take to get America back to work. Hard work was touted as a virtue, and multiple speakers reminded attendees that they did build their small businesses, their careers, and their lives here in this great country themselves.

So, I would say the real winner in terms of the Democratic versus Republican National Conventions was probably the voter, especially if that voter happened to be a minority. Even though I tilt Republican, and I do think the Republicans came on stronger than the Democrats this time around, the truth is if you watched closely, both sides seemed to be responding to some changing forces in the electorate.

The political conventions are over and but a blip on our collective memory at this point. News of other events have replaced convention coverage, 9/11 tributes have us reconsidering our priorities, and life has carried on. I watched parts of the Republican National Convention, the main events at least. I think it’s important to know what all sides are talking about so I can make decisions based on facts, my own experiences, and the paradigm I come from. I admittedly watched the RNC with skepticism and found myself yelling at the television a lot. My political counterparts would likely say the same thing. See, we do have things in common! I was fortunate to go to the Democratic National Convention, so my personal experience certainly skews my perspective on both affairs.

Now that both the Republican and the Democratic National Conventions have wrapped up, I don't even need to look at the polls to see which party enjoyed the greater bounce. All I had to do was watch the conventions themselves.

If you've been keeping up with our political posts and videos here on The Stir over the last two weeks, you know that things have been a little crazy around here!

Our Moms Matter crew went to the Republican and Democratic conventions, where we interviewed legislators, cabinet members, celebrities, delegates, and everyday moms. We also held mom panels at each convention, both of which were televised on HLN. And we wrote about it (and will be writing more this week) here on The Stir.

The conventions officially launched the election season for millions of Americans, so we decided to ask our political bloggers this week which convention was best and why. And while I can already guess each of our bloggers' answers, I'm sure their posts will lead to plenty of interesting (and hopefully civil) discussion.

In the meantime, though, which convention was your favorite? Let us know in the comments of this post!

I had the privilege of seeing Joe Biden give his Democratic National Convention speech in person. I was just rows away from the stage and had a perfect view. I saw his facial expressions, hand gestures, and confident gait. His delivery, a blend of hushed tones that made us all lean in to listen and forceful conviction, was spot on. But more than than, his words, his message, moved me. I must admit, I was waiting for the typical "Jaux pas" and was both relieved and admittedly a tish disappointed that he was on his A game. However, a speech with no gaffes means that we can focus on the meat of his words.

President Barack Obama accepted his party’s nomination to run for reelection at the Democratic National Convention. Then he promised America pet unicorns, leprechaun servants, and monkey butlers, if only we please (please!) vote for him again.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain while 23 million people are out of work, the national debt has passed $16 trillion, and one in seven Americans are on food stamps. 

Okay, maybe Obama didn’t promise us mythical creatures to do our bidding, but he sure as heck offered up quite a few myths. Like free heath care for everyone! Free college for everyone! No more oppression for women! No jobs being shipped overseas! Happy happy joy joy!

We often think of military moms as Republicans -- but Democratic military moms were at the DNC this week, hoping to get the attention of legislators, and they've got issues at the top of their list that non-military moms may not have thought twice about.

See what those issues are in our video report after the jump.