I admit it. I was distracted during some of Hillary Clinton’s acceptance speech Thursday night by an airing of The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement on the Oxygen network, so maybe I missed some things.

For example, I missed where she talked about how her Russian reset effort while Secretary of State kept Vladimir Putin in his place and stopped Russia’s expansion and mischief.

I missed the part where she told how she stood up to Obama and convinced him leaving Iraq early was a dumb idea and that ISIS was no JV team.

No doubt the crowd cheered when she described how through her initiative and determination America traded Moammar Gaddafi for a stable, democratic Libya. And when she asked for forgiveness for what went down in Benghazi, I bet even Sean Hannity was moved.

And her clear articulation of the dangers of radical Islam were likely Churchillian in their brilliance.

Domestically, I regret not seeing Bill Clinton’s proud, beaming face as Hillary ensured America that the era of big government would again be over. I also regret missing her detailed explanation of how she’s going to pay for all she wants to do.

I did catch her saying something about quickly moving to create a large investment in infrastructure, but I’m guessing she was just quoting Obama about the stimulus package. I can’t imagine she forgot that’s what Obama promised, and we know how that turned out.

What I Did Hear, and My “Yeah, Buts”

I did hear enough of the speech to have several “Yeah, But …”  moments. Those are when a politician says something that sounds well and good, but has you going, “Yeah, but …”

A couple choice ones:

“I’m not here to repeal the 2nd Amendment. I’m not here to take away your guns.” Yeah, but you’ve expressed admiration for Australia’s program which does take away guns.

“America is great because America is good.” Yeah, but isn’t that Tocqueville’s line? Didn’t we just go through this plagiarism bit with Melania last week?

When blasting Trump as a fear monger and quoting FDR’s “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Yeah, but didn’t FDR then put a bunch of Japanese-Americans in internment camps, with big fences, out of concern over what a few of them might do during our war with a Japan bent on our destruction? Not saying we should do that with our Muslim neighbors today, but do we have to welcome in tens of thousands of Muslims from countries seething with radical Islamists and vilify Trump for urging tougher steps to stop the next Orlando or Boston or San Bernardino massacre?

“That’s why we need to appoint Supreme Court justices who will get money out of politics.” Yeah, but given the money you’ve gotten out of politics aren’t you just saying “Stop me before I cash in again?”

When talking about Philadelphia and the Founding of our Nation, “We all know the story,” but do we? Haven’t liberals spent two generations teaching our kids that those Founders were just racist rich white guys? That what happened with the birth of our nation was no great shakes, certainly not divinely arranged and just another way for a select few to gain at the expense of others?

“We will not ban a religion.” Yeah, but don’t you want judges who will continue banning efforts to carry out their faith in the public square? Isn’t your party the one that speaks now of “freedom of worship” rather than “freedom of religion”?

“Strength relies on smarts, judgment, cool resolve …” Yeah, but where does being “extremely careless” with our national secrets fit into this equation?

“ … and the precise and strategic application of power.” Yeah, but while our guys were under fire in Benghazi you were going back and forth, back and forth, on what clothes rescuers should wear. And no power was ever applied.

“The world is watching what we do.” Yeah, but they’d rather be watching the visual and acting splendor that is Anne Hathaway and Chris Pine in The Princess Diaries 2.

What There Was to Applaud

Let’s set aside the protesters during the speech.

Let’s set aside disgruntled Bernie Sanders supporters, the “Liar” signs and Bernie himself looking during Hillary’s shout-out like a man being called in for a colonoscopy.

Let’s set aside the fact that Black Lives Matter activists were more welcomed on the DNC floor than uniformed officers.

Let’s set aside that until last night, American flags were about as scarce as Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.

Let’s set aside that $600K a year from NBC didn’t seem to do much for Chelsea Clinton’s public speaking skills.

Let’s set aside that it’s still inexplicable why people would pay $250K just to hear Hillary speak.

Setting all that aside, we do have to recognize the historical moment. Folks, for the first time in our history, a woman has become a major party’s nominee for President of the United States. Hillary Clinton achieved history last night — real History, not American Pickers as history history.

Not even the prospect of IRS and FBI Clinton Foundation investigations changes that. It is a big deal. And a tip of the hat is deserved.

We can also credit Hillary for the reason her accomplishment doesn’t seem quite as monumental as one would have thought. Her 2008 run, even her earlier ambitions and later time as Secretary of State, made the notion of a female candidate seem routine and inevitable rather than novel.

I can quibble that she didn’t take much opportunity to tip a hat to those past women who forged the path: Women like Susan B. Anthony, Jeannette Rankin, Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, Patricia Schroeder, Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin. But there’s no quibbling with the impact on women to come.

And regardless of your party affiliation or despair over the state of our nation, for some reason, when those balloons drop, there is that moment, festive and fleeting, when hope reigns. That American experiment in the democratic and peaceful transfer of power appears to still be working, however imperfectly, 240 years after our Declaration of Independence.