Last week, I went to hear Mark Halperin speak as the premiere event in Forum Truth’s 2010/2011 lineup of speakers … and he ROCKED THE HOUSE.

Halperin was smart, humorous, easy, intelligent, relaxed. He was, hands down, the best speaker I’ve heard in my entire life. I’ve always applauded Obama for his speechifying — but Halperin? Honestly, this guy took it to a whole new level. I was kind of prepared to be put off by him. I hadn’t thought he was all that engaging during our interview a week earlier — but his talk changed my opinion entirely. If you ever get a chance to hear this guy speak — you should. (He says Rubio will “probably win,” talked about the politics of personal destruction, said Obama is more concerned about doing what’s right for the country as opposed to what will get him re-elected, and even talked about “poli-porn.”)

I am a HUGE fan of Forum Truth — I was once given a membership to it as a Christmas present and it was one of the best presents ever! It’s one of the best offerings in all of Sarasota and if you’re the kind who believes there’s an intelligentsia in Sarasota — well, let me tell you those folks who show up at Forum Truth are a big part of that.

Because as hot as Halperin was, the second layer of hotness came from the audience itself — I’m telling you, Sarasota has a lot of smart people in it and I think they were all at Forum Truth that night. The Q&A session revealed an audience that was well-informed, articulate, and eager to learn more and engage more deeply than the surface afforded by talking heads and Google headlines.

Among the crowd, I spotted Wendy Grassi of Sarasota Planned Parenthood, Helene Noble (I think!), Charlie Huisking — the famed writer-about-town, State House District 70 Rep Candidate Nancy Feehan, Sarasota Public Defender Larry Eger, Dr. and Mrs. Carl Stockton, and Cooper Levey-Baker, editor of the Florida Independent, and others whose names I’m evidently forgetting.

It was, seriously, one of the most fantastic nights I’ve had since moving to Sarasota. My mind was on fire from Halperin and my spirits were tremendously buoyed by the audience.