This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: August 28, 2008- Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination to become the first African American nominee of a major political party.
Barack Obama's accepted his party's nomination in an unusual place – Denver's Invesco Field, which hardly resembled the sports arena it is. Obama's team had billed this unusual site as a way to allow at least 75,000 ordinary people to participate. And come they did, beginning to file into the stadium as early as noon on Thursday to ensure they got a seat.
At the same time, the site gave Obama a chance to speak in a situation in which he seems to be most comfortable – before large crowds. The event was a high-tech affair, broadcast on the Internet as Obama stood on a blue circular stage to deliver his address before a lectern that rose from the floor and disappeared following a speech that was interrupted several times by approving delegates.
But the reaction at times seemed like mere reflexes, perhaps because Obama repeated several themes about change that are now familiar to his supporters -- or perhaps because the venue was just too big. In any case, the atmosphere before Obama's speech resembled a concert, with syncopated beats between speakers that left people tapping their feet, clapping their hands, swaying their bodies to the beat and waving a sea of American flags.
Particularly moving was Sen. Dick Durbin's introduction to Obama's, noting that four years ago he had introduced a man (Obama) whom most people had never heard of. On that occasion, the Democratic convention in Boston, Obama delivered an electrifying message that left many people saying he would run for president one day. Few people realized that day would be four years later.
DENVER -- Barack Obama stepped into history Thursday night by becoming the nation's first African American presidential nominee of a major political party. In response to criticism that he was long on vision and short on specifics, he laid out a detailed road map that he said would help America restore confidence among its citizens and regain respect abroad.
In a speech lasting about 45 minutes, Obama repeatedly questioned the temperament and judgment of his expected GOP challenger John McCain, saying McCain would continue the failed policies of the Bush administration.
"America, we are better than these last eight years," he said.
Obama spelled out several specific proposals, saying "It's time for us to change America." They include:
- Cutting taxes for 95 percent of all working families, "because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class."
- Changing the tax code to stop giving tax benefits to companies that ship jobs overseas and give them instead to companies that create jobs at home.
- Ending American dependence on oil from the Middle East within a decade, in part by an investment of $150 billion in affordable, renewal sources of energy.
"Now is the time to end this addiction," he said, "and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close."
- Providing every child with a world-class education, recruiting more teachers and paying them higher salaries and providing an affordable college education to young people in exchange for public service.
- Keeping the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every American, and providing better family leave, "because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent."
- Protecting pensions and Social Security and keeping the promise of equal pay for equal work.
He also emphasized personal responsibility; he repeated a call for parents to turn off the TV and help their children with homework and for men in particular to take responsibility for helping raise their children.
Obama said the initiatives would be financed in part by closing corporate tax loopholes, ending tax havens and eliminating programs that don't work. He did not say how much his initiatives would cost, nor did he explain how much money would be generated from changes in the corporate tax structure and ending some government programs.
Obama focused the bulk of his message on the looming fall campaign against McCain and the Republican Party, which he accused of spreading misery during the past eight years.
He said, "We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes."
Next week at the GOP convention, Obama said, Bush and others will ask for a third term for their party.
"On November 4th, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is enough.'" he said.
Obama said McCain was blinded by "that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else."
What this really means, Obama says, is "you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own."
Obama's acceptance speech happened to fall on the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. The Obama campaign underscored the significance of the event with a video of King's remarks, and Obama made reference to the speech in his own oration, quoting from it to make a comparison with his own campaign: "We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."
But last night's speech focused mainly on Obama's efforts to make McCain seem less compassionate toward Americans struggling under the weight of economic problems and less competent to manage America's interests abroad -- and to portray himself as a determined leader who would fight for America and its well-being at home and in the world.
