26 August 2008
Opening Night of Democratic Convention Celebrates Obama’s Story
Party leaders, delegates, reporters, lobbyists, onlookers gather in Denver
Denver -- Thousands of Democratic leaders and delegates began the Democratic National Convention with a celebration for their party and Senator Barack Obama, the man they will nominate later this week as the first African-American presidential candidate of a major political party.
“During our national convention, we will demonstrate to all Americans why we need Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House,” Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee said as he called the convention to order the afternoon of August 25.
The evening’s activities were designed to rally the party and featured uplifting speeches from leaders and delegates. Dispersed between these speeches and musical performances were videos about Obama and about issues important to Democrats.
Those who know Obama well -- including his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and his wife, Michelle -- addressed the convention.
Soetoro-Ng discussed shared stories about their mother, from whom she and her older half-brother learned “that our deepest humanity and happiness would be found by reaching out to, empathizing with and working to serve others.”
As delegates waved signs bearing her name, Michelle Obama told the crowd about her upbringing and the values she and her husband share.
“I believe that each of us, no matter what our age or background or walk of life, each of us has something to contribute to the life of this nation. It's a belief Barack shares, a belief at the heart of his life's work,” Michelle Obama said.
“That's why he's running -- to end the war in Iraq responsibly, to build an economy that lifts every family, to make health care available for every American and to make sure every child in this nation gets a world-class education all the way from preschool to college. That's what Barack Obama will do as president of the United States of America.”
One of the most emotional parts of the night for the crowd was an unexpected appearance by Massachusetts Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy. Kennedy, the second-longest serving member of the U.S. Senate and brother of the late president John F. Kennedy recently was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and has been out of the public eye while undergoing treatment. His long Senate career and role as patriarch in the well-known Kennedy family has made him a major figure in American politics.
Kennedy praised Obama, saying the presumed Democratic nominee will fight for equality, break governmental gridlock in Washington and improve health care. Echoing words his brother John used in his 1961 inauguration speech, Kennedy said “this November the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans.” (See “'Lion of the Senate' Calls Democratic Party to Action.”)
Obama briefly addressed the crowd via satellite from Kansas City, Missouri, where he watched his wife’s speech in a local family’s living room. The Illinois senator will address the convention formally when he accepts his party’s nomination on August 28 at a Denver stadium before a crowd expected to number more than 75,000.
CONVENTION ACTIVITY SCATTERED THROUGHOUT DENVER
The Pepsi Center, home to the city’s professional basketball and hockey teams, serves as the convention hall, but political business is occurring all over the city. Issue advocacy groups have rented space throughout Denver to hold events. Celebrities like Kanye West, Ben Affleck and George Clooney will attend political events during the day and parties at area bars and restaurants at night.
Political caucuses, including the black caucus, the Hispanic caucus and the rural caucus met August 25 at the Colorado Convention Center, a short distance from the Pepsi Center. The center will host political activities all week long, and the streets surrounding it have become a gathering area for political activists, protesters and curious onlookers. Streets were packed with vendors selling Obama T-shirts, posters and other souvenirs and companies giving away pamphlets, stickers, pins, DVDs and snack bars.
But Democrats did not have Denver all to themselves, as shown by a small group waving John McCain signs outside the convention center. Well-known Republican leaders, including former presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, are in town to highlight their party’s political positions.
More than 15,000 journalists from about 130 countries are in Denver as well. Most have set up temporary offices in tents in the Pepsi Center’s parking lot where they can watch official convention proceedings through a live television feed. Campaign surrogates circulate through the tents, promoting the Obama-Biden ticket and answering questions on the party’s position on issues such as the economy and the war in Iraq.
The convention provides not only an opportunity for the party to highlight their positions on these issues, but a chance for the American people to get to know Obama better. Once people get a chance to hear directly from Obama, Colorado State Senator Peter Groff told journalists at the State Department’s Foreign Press Center, and “once they hear that frankness, once they hear that directness, I think we’ll see a separation in the polls.”
Polls currently show a very close race between Obama and McCain.
For more information on the Democratic National Convention, see “Campaign Trail Talk.”
