By DAVID ESPO
DENVER
Barack Obama, claiming a prize never held by a black American, swept to the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday as thousands of national convention delegates stood and cheered his improbable triumph.
Former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton asked the convention delegates to make it unanimous "in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory." And they did, with a roar.
Competing chants of "Obama" and "Yes we can" floated up from the convention floor as Obama's victory was sealed.
Obama was across town as the delegates he won in the primaries of winter and spring cast their votes. Aides left open the possibility that he would briefly visit the Pepsi Center to thank his supporters, a routine event at recent national conventions. His formal acceptance speech Thursday night was expected to draw a crowd of 75,000 at a nearby football stadium where an elaborate backdrop was under construction.
Clinton's call for Obama to be approved by acclamation — midway through the traditional roll call of the states — was the culmination of a painstaking agreement worked out between the two camps to present a unified front.
Obama, 47 and in his first Senate term, carries the Democrats' hopes of recapturing the White House into the fall campaign against Sen. John McCain and the Republicans.
Inside the convention hall, the outcome of the traditional roll call of the states was never in doubt, only its mechanics.
"No matter where we stood at the beginning of this campaign, Democrats stand together today," declared Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, a former Clinton supporter who delivered a nominating speech for Obama.
"We believe passionately in Barack Obama's message of changing the direction of our country," she said.
Earlier in the day, Clinton formally released her delegates amid shouts of "no," by disappointed supporters. "She doesn't have the right to release us," said Massachusetts delegate Nancy Saboori. "We're not little kids to be told what to do in a half-hour."
Polls showed the campaign was a close one between Obama and McCain.
The same surveys showed a strong desire for change after eight years of the Bush administration, and Obama pledged an end to the war in Iraq and a fresh economic policy.
But even as he awaited his nomination, there was open talk in the convention city that his race remained a stumbling block to winning the White House.
The convention program also included the delegates' acceptance of Obama's choice of Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden as vice presidential running mate. Biden had the marquee time spot for his acceptance speech late Wednesday.
Former President Clinton also had a turn at the podium, this time in a supporting role for the man who defeated his wife in a bruising battle for the nomination.
Obama's nomination sealed a political ascent as astonishing as any other in recent memory — made all the more so by his race, in a nation founded by slave owners.
The son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya whom he barely knew, he attended college and Harvard Law School. In between was a turn as a $12,000-a-year community worker on the streets of Chicago.
He won his seat in the Illinois Legislature in 1996. But his first bid for higher office, a brash challenge to Rep. Bobby Rush in an inner-city Chicago congressional district, ended in failure in 2000.
Four years later, as a candidate for the Senate, he dazzled with a keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, then won his election. He announced his presidential candidacy a scant two years after arriving in Washington.
With his gifts as a speaker, his astounding ability to raise funds on the Internet and an unmatched ground operation pieced together by political veterans, he won the first test, the Iowa caucuses, on Jan. 3
Clinton rebounded to win the New Hampshire primary five days later, and the two were soon matched in a grueling battle for the nomination that was not settled until the primaries ended in June.
"The journey will be difficult. The road will be long," he said then as he pivoted to confront McCain.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Bigot?
Well, just a reminder Mr. Bailey, that the same can be said for the left wing waco's that said the same thing when George W. Bush was running for president. It takes one to know one sir.
revisionist history, ches37
1. The US got a unanimously-passed UN Security Council Resolution (1441)demanding Iraq compy unconditionally with the inspectors. This was an "attempt...to work with other countries to peacefully handle Iraq."
2. "He never warned Iraq." UNSCR 1441 "States that the Security Council has repeatedly warned Iraq and that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations.
3. Nobody ever said Iraq had "a nuclear bomb armed and aimed at us and we will be hit in hours." The contention was that Saddam was trying to get nukes. Saddam himself told his FBI interrogators that he wanted them. We were wrong on the timeline but not the intent.
4. It's not the loss of the buildings but the loss of 3000 lives and the fact the we were attacked that's important.
5. "MOre Compleletly Innocent African Americans are killed by POlice or wrongly executed everyday in the US
Ches37
Read up on military law and history please.
By accusing those who went to Iraq of crimes, and believing they had the right to revolt against their commander-in-chief, you are sowing the ground for the same sort of welcome home that our troops got from Vietnam (spittle and garbage being flung at them as they left their planes at airports--one of the sweetest women I have ever worked for in my life can personally attest to this happening to her and her husband when they were on active duty and arrived back in the States from the Philippines in that era).
You are so privileged, my friend--you get to vote to change your government. But please read a bit and get off of your rant that everything wrong is due to our military. Cheers, MGM
Biden was correct
Not only was Sen. McCain properly chastised for his views on the economy and its impact on the middle class, but his "experience" hasn't helped him much in assessing Iraq.
"... Again and again, on the most important national security issues of our time, John McCain was wrong and Barack Obama was proven right."
What else did Biden need to say?
McCain appears to be as detached from reality as Bush.
Racist comment
We have removed a racist comment about Sen. Obama and all posts referring to that racist comment.
Fred Schecker
Senior Producer
and the saga continues
so how many weeks has it been,now,that all we are constently,force fed obama,everytime i come to read local news?so now the question is,when will the pilot offically endorse obama,even though they said they will not endorse anyone this election,funny how america does'nt even know that there was another black american,by th ename of allen keys who ran for the presidency four years ago,but as usual,the liberal elitist media shund him because of his conservitive beliefs.good luck obama,cause your gonna need every bit you can get.hey there sure was a lot of hillary support last night hey,does anyone smell mutiny,in the near future.ha! gotta love this crap!
MCCAIN - dazed and confused
McCain: "we will be welcomed as liberators."
McCain: "The president has handled this, in my view, skillfully."
McCain: "No one has supported President Bush on Iraq more than I have."
McCain: "Common knowledge ... al-Qaeda is going back into Iran & receiving training & are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known.' Lieberman, stepped forward & whispered to JM's ear. McCain then said: 'I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda.'"
Obama: "I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war."
Obama: "Saddam poses no imminent & direct threat to the US, or to his neighbors, the Iraqi economy is in shambles, the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, ... he can be contained.
My Mother Taught Me
To standby what I said or say, but undoubtedly the Democrat hypocrits Mother didn't teach them the same thing. My Mother was a staunch Democrat and when she heard any candidate flip-flop on what they said or say she didn't thingk very much of them. All the Democratic candidates for pres critized BHO throughout the primaries including Slick Willie Clinton. Now all that you hear coming out of their mouths is nothing but sugar water. Even the VP candidate said suring the primaries he woulde rather be VP to Hillary of John McCain as BHO lack any experience whatsoever to lead this country. I sure am glad I am not a hypocrit like those I have seen these past few days on national TV from Denver. Now I know what the Democrats have a jackass as their logo, as it takes a bunch of them to believe all of what is being said in Denver this week.
Getting the nod
Well I did not expect them to nominate President McCain this week anyway.
Military Experience Not Needed
Military experience does not matter.Its good judgement.McCain proved that when he, with all his experience voted to invade iraq. Now look where we are.Fighting two wars.The boy scouts would have had better judgement than that . Beside, nether Reagan,Carter, Bush or Clinton had military experience.
Unity is a Wonderful Thing
Congratulations to future President Obama on his official nomination. Unity is a wonderful thing. It is interesting to read the posts of Virginia bigots, nut cases and right wing hacks who can't stand the fact the Obama is running a very good race.
Obama is the man
Obama will be the next president.
Can't stop....won't stop!!
And Obama and the democrats will take us to the cleaners.
It's amazing folks who will vote for a guy who is a socialist in an empty suit or an arrogant liberal (McCain) who loves war. What poor choices we have for president.
sheep
I have never seen such sheep being lead to slaughter. These Dems are absolutely and complete idiots. Hussein has no experience of any kind doing anything. He is a Marxist and will say now, he will never win the Prsidency and I also will say, I can't stand McCain either. But he does have experience and that is what I will be voting for. Oh Yea, and learning to speak spanish.
Bush and History
Lets look at recent history. Bush makes no attempt, none whatsoever, to work with other countries to peacefully handle Iraq. He never warned Iraq or made any, none, effort to pursade Iraq to come around. Instead he (Bush) that Iraq has a nuclear bomb armed and aimed at us and we will be hit in hours and thus people foolishly agreed to the Iraq war. Now look at Sept 11th..a couple of buildings were knocked down (WTC). I am sorry to tell those silly people who are attached to a "building" that we dont go to war over property damage, we have many more buildings in the U.S. It is a reasonable argument by some people that "some" possible innocent people incendently lost their lives during the building damage but when you look at statistics, MOre Compleletly Innocent African Americans are killed by POlice or wrongly executed everyday in the US than we lost during the fall of that building. The people have
For All Who Want to Go
I'm picking up the tab for all one way tickets to Mars.
Bush and the Republicans took us to the dogs.
Time to pooper scoop the mess.
Congratulations, USA!
It is long past time that we recognize the ability for ANY American to be President. After promising our children that, if they dared to dream, they could be anything they wanted to be in this life, we finally can declare that statement to be true! With this nomination of Barack Obama, an inspirational and visionary statesman, as Democratic candidate for the office of President--the first Black man, yes, but so much more--we are watching history long-over due being made.
Congratulations, USA, we have finally grown up! Now we must "keep on going" and see this great leader elected as President of the United States of America. Only then can we begin to regain our status as world leaders on a progressive track towards democracy for all!
Obama had it right and history agree's
Military retaliation for Sept 11th should have never, ever, even been considered and it just provoked more bad blood. Each Military person, as individuals and as a group has the legal right to weigh the orders of going to war and they made the wrong decision and should have utilized their constitutional legal right of "stand down" when asked to go to Afganistan/Iraq. The surge failed, the miliary failed and at best we should deploy mediators to gain a honorable surrender where we worry about getting our troops home, forget the equipment (can be replaced) within 72 hrs. Obama should tell the returning troops, disarm, here is your final pay check and you should ask the American people for forgivness for your wrongful and reckless personal decision to go to war when you had a choice to stand down. It is time to GET OUT of all foreign military bases and countries. Change has finally arrived and the
We have lost our minds...
This country is quickly going to the dogs...time to head for the new frontier, Mars here we come!