First Door on the Left

History was made tonight. Did you watch? I am sure the video of Senator Obama’s speech will be posted soon. I’ll make it available in the morning. In the meantime, here is the video used to introduce him at the convention and the Washington Post report on his speech…

Obama Claims Historic Nomination

Future First Family

DENVER – Sen. Barack Obama tonight made history as the first African American presidential nominee with a stirring, substance-heavy speech in which he directly challenged Republican John McCain’s judgment on matters of foreign policy and national security while drawing deeply on his own personal story to cast himself as the American Dream come true.

“Tonight I say to the American people –, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land — enough,” said Obama to a crowd at Invesco Field that was estimated at 84,000. “This moment – this election – is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive.”

The optics of the event – the first national party convention to be held outdoors since John F. Kennedy accepted the Democratic nomination at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1960 — were breathtaking. Television screens filled with images of Obama supporters dancing in the aisles to the tunes of Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow; a blazing orange sun set on an arid Colorado night as Obama prepared to take the stage. The speech ended with fireworks and confetti, as Obama, his runningmate, Sen. Joe Biden, and their families stood together waving to the crowd of delegates and supporters, at the climax of the Democratic National Convention.

Gone were the conflicts between supporters of Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, tensions that threatened to derail the convention earlier this week. Obama effusively praised both Clinton (“a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours”) and former President Bill Clinton (“who made the case for change as only he can make it”) in the opening moments of his address.

While Obama clearly reveled in the massive and enthusiastic crowd, the Illinois senator’s speech quickly took on a workmanlike tone as he sought to rebut a series of Republican attacks – from his alleged lack of specific policy proposals to the idea that his short resume in elected office made him unfit to serve as commander-in-chief. “Let me spell out exactly what this change would mean if I am president,” said Obama.

“If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander-in-chief, that’s a debate I’m ready to have,” Obama insisted.

Click on the headline to read the entire article.

I’ll just say this as I say goodnight… The Republican’ts definitely have their work cut out for them. (Who, by the way, are now considering delaying their convention. What? They were not aware that this is hurricane season?)

As we prepare to watch history made tonight, what say we look back on a bit of the history that played a huge part in getting us here. Forty-five years ago today…

The full schedule of today’s activities, as planned, is available here.

Update: On another note and in complete contrast to the spirit of this day, there is this: “McCain’s Prickly TIME Interview.” (Sorry. I just thought you ought to see that. It has become abundantly clear now that the Rove/Bush scriptwriters have taken over the McCain campaign. It will become even clearer (if that is possible) next week in St. Paul. Again, I apologize for dampening the mood.)

So, did you watch tonight? I thought John Kerry did a great job, only to be followed by The Great Communicator himself, and then it was all topped off by our next Vice President. It’s difficult to get terribly excited by most anything at my age, but tonight came close (and we still have tomorrow night to look forward to). I actually, at one point, caught myself feeling sorry for the Republicans because they have to follow all this next week. They definitely have their work cut out for them… not just in the next week but in the next two and a half months. (They are so done.)

In case you missed it, here’s video of President Clinton’s address…

Update: Here are Joe Biden and John Kerry:

(Welcome to the YouTube election!)

The Democratic party officially nominated Barack Obama as their candidate for the presidency of the United States this afternoon…

Obama Is Nominated by Acclamation

Barack Obama

DENVER – Senator Barack Obama, the Hawaiian-born son of a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas, officially became the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party on Wednesday, capping a meteoric rise from a little-known state senator to the first African-American to win a major-party nomination.

Although there was some suspense over how the nomination process would play out, in the end, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton released her delegates before the roll call to vote for Mr. Obama and announced that she was voting for Mr. Obama and his running mate, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware. At 4:48 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time, at the urging of Mrs. Clinton, the New York delegation cast its votes for Mr. Obama, and Mrs. Clinton called on the Democratic National Convention to end the roll call and nominate him by acclamation.

“With eyes firmly fixed on the future in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and country, let’s declare together in one voice, right here and right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president,” Mrs. Clinton said.

“I move that Senator Barack Obama of Illinois be selected by this convention by acclamation as the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.”

The crowd in the Pepsi Center roared as one and then began to chant, “Hillary, Hillary, Hillary.”

The moment concluded one the quickest rises in American political history. In just four years, Mr. Obama rose from obscurity as an Illinois state senator to the Democratic presidential nomination in a year that favors the party against the Republicans. His trajectory was launched at the last Democratic national convention, in Boston, when he electrified the delegates with a speech about his multi-ethnic roots and his vision for a colorblind America.

Mr. Obama was formally nominated by Michael Wilson of Florida, a Republican and Air Force medic and veteran of Iraq.

Kind of a maudlin article, I know, but it comes from The New York Times, and I know how much our Republican friends love the The New York Times, so I quoted this article in their honor.

Congratulations, Senator Obama!

CNN is reporting that Hillary Clinton released her convention delegates this afternoon, freeing them to cast their votes for whomever they wish. This was just a formality, since DNC rules state that any delegate is free to vote for whomever they wish no matter to whom they may be “pledged.” I have to say, though, I love the way Senator Clinton is going after Senior Citizen McCain and the Republicans…

Clinton releases delegates

DENVER, Colorado (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton released her delegates Wednesday afternoon, allowing those who had been pledged to her to vote for whomever they choose in a roll call vote later in the day.

“This was such a competitive primary season,” Clinton told her delegates in a packed ballroom at the Denver Convention Center, “I want you to know this has been a joy. Boy did we have a good time trying.”[..]

As Clinton addressed her delegates, she also took the opportunity to take a swipe at the opposition party, telling her supporters that Republicans “should apologize to the country.”

Clinton has strongly urged her backers to support Obama, but some appear to be backing Republican John McCain in growing numbers. A CNN poll taken at the end of June indicated that 16 percent of Clinton’s supporters intended to vote for McCain.

A new CNN poll, conducted Saturday and Sunday, showed that 27 percent of her voters now said they supported the Republican candidate.

It’s the last couple of paragraphs in the quoted segment above that make me smile. Those idiots who are claiming they were Hillary supporters and will now vote for McCain rather than Obama were never really Hillary supporters to begin with. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows that they are and always have been Republicans. The really funny part of the whole thing is that so many in the media are buying into their little charade. Come on, folks, wise up! Haven’t you caught on to the lying and deceitful kind of politics the right engages in yet?

So what did you think of Hillary Clinton’s little speech last night? I still haven’t quite forgiven her and Bill for the way they acted and the things they said during the primaries. Still, I think she did a pretty good job last night…

Does anyone remember that Governor Mark Warner was the keynote speaker last night? Oh, well… Bill Clinton and vice presidential nominee Joe Biden will both speak tonight. I wonder to which the broadcast networks will pay more attention? (The official schedule has President Clinton speaking during the 7 to 8 pm (Denver time) hour and Senator Biden during the 8 to 9 pm hour. CBS, NBC and ABC are usually tuned in during the 8 to 9 pm hour.)

At some point this afternoon the delegates will get around to officially nominating Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Here is the outline for this evening:

The headline prime-time speaker on Wednesday will be Vice Presidential Nominee Senator Joe Biden.

Featured speakers will include:
Former President Bill Clinton; former Senator Tom Daschle; Governor Bill Richardson and Senators Evan Bayh, John Kerry and Jay Rockefeller. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Convention home state Senator Ken Salazar, House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, and Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) along with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Representative Patrick Murphy (D-PA) and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth will lead a tribute honoring those who give so much to secure our nation’s future – veterans, active duty military and their families.

These speak for themselves, I think…

In case you missed it this evening, here’s Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention.

She’s going to make a great First Lady, isn’t she?

Before Michelle, there was Caroline and Ted Kennedy. They were terrific, weren’t they?

What a night.

Here is the full schedule for tomorrow. It will feature the keynote address by Mark Warner, the former governor of Virginia, and remarks by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

We are on the eve of the opening of perhaps the most important political convention of our lifetime. The Democratic National Convention will open tomorrow evening in Denver, Colorado.

Here, from the official schedule, is what we can expect on the first night:

Monday’s headline prime-time speaker will be Michelle Obama.

Other Monday night speakers include:
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri; Barack Obama’s sister Maya Soetero-Ng and Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s older brother; Jerry Kellman, mentor and long-time friend of Barack Obama; Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr.; former Indiana Representative Lee Hamilton; Tom Balanoff, President of Illinois SEIU; Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America; NEA President Reg Weaver; AFT President Randi Weingarten; Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan; State Comptroller Dan Hynes; Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulis; Chicago City Clerk Miguel del Valle; and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

Monday night will also feature a tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

There is a rumor circulating that Senator Kennedy may be planning a surprise appearance (health permitting).

The theme for the first night of the convention is “One Nation.”

Barack Obama’s story is an American story that reflects a life of struggle, opportunity and responsibility like those faced by Americans everyday. The opening night of the Convention will highlight Barack’s life story, his commitment to change, and the voices of Americans who are calling for a new direction for this country.

Michelle Obama

It has been a while since I have given you a Sunday reading assignment, so consider this one past due. Today I want to you read Maureen Dowd’s column in The New York Times. Here’s the link:

Too Much of a Bad Thing

I know… I’m not a big Maureen Dowd fan, but we’ll make an exception today. This cartoon, taken from the Saturday additions to last week’s Friday Night Cartoons, drives home the point she is making:

You may click on it to make it bigger.

Okay. Done reading Ms. Dowd’s column? Good. Because, as of this moment I am declaring a moratorium on anything Republican for the next five days. Unless they do or say something incredibly stupid (which is a distinct possibility), we shall not talk about Republicans on this blog for the next five days. This week belongs to us. This is our week. This is the week we formally nominate the leaders who are going to make our country and our world better places in which to live. We will talk only about positive things this week and leave the negativity to the Republicans.

(Okay, you can talk about Republicans in the comments to this post if you wish, since this post does talk about Republicans. That’ll be it for the week, though. Okay? Okay! By the way, have you seen the latest McCain ad?)

(link)

Starting.

Now.

'Hey, Mom! Grandpa's out again!'