DENVER: Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama made history by becoming the first black nominee of a major US political party.
Obama wrapped up his party s four-day convention Thursday night, speaking to tens of thousands of supporters at a stadium in Denver.
He told the crowd his mission was to restore “that American promise that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
And the candidate, whom the Republican candidate John McCain has dubbed too inexperienced for the White House, again sought to allay perceptions that he would not be as able to guard the United States against the numerous domestic and international challenges the country faces.
He directed a sarcastic jab at the former Vietnam war prisoner over Al-Qaeda terror leader Osama bin Laden, arguing that the candidate s support of the Iraq war ignores Afghanistan.
“John McCain likes to say that he ll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell, but he won t even go to the cave where he lives, Obama said.
“The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans – Democrats and Republicans – have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.
Obama further renewed his promise to withdraw American combat troops from Iraq in 16 months and to negotiate from strength with America s foes. He also vowed to cut taxes “for 95 percent of all working families, to end American dependence on Middle East oil in 10 years, and to spend $150 million and created 5 million jobs over 10 years working on renewable energy sources.
Obama brought the convention to a thunderous end with scathing criticism of McCain. His rival, he said, offered nothing more than an extension of President George W. Bush s policies, and the Republicans staid politics that had undercut Americans prosperity and security.
“Tonight, I say to the people of America, to Democrats and Republicans and independents across this great land -enough! said Obama, speaking before 84,000 cheering supporters on the 45th anniversary of civil rights leader, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. s, “I Have a Dream speech – an exhortation for racial unity in the face of injustice.
The first-term Illinois senator was to begin on Friday the final sprint of the Nov. 4 election battle with a campaign trip through battleground Midwestern states in an effort to advance in a race in which he is running neck-and-neck with McCain after a summer of relentless attacks from the veteran senator.
Obama promised an end to eight years of “broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush. McCain, he argued, simply “doesn t get it.
His comments sought to align him with the frustrations of working-class Americans, whose votes went heavily to Hillary Rodham Clinton in their extended and occasionally bitter primary contest. His fate in the Nov. 4 election may lie with that such voters. McCain s spokesman was quick with a rebuttal.
“Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama, said Tucker Bounds. “The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be president.
While Thursday s closing of the convention afforded Obama a chance to revel in the moment, the battle was far from over. He entered the Democratic convention still needing to win over many of Clinton s supporters. Some Clinton delegates arrived in Denver wary of Obama, still sore over their epic nominating battle.
Obama s speech followed two days of strong endorsements by Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton issued a short statement Thursday night praising Obama s speech.
On Thursday he was lauded by another popular Democratic figure, former Vice President Al Gore, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, who joined Obama in saying McCain s election as president would be little more than a continuation of Bush s policies.
Republican John McCain unveiled a major surprise in the White House race Friday with his pick of first woman governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, as his running-mate, campaign officials told AFP.
A political outsider and relative unknown on the national stage, Palin, 44, a mother of five children, emerged late Thursday as the dark horse candidate for McCain s vice-presidential nominee.
The choice marks a huge political risk by McCain, and a blatant bid to win over disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters.
Palin, reportedly a former entrant in the Miss Alaska contest, could appeal to the Republican s grassroots conservative base, as she is strongly pro-life and backs the gun lobby.
As a young mother she would balance out concerns over McCain s age who celebrated his 72nd birthday on Friday, and she could also be seen as a breath of fresh air, untainted by Washington politics.
But unlike Clinton – the former first lady who was defeated in the Democratic primary nominating race by Barack Obama – Palin as a first-time governor elected in Alaska in 2006 has no national experience.
The reports came as Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who had been leading in the VP tips, told a local radio station that it was a fair assumption he had not been picked by McCain.
Picking such a long-shot candidate could undermine McCain s accusations against Obama that he lacks the experience to be the commander in chief of a country caught up in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And Palin could find it difficult to match up against experienced senator Joseph Biden, the Democrats vice presidential pick, who has spent his much of his 36-year career working on foreign policy.
CNN reported that a private plane from Alaska landed in Dayton, Ohio on Thursday night, sparking speculation that Palin could join McCain at a midday rally in this crucial battleground state where he is set to reveal his choice.
Palin is the first woman to lead Alaska and is best known for aggressively pushing for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a key part of McCain s energy policy.
Palin would also help McCain maintain his image as a maverick outsider: she gained popularity as a crusading rebel and whistle blower against corruption among fellow Alaskan Republicans.
After appearing with his running mate here, the Republican team was to head to two other battleground states – Pennsylvania and Missouri – ahead of the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, which kicks off on Monday. -Associated Press writers Liz Sidoti in Denver and Elizabeth Kennedy in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report. Additional reporting by AFP.
