Washington • Barack Obama has been a political star and he remains a historic figure, but at this moment he’s an embattled incumbent trying to eke out a second term in a campaign that has turned nasty.
Entering his third Democratic National Convention, he’s no longer introducing himself to the world as he did in 2004, nor pitching hope and change as he did when he accepted the presidential nomination four years ago.
—
The Democratic lineup
The list of key speeches during the three-day convention.
Tuesday » First lady Michelle Obama and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, keynote speaker
Wednesday » Former President Bill Clinton and Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren
Thursday » President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden
 |
Join the Discussion |
 |
Post a Comment |
This week in Charlotte, N.C., his task is more complex. He has to mount a defense of his first term and explain the slow economic recovery. He has to go on the attack against Republican Mitt Romney and lay out goals for a second term.
And, in between, he’ll try to bring back a little of the Obama magic from years past that attracted a new generation of voters and re-energized Democratic diehards.
That’s what Sheryl Ginsberg, a first-time delegate from Salt Lake City, wants to experience from her seat inside Bank of America Stadium on Thursday. She simply wishes to be inspired.
"I want him to bring back that feeling from when he first spoke about the need to come together," she said. "I want to hear that and be touched by that again. The differences we have are beautiful, and they make us better."
In 2004, Obama was a three-term state senator from Illinois and a candidate for the U.S. Senate. He seemed a shoo-in to win that November because his Republican opponent withdrew after allegations surfaced that he frequented sex clubs.
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and his campaign asked the little-known Obama to give the keynote address on the second night of the convention in Boston. In less than 20 minutes, Obama outlined his background, lauded Kerry’s accomplishments and called for a unified America.
"There is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America," he said in a fervent cadence that rose above the cheers of the crowd. He dismissed the blue-and-red-state shorthand for those areas that support Democrats and Republicans.
"We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the red states," he said. "We coach Little League in the blue states and, yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the red states."
-
Italian fashion icons Dolce and Gabbana find no respite from tax man
Published Jun 19, 2013 02:12:02PM -
Pruitt: DOJ broke rules in phone records seizure
Published Jun 19, 2013 02:04:02PM -
FBI hunt for ex-Teamster boss Hoffa’s remains ends
Published Jun 19, 2013 01:57:02PM -
As Western fires rage, feds cut funding on prevention
Published Jun 19, 2013 01:56:02PM
He was an instant hit and a sudden, unexpected national figure within the Democratic Party.
—
Phenomenon • "I said, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to be the first black president.’ I just knew it," said Ginsberg, a retired social worker, who watched the speech from the basement of her Salt Lake City home.
Joe Hatch, the Democratic national committeeman from Utah, was there in Boston and has watched every convention since 1968.
"It was instantaneous just how great it was," he said. "I’ve never seen anything like that."
Gail Turpin, another first-time delegate from Utah, said: "I haven’t felt that enthusiastic about a politician, probably since Bobby Kennedy."
Among the people Obama brought to their feet was Hillary Clinton, whom he would face and ultimately beat in a back-and-forth 2008 Democratic primary season, which, while contentious at times, was imbued with a sense of history in the making. Either the first black man or the first woman was going to represent a major political party for president and whoever emerged had a better-than-average chance of winning the White House.
His 2004 address helped Obama make inroads with the party, but Clinton was already Democratic royalty and was widely seen as the front-runner in the race to replace two-term President George W. Bush. What Clinton didn’t have was Obama’s outsider appeal and dynamic personal narrative: His mother was a white woman from Kansas, and his father, whom he barely knew, was a black man from Kenya. He received an Ivy League education but spent his post-college years as a community organizer in poor areas of Chicago.
His crowds grew larger, buoyed by young voters, and eventually he wrapped up enough primary wins to claim the nomination.
Obama’s 2008 acceptance speech also included lofty prose and even a few lines nearly identical to his 2004 address, but this time he delivered them in a stern, serious tone. He wanted to empathize with those impacted by the economic collapse and appear presidential and in command.
—
Next Page >Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
