Barack Obama makes history

Senator Barack Obama made history Thursday night when he accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for president and became the first African American presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party.

In a moment rich with symbolism, on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have A Dream" speech at the March on Washington, Obama invoked King's message that we cannot turn back.

Obama strongly criticized the Bush Administration and the Republicans, which he blamed for the country's current condition. "America, we are better than these last eight years.  We are a better country than this," said Obama.

Speaking to a crowd of nearly 80,000 people at Denver's Invesco Field, Obama said, "Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land - enough!"

And like other speakers throughout the day, Obama tied Bush to Senator John McCain. Obama said "next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third.  And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight."

Although he was harshly critical of Senator McCain, he did not make his attack personal. "It's not because John McCain doesn't care," he said. "It's because John McCain doesn't get it."

The Democratic nominee also took aim at the Republican attacks against him and used the moment to knock down the GOP talking points, including McCain's argument that Obama is merely a celebrity. "I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine," Obama said, invoking a family history that was introduced in a profile video.

The video showed photographs of Obama's grandparents and parents and mentioned that Obama's grandfather served in General Patton's Army. 

Obama also took on McCain in foreign policy, arguing that McCain's judgment in Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran had demonstrated that he is not the man to be president. "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 said.

He criticized his GOP rival for turning his attention to Iraq after the September 11 attacks instead of more aggressively pursuing Al Qaeda in 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.

It was a statement that seemed to indicate the Democrats would fight back on patriotism and national security issues that Republicans have tried to use against them in previous elections. "So I've got news for you, John McCain.  We all put our country first," Obama said.

But Obama also took on controversial social issues that Democrats often prefer to avoid. Citing abortion, gun control and same-sex marriage, Obama called for Americans to find common ground instead of continuing the debates of the past generation into the next.

"We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country," he said.

"The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland," said Senator Obama, "but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals."

And on the sometimes controversial subject of marriage discrimination against gays and lesbians, Obama took the issue head on. "I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination."

Perhaps most importantly, Obama tried to change the focus of the debate in the presidential election, turning the discussion away from himself and onto the concerns of the American public.

Responding to a Republican critique that he is "not ready" to be president, Obama challenged the idea that decades working in Washington make someone qualified to be president. "I get it.  I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office," he said. "I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington."

"But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring.  What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me.  It's been about you."