You’ve never seen anything like it: 85,000 spectators waving American flags and chanting “Yes We Can,” in tears after each of Senator Barack Obama’s promises of change and hope. Reminiscent of another important occasion in American history, Obama’s acceptance speech in Denver last Thursday paralleled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. It was thus appropriate that Obama accepted his party’s nomination on the anniversary of King’s legendary march. As a former Senator Hillary Clinton supporter, “change” and “hope” once sounded like empty rhetoric devised in the Chicago war room to lure in gullible new voters. But after spending a week in Denver, I finally understand the power of these words.
Obama’s speech at Invesco Field was historic on every level. Record numbers of supporters both attended the event and watched Obama on their television sets at home. From one of the best seats in the house, I experienced the energy firsthand. I watched Daily Show correspondent John Oliver scurry among the delegates on the floor, and waved to Governor Howard Dean and Governor Bill Richardson as they peeked out from their VIP seating. I stood next to those crying with joy that America had made it this far.
The key to attending a national convention is to tune out the political pundits. When you’re lucky enough to attend one of the most important events in history, you have to block out the spin and allow yourself to experience the moment. The only news I watched last week was C-SPAN, to catch up on any missed speeches.
Returning to the real world, my friends and family who saw CNN’s coverage observed, “Well, they say Al Gore’s speech on Thursday was a little rushed, and I agree.” Perhaps I still haven’t come down from my Denver high, but I could not disagree more. Similarly, television journalists continue to debate whether the Clintons did enough to prove their support for Obama during the convention.
In my observation, Denver was a divided city until Bill Clinton spoke. Previously, voters fit into one of three categories: Obama supporters who thought Clinton was bitter, Clinton supporters who wanted to see her hold onto her delegates and possibly steal the election, and Clinton supporters who thought Obama fans were attacking their candidate, despite her efforts to mend the great democratic divide. Strolling the halls of the Convention Center, I heard the frustrations of them all. Some supporters were upset that the Clintons received prime-time coverage for two nights of the convention, and that the extreme Clinton supporters who were protesting Obama’s nomination by voting for Senator John McCain were receiving any coverage at all.
Obama’s nomination, however, is a victory in itself. He faced numerous obstacles throughout the hard-fought primary season, and so it’s easy to understand why his supporters feel cheated that their biggest threat was a member of his own party. However, as a Clinton supporter, I know that much of the tension between Obama and Clinton was created by Obama’s supporters. Every time Obama’s pundits lash out, deeming Clinton “bitter” and claiming that “no one will ever vote for her”—even though she won the hearts of 18 million voters and nearly the nomination—her supporters are backed into a corner. They feel under-appreciated, clinging to their candidate even more. If Obama’s fans could treat Clinton with respect, her followers would be more eager to support his campaign. Even after Senator Clinton’s speech on Tuesday, Obama supporters said that while they thought it was the best speech she had ever given, they still doubted her sincerity.
Bill Clinton’s speech changed everything, reminding the world of why he’s considered one of the best orators of our time. He inspired Obama and Clinton supporters to shake hands and pursue the Democratic goal of electing Obama as the 44th president of the United States. While some may criticize Obama for not being able to unite the Party, in Denver, President Clinton was the only person who could have done so. As his wife’s greatest defender and one of most admired Democrats, President Clinton needed to assure America that he believed in Obama.
The message of the convention was unity: a united party and a united America. Though pundits may continue to rock the boat to make headlines, the events in Denver united the Democratic Party. When McCain released his attack commercial highlighting comments made by Senators Joe Biden and Clinton against Obama, Democrats finally realized that they were falling into the hands of the Republicans. Obama sealed the convention by inspiring a new and stronger Democratic Party with the support of the Clintons. Senator Clinton spoke on the anniversary of women’s suffrage, and Obama spoke on the anniversary of King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. It seems as though it was almost meant to be.
