SUN EDITORIAL:

Finally, a new dawn

Obama delivers inspirational speech laying out a plan to put U.S. back on the right track

Friday, Aug. 29, 2008 | 2:09 a.m.

When the Democratic National Convention began this week, there was concern among Democrats that their party’s standard-bearer, Barack Obama, was in danger of letting the election slip away to his Republican counterpart, John McCain.

It was essential, then, not only for Democrats to achieve party unity coming out of this convention but also for Obama to show that he has what it takes to be president.

Obama certainly was helped by outstanding speeches by Hillary Clinton and former President Clinton during the week. The speeches, which took McCain’s policies to task and were ringing endorsements of Obama’s candidacy, allayed many Democratic concerns about lingering fallout from what had been a hard-fought Democratic primary campaign.

Still, whether Obama can seal the deal with the American people doesn’t rest with the Clintons or on his sound pick of Joe Biden to be his running mate. Ultimately, it is up to Obama to show Americans who are still undecided, particularly those who live in crucial battleground states such as Nevada, why he should be elected president.

On Thursday night, the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the first African-American to be nominated by a major American political party to run for president made vital progress in his march to the White House.

Obama’s acceptance speech, before 84,000 people in a Denver stadium, was passionate and inspirational. Just as important, Obama showed that he understood the plight of Americans who are facing a stalled economy and a terribly run war in Iraq — courtesy of President Bush — and that he has concrete ways to restore America’s greatness.

McCain so far has offered up more of the same failed Bush policies, and Obama reminded Americans not to be hoodwinked by McCain’s “maverick” image.

“John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time,” Obama said. “Sen. McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change.”

Americans are looking for change, and although it is a long time until Nov. 4, Obama took a giant first step Thursday toward making the case he is ready for the White House.

Discussion: 9 comments so far…

By Future2012

8/29/08 at 5:31 a.m.

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Obama said ''Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land--enough!''

Obama need to fix his own problems first by roping in Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

Obama is not providing a new vision of change. Obama wants to go back to past generic Democratic failures:

Raising Taxes.

Remember Clinton's tax the rich recession in 2000. Our 401k's drop by 50% , from March 24, 2000 to October 9, 2002 when the S&P 500 Index drop of 49.1%.

“Over-the-Horizon” fighting strategy.

Clinton shifted the military to an “Over-the-Horizon” fighting strategy. We have many examples of the failure of this strategy (Chinese embassy, aspirin factory, and Black Hawk down) and no successes in the 90’s. Without human intelligence, and troops on the ground, and now legal opinion backing for every strike, we cannot effectively target the terrorists and use the “Over-the-Horizon” fighting strategy.

Energy Security.

Clinton and Gore would not allow domestic drilling and took NO action on global warming or energy security in the 90’s.
By NVMakz

8/29/08 at 5:44 a.m.

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Obama gave a fine speech, if only the verbiage is considered; ignoring his life and his path to this nomination.

The Alinsky-trained socialist "street organizer" gave a good speech.

Especially when he said "we're the party of FDR, the party of JFK; so don't tell us we'll not keep this nation safe...". He's confused between the grand Democrats of the past - and the Liberal Socialist democrat (LSD) of the post-Vietnam-era.
By Eddie

8/29/08 at 7:12 a.m.

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Well, if Obama is elected the next President, for all of you hard working lower middle class, look out. Their hands will be in your pockets and you will be the ones to suffer even more. It will be given away to the illegals, non-working, muchers out there. You think we are struggling now?
By JohnF

8/29/08 at 8:37 a.m.

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Eddie,

Didn't you hear Obama say he would CUT taxes?
By jfnance32

8/29/08 at 8:54 a.m.

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Obama will heavily increase taxes on captial job creation investments.

That will hurt jobs in Nevada and not help them.

Obama's plan will give $1.95 more a day in tax cuts than McCain's plan.

Woooooooeeeeeeeeee......We all can get some cheeseburgers now........woooooooooooeoeeeee
By boftx

8/29/08 at 10:54 a.m.

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JohnF, do you remember Obama saying how bad NAFTA was, then saying he might have "exagerated" his postition? Or how about his ooposition to FISA, then voting for it. How can you possibly believe he is going to cut taxes while increasing spending programs? Oh yeah, he will bring home our troops (but still leave 80,000 in place in Iraq).

Obama gave a fantastic speech 4 years ago! He can't even do that right, now. I am thouroughly disgusted with the DNC after this coronation ceremony.
By mikeg

8/29/08 at 11:31 a.m.

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Red Dawn more like it.
By JohnF

8/29/08 at 6 p.m.

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Mr. Nance,

Would you care to back up your claims with evidence?
By PatriciaLV

8/29/08 at 7:37 p.m.

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No, JohnF; he wouldn't. He cannot. His claims, like his opinions, are indefensible. I have asked him (and many others on these boards who appear to share his beliefs) to proved some kind of NON-PARTISAN evidence to back up their claims.

To date, all they've managed are links to editorials from a business magazine and the WSJ, people's blogs, Fox "news", etc.

IOW, not one credible source. Well, maybe there was one; it should stand out in my mind but it doesn't and I apologize for that.

All they can do is (a) bash the Democrats; (b) bash Liberals (and I can't help but wonder what THEY have to do with any of this); (c) bash Clinton (pulling out one of their favorites); (d) bash anyone and everyone on these boards who dare to ask them for evidence, who dare to disagree with them, and who dare to present actual evidence to counter their "opinions".

Oh and name-calling; they're really good at that. Just like four-year-olds.

That's how they should be treated; with nothing more than derision.

And I'm pretty good at that. Don't know if I should be proud, but I've been fighting these idiots and so many like them since the 1990s and I'm tired. I'm so tired of hearing the same non-arguments that I heard in the 1990s about Clinton. I'm tired of hearing the same non-arguments that I heard in 2000 about Al Gore. I'm tired of hearing the same non-arguments that I heard in 2004 about Dean and then about Kerry.

I'm tired of their nonsense.

And I'm sorry I went off on a tirade.

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