It's Obama Time: DNC Convention Kicks Off Aug. 25

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Keywords: Barack Obama, first Black president, DNC, Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Black president, election 2008

The Democratic National Convention kicks into high gear in Denver tonight as Michelle Obama headlines night one of a four-night event that culminates Thursday with Sen. Barack Obama accepting the Democratic nomination for president.

Perhaps symbolically, Obama will accept the nomination on the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

"Through four nights, there will be testimonials from family members like Mr. Obama's wife and sister who will tell his 'very American story,' in the words of one adviser, and from party luminaries like Sen. Edward Kennedy (by videotape) and former President Bill Clinton (live) who will give Mr. Obama, the presumptive presidential nominee, the imprimatur of the party establishment," reports The New York Times.

Many issues will be touched upon as the party officially presents Obama as their candidate of choice, such as the economy, the Iraq war and healthcare. Most importantly, Obama's aides have said they want the convention to clearly define his campaign as a choice between change and the status quo.

When Obama accepts the nomination on Thursday, he will do it not from a stage standing behind a podium but rather "at the 50-yard line (on the Invesco football field) surrounded by a diverse set of people he has met throughout the campaign, whose presence is intended to signal to viewers at home that people like them are OK with Mr. Obama," the Times reports.

Other headliners over the course of the convention will include Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, who will be among those leading a tribute to veterans and those serving in active duty. Click here for more information about the convention schedule.

Obama's acceptance speech Thursday is expected to be seen by millions across the globe. David Bositis, a senior analyst with The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, told DiversityInc that the convention provides a unique opportunity to crystallize the differences between the two campaigns and the two candidates.

"The main thing is a united party. He wants to have the convention come across as showing the Democrats are a united party," Bositis says. "The convention also has to emphasize economic issues ... that's the issue dominating the country right now. Iraq is yesterday's news."

The headline speaker Wednesday will be Obama's newly named-vice presidential pick, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. But despite much weekend buzz about the selection, Bositis believes it ultimately remains much ado about nothing.

"It's always, at best, marginal, the impact these selections have," Bositis says. "The last VP choice that clearly was responsible for carrying his home state was Lyndon Johnson in 1960. There's not been any VP choice since then who could clearly be identified as helping a nominee carry a state. The vice-presidential pick is not going to make or break anything."

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