USA TODAY

Photo: Jaladah Aslam, center, and Mitchell Artis, right, both
of Ohio, hear Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton call for Democrats to
nominate Barack Obama. By Pat Shannahan for USA TODAY

By Martha T. Moore

August 27th, 2008

DENVER — It was a scripted scenario, the outcome never in doubt. But when history arrived on the floor of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday afternoon, it came with the full force of emotion.

After an especially long primary season, after private wrangling and public battle, the Democratic Party became the first major party to select an African-American nominee for president in the nation’s history.

With a roar of approval and a sparkle of flashing cameras, the convention’s delegates nominated by acclamation Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who just four years ago electrified the Democratic convention with a speech where he first called for “a politics of hope.” That message carried him in this election season to the top of his party’s ticket.

“I never thought I’d live this long to see this,” said Albert Lewis, a Hawaii delegate, where Obama grew up. “I’m very proud to be an American today.”

Obama’s nomination was the climax of a campaign that intertwined two groups that have spent much of the past 50 years struggling for their place at the table of American politics: blacks and women. And it came at the hands of the woman who had tried so hard to wrest it from him. When the roll call came to New York, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton joined her state’s delegation on the floor and asked the convention to stop the roll call and nominate Obama.

“In the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory,” Clinton said, “let’s declare together in one voice, right here right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate.”

George Bixon, a retired electrician and the only black delegate among 57 from Iowa, said tears streamed down his cheeks as Obama was nominated.

“It was a moment I thought would never happen in my lifetime,” Bixon said. “He was nominated not as a black man but as a man who is qualified to do the job, and that made me proud.” Read More.

Obama Wins Nomination; Biden and Bill Clinton Rally Party (The New York Times)

Senator Barack Obama joined Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. on stage on Wednesday. Brendan
Smialowski for The New York Times

By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: August 28, 2008

DENVER — Barack Hussein Obama, a freshman senator who defeated the first family of Democratic Party politics with a call for a fundamentally new course in politics, was nominated by his party on Wednesday to be the 44th president of the United States.

The unanimous vote made Mr. Obama the first African-American to become a major party nominee for president. It brought to an end an often-bitter two-year political struggle for the nomination with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who, standing on a packed convention floor electric with anticipation, moved to halt the roll call in progress so that the convention could nominate Mr. Obama by acclamation. That it did with a succession of loud roars, followed by a swirl of dancing, embracing, high-fiving and chants of “Yes, we can.” Read More.

Obama officially nominated; Bill Clinton delivers hearty endorsement
(NY Daily News)

Bill Clinton gave a forceful endorsement of Barack Obama on Wednesday
night, hours after the Illinois senator was officially nominated for President by
the Democratic Party. Wilson/Getty

BY DAVID SALTONSTALL
DAILY NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

Thursday, August 28th 2008, 12:46 AM

DENVER – Former President Bill Clinton buried the past Wednesday night and exhorted Democrats to imagine a bold new future – with Barack Obama as President of the United States.

As Obama made history by becoming the first African-American nominee of a major party, Clinton put aside his lingering primary-season grievances with a rousing endorsement that brought the crowd to its feet over and over – interrupting him 40 times with applause.

The night ended with a surprise appearance by the Illinois senator, who took to the convention’s stage to applaud the Clintons and his vice presidential nominee, Joe Biden.

For many in the arena, it was exactly what the Democrats needed – a clear, cathartic show of unity by the party’s once and future leaders.

“If I am not mistaken, Hillary Clinton rocked the house last night,” Obama said, moments after he sent delegates into a thundering round of applause by popping onto the stage to clasp hands with Biden. Read More.

Watch Bill Clinton endorse Obama

All Ayes on Obama as He Prepares to Make History

NBC, MSNBC and news services
Photo: Senator Barack Obama arriving at the Denver
International Airport. Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times

August 27th, 2008

DENVER – Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois was poised to become the first African-American ever nominated for president by a major political party Wednesday after delegates to the Democratic National Convention heard nominating speeches that were expected to conclude with his chief rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, asking her supporters to join in accepting Obama by acclamation.

Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America, placed Clinton’s name in nomination at 5:20 p.m. ET. Michael Wilson, an Air Force medic who served in Iraq, placed Obama’s name in nomination at 5:32 p.m.

Clinton was in the New York delegation as the traditional roll call of the states got under way. NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell reported that Clinton would join State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in casting the state’s votes.

Clinton, who made a ringing, unqualified endorsement of her former rival in a prime-time speech Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, met with her delegates in the afternoon and said she had signed her ballot for Obama, drawing some cheers and some moans of dismay.

The groans then turned into cheers when she acknowledged that “many other people who sign their ballots will make a different choice.”

“We got here by different paths,” Clinton said. “And you are to be given the respect and recognition you have earned as delegates for the Democratic Party.” Read More.