New day, new world, new Democratic Party

By Weekly Archive On Sep 3, 2008

DENVER
— We are all part of history, and we experience it every day without
thinking about it until, every once in a while, history hits us
between the eyes — as it has in Denver this week.

My
dream, growing up, was someday to attend a party’s national
convention. Little did I know what lay ahead. This year’s Democratic
National Convention is actually the 16th of either party I’ve
attended as a player or member of the media. None has been so charged
with history.

Every
day in Denver has demonstrated this remarkable turning point, both in
the Democratic Party and in the country — starting Monday night,
with the powerful passing of the torch from Sen. Ted Kennedy to a new
generation of party leaders. Watching Caroline Kennedy introduce
"Uncle Teddy" and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. supplant
his father, I knew the stage at a Democratic national convention
would never look the same again.

And
that was immediately obvious when Michele Obama walked onstage and
began to introduce the party’s new first family. Nobody remarked on
the significance of the moment. They didn’t have to. Everybody in the
convention hall or sitting in front of their television set knew they
were watching history being made.

American
political history reigned again Tuesday night with Hillary Clinton’s
dramatic address to the convention. With conviction, she dashed the
hopes of the McCain campaign — and the media — that Democrats would
leave Denver hopelessly divided. With passion, she listed all the
reasons why she had run for president and reminded her supporters
that they were the same reasons why they must join her now in
supporting Barack Obama.

Clinton’s
convention appearance transcended the political realities of the 2008
campaign. It also signaled the increasingly prominent role of women
in American politics. Even if a woman didn’t make it this year, it
won’t be long, thanks to her campaign, before a woman does become her
party’s nominee and takes the oath of office as president. Indeed,
earlier in the day, Clinton helped advance that goal by helping
launch a new women’s political action committee, Womencount.org.

On
Wednesday, the convention took another historical leap. John Kerry,
who led the party four years ago, was given a spot at the podium, but
not in prime time. Bill Clinton, who was charged, yet again, with
burying past differences and uniting delegates behind Barack Obama,
delivered the goods. But he didn’t get to do so in prime time,
either. That night’s spotlight went to vice-presidential nominee Joe
Biden, an energetic, yet elder party statesman himself, named by
Obama to bridge the gap between the old and the new.

But
the new is clearly in charge, as evidenced by Obama’s scheduling his
acceptance speech at Invesco Field on Thursday evening — the first
time that any presidential candidate decided to accept his party’s
nomination anywhere other than in a closed convention hall since John
F. Kennedy did in 1960. That decision alone telegraphs a new day and
a new, more inclusive, political process. But, of course, the fact
that Barack Obama is the nominee marks the week’s most significant
milestone.

It
wasn’t planned that way, but, had it been, it couldn’t have been
planned any better. As was widely noted, Obama’s Invesco triumph
occurred on Aug. 28, the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s
"I Have A Dream" speech. And that was more than a happy
historical coincidence. Seeing the first African-American accept the
nomination of a major political party for president of the United
States is a moment that all Americans should celebrate. King dreamed
the dream. Obama is living it. And so, with his success, are all the
rest of us.

Yes,
history was made in Denver. The torch has been passed to a new
generation of leadership. The Democratic Party will never be the
same. And, with the emergence of new women and minority leaders,
neither will American politics.

The
march of history doesn’t stop here, of course. It now moves from
Denver and St. Paul into the final two months of the campaign: an
election in which the differences have never been more stark.
American voters clearly face a historic choice on Nov. 4: a choice
between Barack Obama, who will make history, and John McCain, who
will continue the failed policies of the past.

Bill
Press is host of a nationally syndicated radio show and author of a
new book, "Train
Wreck: The End of the Conservative Revolution (and Not a Moment Too
Soon)."
You can hear "The Bill Press Show" at his Web site:
billpressshow.com. His email address is: bill@billpress.com.