CHARLOTTE, N.C. — His re-election in doubt, President Barack Obama conceded only halting progress Thursday night toward fixing the nation's stubborn economic woes, but vowed in a Democratic National Convention finale, "Our problems can be solved, our challenges can be met."
"Yes, our path is harder — but it leads to a better place," he declared in a prime-time speech to convention delegates and the nation that blended resolve about the challenges ahead with stinging criticism of Republican rival Mitt Romney's proposals to repair the economy.
He acknowledged "my own failings" as he asked for a second term, four years after taking office as the nation's first black president.
"Four more years," delegates chanted over and over as the 51-year-old Obama stepped to the podium, noticeably grayer than four years ago when he was a history-making candidate for the White House.
The president's speech was the final act of a pair of highly scripted national political conventions in as many weeks, and the opening salvo of a two-month drive toward Election Day that pits Obama against Republican rival Romney. The contest is ever tighter for the White House in a dreary season of economic struggle for millions.
Vice President Joe Biden preceded Obama at the convention podium and proclaimed, "America has turned the corner" after experiencing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Obama didn't go that far in his own remarks, but he said firmly, "We are not going back, we are moving forward, America."
With unemployment at 8.3 percent, the president said the task of recovering from the economic disaster of 2008 is exceeded in American history only by the challenge Franklin Delano Roosevelt faced when he took office in 1933.
"It will require common effort, shared responsibility and the kind of bold persistent experimentation" that FDR employed, Obama said.
In an appeal to independent voters who might be considering a vote for Romney, he added that those who carry on Roosevelt's legacy "should remember that not every problem can be remedied with another government program or dictate from Washington.
He said, "The truth is, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over the decades."
In the run-up to Obama's speech, delegates erupted in tumultuous cheers when former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, grievously wounded in a 2011 assassination attempt, walked onstage to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. The hall grew louder when she blew kisses to the crowd.
And louder still when huge video screens inside the hall showed the face of Osama bin Laden, the terrorist mastermind killed in a daring raid on his Pakistani hideout by U.S. special operations forces â€" on a mission approved by the current commander in chief.
The hall was filled to capacity long before Obama stepped to the podium, and officials shut off the entrances because of a fear of overcrowding for a speech that the campaign had originally slated for the 74,000-seat football stadium nearby. Aides said weather concerns prompted the move to the convention arena, capacity 15,000 or so.
Obama's campaign said the president would ask the country to rally around a "real achievable plan that will create jobs, expand opportunity and ensure an economy built to last."
He added, "The truth is it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over a decade."
In convention parlance, both Obama and Biden were delivering acceptance speeches before delegates who nominated them for new terms in office.
But the political significance went far beyond that - the moment when the general election campaign begins in earnest even though Obama and Romney have been pointing toward a Nov. 6 showdown for months.
To the cheers of delegates, Obama retraced his steps to halt the economic slide, including the auto bailout that Romney opposed.
"After a decade of decline, this country created over a half million manufacturing jobs in the last two and a half years," he said.
Turning to national security, he said he had promised to end the war in Iraq, and had done so.
"We've blunted the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan, and in 2014 our longest war will be over," he said.
"A new tower rises above the New York skyline, al-Qaida is on the path to defeat and Osama bin Laden is dead," he declared, one of the night's repeated references to the special operations forces raid that resulted in the terrorist mastermind's demise more than a year ago.
He lampooned Romney's own economic proposals.
"Have a surplus? Try a tax cut. Deficit too high? Try another. Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations and call us in the morning," he said.
Mocking Romney for his overseas trip earlier this summer, Obama said, "You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can't visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally." That was a reference to a verbal gaffe the former Massachusetts governor committed while visiting London.
The hall was filled to capacity long before Obama stepped to the podium, and officials shut off the entrances because of a fear of overcrowding for a speech that the campaign had originally slated for the 74,000-seat football stadium nearby. Aides said weather concerns prompted the move to the convention arena, capacity 15,000 or so.
Obama's campaign said the president would ask the country to rally around a "real achievable plan that will create jobs, expand opportunity and ensure an economy built to last."
Biden told the convention in his own speech that he had watched as Obama "made one gutsy decision after another" to stop an economic free-fall after they took office in 2009.
Now, he said, "we're on a mission to move this nation forward â€" from doubt and downturn to promise and prosperity. ... America has turned the corner."
Delegates who packed into their convention hall were serenaded by singer James Taylor and rocked by R&B blues artist Mary J. Blige as they awaited Obama's speech.
There was no end to the jabs aimed at Romney and the Republicans.
"Ask Osama bin Laden if he's better off than four years ago," said Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, who lost the 2004 election in a close contest with President George W. Bush. It was a mocking answer to the Republicans' repeated question of whether Americans are better off than when Obama took office.
The campaign focus was shifting quickly â€" to politically sensitive monthly unemployment figures due out Friday morning and the first presidential debate on Oct. 3 in Denver. Wall Street hit a four-year high a few hours before Obama's speech after the European Central Bank laid out a concrete plan to support the region's struggling countries.
The economy is by far the dominant issue in the campaign, and the differences between Obama and his challenger could hardly be more pronounced.
Romney wants to extend all tax cuts that are due to expire on Dec. 31 with an additional 20 percent reduction in rates across the board, arguing that job growth would result. He also favors deep cuts in domestic programs ranging from education to parks, repeal of the health care legislation that Obama pushed through Congress and landmark changes in Medicare, the program that provides health care to seniors.
Obama wants to renew the tax cuts except on incomes higher than $250,000, saying that millionaires should contribute to an overall attack on federal deficits. He also criticizes the spending cuts Romney advocates, saying they would fall unfairly on the poor, lower-income college students and others. He argues that Republicans would "end Medicare as we know it" and saddle seniors with ever-rising costs.
After two weeks of back-to-back conventions, the impact on the race remained to be determined.
You're not going to see big bounces in this election," said David Plouffe, a senior White House adviser. "For the next 61 days, it's going to remain tight as a tick."
Romney wrapped up several days of debate rehearsals with close aides in Vermont and is expected to resume full-time campaigning in the next day or two.
In a brief stop to talk with veterans on Thursday, he defended his decision to omit mention of the war in Afghanistan when he delivered his acceptance speech last week at the Republican National Convention. He noted he had spoken to the American Legion only one day before.
Romney's campaign released its first new television ad since the convention season began.
It shows Clinton sharply questioning Obama's credibility on the Iraq War in 2008, saying "Give me a break, this whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen." Obama was running against Hillary Rodham Clinton at the time for the Democratic nomination.
It will likely be a week or more before the two campaigns can fully digest post-convention polls and adjust their strategies for the fall.
Based on the volume of campaign appearances to date and the hundreds of millions of dollars spent already on television advertising, the election appears likely to be decided in a small number of battleground states. The list includes New Hampshire, Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, Nevada and Iowa, as well as Florida and North Carolina, the states where first Republicans and then Democrats held their conventions. Those states hold 100 electoral votes among them, out of 270 needed to win the White House.
Money has become an ever-present concern for the Democrats, an irony given the overwhelming advantage Obama held over John McCain in the 2008 campaign.
This time, Romney is outpacing him, and independent groups seeking the Republican's election are pouring tens of millions of dollars into television advertising, far exceeding what Obama's supporters can afford.
jimg17 posted at 6:14 am on Fri, Sep 7, 2012.
"Recovery"
"built up over the decades"
...what?
Bingo6 posted at 9:03 am on Fri, Sep 7, 2012.
Of course were better off than 4 years ago, did the banksters snd the millionaire/billionaires rob us, of course, just like they did to my parents snd my grandparents duting the great depression.
But, unlike the weak and fearful tea partiers, they didn't lay down in self pity, they got off their backsides and scraped, skimped, and clawed their way back up, always moving forward, doing whatevet they could to survive that disaster.
This economic debacle orchestrated by the robber barons of wall street and their bought and sold politicians put us here and we have a clear choice in November.
You can fight on and honor our parents and and our grandparents and fight on for each other, or you can give in to the radical right and believe that the sky is falling and give away your soverienty to the robber baron oligarchs who count on you to become their willing slaves to their evil coup.
Dale Whiting posted at 9:25 am on Fri, Sep 7, 2012.
Recovery?
Mark my words, whether the President or Mitt Romney is elected in 2012, in 2016 we will not have recovered. How do we measure recovery, by the unemployment rate? Which rate, the rate measured by the number of active job seekers, or the rate measured by the number who have also given up their job search?
This recession is a systemic problem, a world wide systemic problem. What's new is that given the relative peace in the world, we are faced with real competition for employment. My calls for help to service providers are answered in India or even the Philipines! That's not necessarily bad. But it highlights the scope of the problem. It will take at least 10 if not 20 years, one if not two 'lost decades' to recover. And no more will the next generation do better than did their parents.
So wish whomever is elected in 2012 good luck. They're really going to need it. If you really want Mitt Romney to be elected president in 2016, then you'd better vote for President Obama in 2012. Otherwise, we'll be throwing Mitt out in 2016! Mark these words, too!
REG in AZ posted at 9:58 am on Fri, Sep 7, 2012.
Sometimes people look the other way and ignore inappropriate, even criminal behavior when it doesn’t affect them or is consistent with their own interests. They know it is wrong but they just don’t bother themselves with it, avoiding to even consider that one day it is apt to turn against them like it is currently against others. The wrong of it doesn’t bother their conscience because they rationalize that it isn’t them doing it or because they think the end result is justified. That really says a lot of wrong about the people and the society that condones it.
Today we see several politicians who refuse to work with the other side of the aisle or with the president, literally stubbornly blocking and arrogantly faulting all efforts without any concern or conscience for the costs to the country and to the people. They put their political ambitions above all else and just cater to "the money's" interests, their strong supporters and masters. Together they just strive to use power, influence and money to con the people and to manipulate public opinion, insultingly playing the voters like "pawns" with their deceptive, abundant propaganda. There is no real consideration for other than their self-serving interests.
They were sent to Washington to represent the people, not just themselves, or just "the money", but they conduct themselves as if it is their government and not the people's. Our representatives are expected to put their personal interests aside and concentrate on working together, with bipartisanship, compromise and cooperation - to work with the other representatives, who were also elected by the people, to serve the people, all of the people. Their concentration on their own interests and ambitions and their then rendering government ineffective is actually criminal. We see this with John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, others and those controlled by Norquist, Cheney, Rove, the Koch brothers and more who belligerently and purposely create gridlock and worse with their "my way or no way" performance. They have even become cocky confident with being emboldened by past successes.
The people, the voters do still have control. Should their consciences guide them to take appropriate action, they then can send these offending politicians home and firmly refuse to elect any more of the "puppet" individuals who just serve "the money's" interest and ignore their responsibilities to the people. Of course, that requires the people to reject the propaganda aimed to deceive and control them, refuse to be conned and firmly, objectively and rationally vote their consciences. That also is the way it is suppose to work.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:15 am on Fri, Sep 7, 2012.
US Production has fallen for the 3rd straight month. Employment fell, New Orders fell to the lowest percent since 2009. There is little if any Consumer Spending. Growth will scrape along at only 1.5% = OBAMA'S FAILED PRESIDENCY.
What I don't understand is why the President and the Democrats still call themselves Americans? Is it just because they "physically" live within the Borders of the United States. It sure can't be because Obama and Democrats "ACT" like Americans;
1. Obama and the Democrats are for "minority rule" not the "majority rule" called for in the Constitution.
2. Obama and the Democrats are against "Capitalism" the economic model espoused by America's Founding Fathers (just look at Obama's "OCCUPY WALL STREET" call up to the anarchists and rioters.
3. Obama and the Democrats are against "Free Enterprise". Obama's EPA has crippled any "new business" from starting up (just look at the Obama-Care rules for Small Business Owners).
4. Obama and the Democrats are against any reference to God. Just look at the 2012 Democrat Platform's amendment to remove the mention of "God-Given" (they later back-tracked when the negative polling results came in).
5. Obama and the Democrats have done all they could to destroy the definition of "Marriage" as between a man and a women. Now there are even lawsuits for 3-some and polygamist marriages.
6. Obama and the Democrats have no respect for the "LIFE OF THE FETUS". They want "abortion on demand". In the 3 years of the Obama Administration, almost 1,000,000 HUMAN FETUSES have been killed.
7. Obama and the Democrats don't believe in ....'SELF-SUFFICIENCY"...on the contrary, they believe in the ..."WELFARE STATE".
8. Obama and the Democrats have no respect for "THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES". Go on YouTube and see these Democrat Hispanic-Rights Activists dragging ..OLD GLORY...on the street and the gutter to the Arizona Capital Mall where these same Democrat Hispanic Rights Activists spray-painted "ANTI-AMERICAN" grafitti and even put a toilet-seat cover on our Flag as the stomped on it and ground it into the dirt with their shoes.
WHY DO OBAMA (MICHELL "ASHAMED TO BE AN AMERICAN" OBAMA TOO) AND THE DEMOCRATS STILL BOTHER TO REFER TO THEMSELVES AS.......AMERICANS.
OBAMA AND THE DEMOCRATS ARE AGAINST EVERY SINGLE THING THAT AMERICA STANDS FOR.
Accuracy posted at 11:17 am on Fri, Sep 7, 2012.
Republican and Democratic conventions have come to an end
Last week, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney spelled out the kind of future he envisions for America, and how the policies of President Barack Obama just don’t add up to the kind of future America deserves.
President Obama took the stage at the Democratic National Convention finale, and throughout his speech he criticized Republicans for talking about America's problems without offering solutions, or ideas that make sense to him.
After the debate over the Democrats removing God from its party platform (DNC Almighty nightmare in Charlotte), Obama quoted scripture (a parallel to Jeremiah 29:11) in his closing speech; saying “ours is a ‘future filled with hope’”.
Republican and Democratic conventions have come to an end, and now that both candidates have accepted their party nominations, it's debate time.
With 43 straight months of 8% or higher unemployment, and its rates rose in 44 states this year. With 23 million Americans are out of work, have stopped looking for work, or are underemployed. The economic crisis, and $16 trillion national debt.
The first debate is set for Oct. 3.
DavidNichols posted at 10:30 am on Sat, Sep 8, 2012.
America can not "Recover" until we figure out what caused the "Economic Crash".
A mass exodus of Immigrants began in mid 2007 in advance of the January 2008 start of the E-verify Law, and the I.C.E. Deportation/Incarceration Programs.
This Mass exodus vacated tens of thousands of homes litterally overnight, which Halted Construction/Growth in many States like Arizona, California, Nevada, Florida, ect.
The vacated dwellings crashed the Real Estste Market, and triggered/caused the "Foreclosure Crisis"
The States that lost the most good, hard working Immigrants are still in Economic Disaster, and are left with massive excesses of State, and Federal Government with matching Budget Shortfalls.
Fact: For every Immigrant Deported or Incarcerated America has lost over Four times as many American Jobs!
Fact: The HARD LABOR Immigrants gladly did for America was the very Foundation of our Strong Economy, and the twenty five year period prior to January 2008 and the start of the I.C.E. Deportations was "The Most Prosperous " Period in Total U.S. History.
We all worked Hard Together.
"America is great because it is good, when it ceases to be good, it ceases to be great."
Alex De Tocqueville
Deporting, and Incarcerating good, hard working Christian Parents away from their legal Citizen Children or Families, is not Good!
This is our I.C.E.'d Economy!
I.C.E. "Put the Car in the Ditch"!
Until America realizes what really caused our Economic Crash, we will continue down the same "Wrong Road" that we are on!
To: Good, and Brotherhood.
REG in AZ posted at 6:50 pm on Mon, Sep 10, 2012.
I still favor conservative philosophies even after feeling compelled to change from a registered Republican to "Party Undeclared". I have never considered myself a Democrat but now vote Democratic in what I see as necessary self-defense. The Republican Party's progression to literally become owned and controlled by "the money" is completely disgusting and has proven to be very costly for the majority. The last twelve years have clearly substantiated that as they have constantly put their political ambitions above all else, at any cost to the people, and with the power, influence and mega-millions provided them they have concentrated on duping and using rather than honestly representing the people.
They insultingly count on being able to deceive and manipulate the people but the reality is actually clear in any objective and rational viewing; when with biases, prejudices, blind loyalties and emotions checked the stubborn self-serving dishonesty is totally apparent.
Bush-Cheney focused completely on serving "the money", who strongly supported and dictated to them, and they proved beyond any doubt that the "trickle down" theory is a complete fraud just making the wealthy wealthier and soliciting political support.
The Republican / Tea Party right from the very start firmly declared they would not work with Obama, irresponsibly putting their political ambitions above all else and just concentrating on arrogantly faulting and stubbornly blocking all efforts, while only working to serve the interests of the 1%.
Together with the power, influence and mega-millions of "the money" they focused on conning the people and manipulating public opinion, without conscience or concern for anything other than their self-serving goals: like in the manipulation of the conservative Christian, the Swift-boat propaganda, the promotion of the Tea Party movement and so much more, always being well designed, well directed and well funded efforts to sway people in the same single direction.
They use the mega-millions provided them and with the priorities dictated by the few they intimidate and coerce their own, even forcing moderates out, to squelch individual consciences and to assure unity behind the goals of the few.
They seek to focus attention on faulting "big government", government spending and the deficit but while those things are desirable to get under control they didn't cause our problems and concentrating entirely on them is a distraction from what actually did cause the problems.
Romney and Ryan clearly indicate their full intent to return to "more of the same", Bush-Cheney style, with more concessions to "the money" and more costs to the majority - which in every case is actually what did cause our problems with the exploitation by the few allowed with permissive policies rationalized as "conservative" and resulting in run-away greed, self-indulgence and gross dishonesty - always with a few walking away with significant gains and leaving the country, the majority with substantial losses.
The deception and dishonesty aimed to serve their purposes in duping and using the voters is completely apparent in all of this and, even more important, are the drastic costs to the people that have been incurred and that would again be experienced.
Our representatives are sent to Washington to serve the people by working together with bipartisanship and compromise yet the Republicans have been boldly cocky and have irresponsibly disregarded that and concentrate on serving only their own interests and those of "the money", who own and totally control them.
It has been said that today's Republican Party is incapable of honestly and responsibly governing for the people and over the last twelve years they have completely substantiated that. If the people want the Grande Ole Party back, with a sincere conscience and responsible concern for the people, the majority, then the only way to achieve that is to firmly reject what they have become. When they get the message that their propaganda has been firmly rejected and their "puppet" candidates have been totally rejected, then they will have to abandon their irresponsible and self-serving ways and the stranglehold "the money" has on them will be broken. Only then will the people once again become their priority.
Bluepoet posted at 10:55 pm on Tue, Sep 11, 2012.
Was it just my imagination, or did this article repeat itselff several times?
Pretty sad, when a major story becomes "filler" for the typesetters...
On another note, bravo to the Tribune, for capitalising on the Republic's attempt to gouge its readers, by charging for online viewing.
Of course, it won't be long before all of the newspapers are doing the equivalent of the airlines "charging for luggage, good seats, and peanuts a la carte".