Obama to Accept Nomination, Outline New Direction for the U.S.

On Wednesday night, one of the featured speakers was Bill Clinton, whose conduct during the nominating contest prompted considerable criticism from Democrats backing Obama and who has complained in private that he was unfairly attacked.

But the former president, like his wife on Tuesday, delivered a rousing speech that made a strong argument that the election of Obama is critical to the country's future.

Clinton drew a thunderous and sustained welcome from delegates, who cheered and waved American flags and chanted "Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill" as he sought to quiet them. "I am here first to support Barack Obama," he said, setting off another round of applause.

Clinton acknowledged that "in the end, my candidate didn't win" the nomination. But then, citing his wife's speech on Tuesday, he said: "Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she'll do everything she can to elect Barack Obama. That makes two of us." That set off a fresh round of applause that grew louder when he added: "Actually, that makes 18 million of us, because, like Hillary, I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November."

Challenging Republican criticism of the new nominee, he said: "Barack Obama is ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world. Barack Obama is ready to honor the oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Barack Obama is ready to be president of the United States."

Recalling that Republicans had accused him of not being ready when he ran in 1992, Clinton noted that the criticism had not worked then and "won't work in 2008, because Barack Obama is on the right side of history."

Obama, who began Wednesday in Montana, touched down in Denver just as nominating speeches were getting underway and immediately headed to his hotel downtown to continue working on the acceptance speech he will deliver on Thursday night. He was with his wife; their daughters, Sasha and Malia; and other members of his extended family when he was declared the party's nominee.

The final stages of the nomination battle played out through a series of events on Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning with Hillary Clinton's speech on Tuesday, in which she called Obama "my candidate" and told her supporters that if they believe in the causes she champions, they should now help elect Obama.

On Wednesday, Clinton met with her delegates and, over shouts of "No, no," told them they were free to vote any way they wished. "I'm not telling you what to do," she said to some applause. But she added: "I signed my ballot this morning for Senator Obama."

The roll call of the states, which was the subject of lengthy negotiations between the Obama and Clinton campaigns, began shortly before 4 p.m. Denver time. Clinton wanted her name put in nomination in recognition of her historic candidacy, and many of her delegates were demanding the opportunity to record their support for her.

But early in the roll call it became clear that many of them had already shifted to Obama and that the quadrennial spectacle had been choreographed to produce a party united behind him.

The first conspicuous example of the shift to Obama came when Arkansas, the home state of Bill Clinton and a state she carried overwhelmingly during the primaries, cast most of its 47 votes for him.