DENVER — Barack Obama, riding a message of change, swept aside a Democratic dynasty and two centuries of history Wednesday to become the first African American to lead a major political party into the fall campaign for the White House.
The vote was by acclamation after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York waded onto the convention floor amid a standing ovation and stopped a roll call of delegations. She urged Obama's unanimous selection as the party's presidential nominee "in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory." Delegates shouted their affirmation, and the longest, most contentious Democratic primary fight in more than a generation came to a congenial halt.
Hours later, former President Clinton did his part for party peace by wrapping Obama in his unqualified embrace. "Everything I learned in my eight years as president and in the work I have done since, in America and across the globe, has convinced me that Barack Obama is the man for this job," Clinton told cheering delegates, going far beyond the tepid endorsements he had offered in the past.
"Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she'll do everything she can to elect Barack Obama," Clinton said, a day after his wife pledged her unstinting support. "That makes two of us."
In a country with a difficult history of race relations, Obama overcame more than skin color to achieve his triumph. As the son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya, his background is hardly that of a typical presidential candidate. His name, as he admits, is unusual. And his victory comes less than four years after he left the Illinois state Senate. A major goal this week is convincing voters that he has the experience, both personal and political, to understand their lives and step into the White House ready to lead.
Obama, 47, was at his Denver hotel with his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters when history was made. At evening's end, he sent a jolt of electricity through the crowded arena when he strode onstage and embraced running mate Joe Biden, who made his convention debut with a speech that mixed autobiography with policy and pugnacity.
Saluting his erstwhile rival, Obama said, "If I'm not mistaken, Hillary Clinton rocked the house last night." The crowd roared. "And just in case you're wondering . . . President Clinton reminded us of what it is when you've got a president who actually puts people first." The couple, along with their daughter, Chelsea, beamed from the VIP seats.
