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DENVER – Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention is themed “One Nation” but could just as easily be called “Meet Barack Obama.”
The speakers – including Obama’s half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and his wife, Michelle – will seek to not only introduce Obama to voters tonight but also cast his life story as uniquely American.
The televised proceedings are set to run from 8 to 11 p.m. Here are some key moments to tune in for:
•Nancy Pelosi: For Pelosi, the House speaker, her speech tonight will be a celebration of how far congressional Democrats have come since 2004. The party controls the House and Senate, and is almost certain to expand its majorities in November.
•Former Rep. Lee Hamilton: Now president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Hamilton is a prominent Obama supporter from Indiana. He was a top Democrat on the Sept. 11 Commission and co-chairman of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. Hamilton’s April endorsement of Obama helped the candidate’s camp answer the question “Who do you want to answer the phone at 3 a.m.?” posed by Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign.
•Jim Leach: Turnabout is fair play. After Republicans announced that Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., would address the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Democrats decided to roll out Leach, a former GOP congressman from Iowa. Leach served in Congress for 30 years before losing his Democratic-leaning district in 2006.
•Interest groups: Obama regularly derides influence peddlers and special-interest groups while on the campaign trail. But at the party’s national convention, these groups will have their say, albeit on the first night of the festivities. Representatives for NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of Teachers will address the delegates Monday night.
•Craig Robinson: Obama’s brother-in-law is the newly installed head basketball coach at Oregon State University. Will he map out the X’s and O’s to guide the senator from Illinois to the presidential nomination?
•Caroline Kennedy: In paying tribute to her uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., the former Obama vice presidential vetter will also provide a tangible link between Obama and the most storied family in Democratic politics.
•Michelle Obama: The candidate’s wife will have to execute a high-wire act in her address. She must make the case for why her husband is ready and able to be president. And she must stay away from the overly adulatory language that got her into trouble in February.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
