Clinton nominates Obama for second term in White House

The Democratic Party has officially nominated President Barack Obama as its candidate for the 6^th November election to face Republican challenger Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor. The nomination marked the first time in US history that a former “42^nd” president has nominated another “44^th” president.

Former President Bill Clinton, who remains a wildly popular politician among both Democrats and overseas supporters, gave a 45-minute impassioned speech and appealed to hard-pressed Americans to stick with Barack Obama for a second term in the White House. Mr Clinton drew sharp lines between the choices facing voters in November and made the case in a deeply personal way.

His croaky voice did not tamp down his energy, enthusiasm or appeal to the crowd, and the convention hall rocked with delegates’ applause and cheers. The former president strode onstage to sounds of ‘‘Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow,’’ his 1992 campaign theme song. Not long after the speech, the delegates formally awarded Obama their nomination to a second term.

He said of Obama, ‘‘I want to nominate a man who is cool on the outside but who burns for America on the inside.’’ Mr Clinton gave full defense of the president’s policies, and offered a point-by-point comprehensive assessment of Mr Obama’s first-term priorities, from the auto bailout to the health care law. 

Mr Clinton accused Republicans of proposing ‘‘the same old policies that got us into trouble in the first place and led to a near financial meltdown’’. In his speech, Clinton argued that Obama was still in the process of cleaning up the Republicans’ mistakes, saying, “No president, not me, not any of my predecessors, could have repaired all of the damage he found in just four years.” 

Observers believe that Clinton’s speech was important, as the former president proved especially persuasive in an era of sluggish economic growth and 8.3 percent unemployment.

Opinion polls show Obama currently maintains a thin lead over Romney.

Fadi Elhusseini