Obama Speech Preview: Focus On Middle Class

***UPDATE*** The Washington Post reports that Obama will use the speech to outline a new direction for America:

A day after Democrats officially named him as their presidential candidate, Barack Obama goes before a stadium crowd Thursday night to formally accept the nomination and lay out a plan to lead the nation in a new direction at home and abroad...

...In the speech, which caps the four-day Democratic National Convention and opens Obama's campaign for the White House as his party's nominee, Obama will offer "a fundamentally new direction to get America back on track, both here and around the world," said David Plouffe, his campaign manager. Appearing on morning television talk shows, Plouffe said Obama would explain his plans for dealing with the economy, health care and education, as well as international challenges such as threats to the United States and strained relations with other countries.

***UPDATE*** ABC News lists what they think Obama needs to accomplish with his speech tonight:

Barack Obama's chief challenges tonight are to persuade voters he's sufficiently seasoned for the presidency, better define his theme of "change" and cement his advantages on key domestic issues, chiefly the economy.

There's more: Obama needs also to expand his support among older, more reliable voters; maintain his lead on personal attributes such as empathy; protect himself on consistency; and capitalize on his advantages in enthusiasm and an aura of optimism.

And, as much as any other, to tie John McCain to the unpopular George W. Bush.

Not a short order for a night's work, but potentially a crucial one. The contest has been close; 49-45 percent Obama-McCain among likely voters in our pre-convention poll. Arguably that's closer than it should be, given the flight from the Republican Party and the broad public discontent that's accompanied the faltering economy, the unpopular war in Iraq and dissatisfaction with the incumbent president.

Barack Obama gave the Wall Street Journal a little preview of his Thursday night speech:

Barack Obama said he plans to focus on the struggles of middle-class Americans, including their tax burden, in his Thursday night speech accepting the Democratic nomination for president.

"The single most important thing I have to make clear is the choice we have in November between the same failed policy of the last eight years for the middle class and the new agenda to boost income for Americans and help families who are struggling," he said in a brief interview with The Wall Street Journal Tuesday. "I will make that contrast very clearly."

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ABC News has more on Obama's speech-writing process:

Because of the protracted primary season, Obama is playing catch-up a bit. He wrote an outline while on vacation in Hawaii, but didn't get any time for serious work while there with his family.

To prepare, he read the convention acceptance speeches of former Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as less successful Democratic presidential nominees Vice President Al Gore and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

In addition to laying out his plans and providing some inspiring oratory -- though not as much as in 2004, aides cautioned -- one of the goals of the speech is to argue that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is no maverick, but rather, someone who represents a doubling-down of the current policies of President George W. Bush.

Meanwhile, John McCain staffers are already mocking the stage on which Obama will appear. Reuters reports that it will look like "a miniature Greek temple." ThinkProgress points out that the Virginia Republican Party went for a similar style at their convention this year.

For more Huffington Post coverage from the Democratic National Convention, visit our Politics @ the DNC page, our Democratic Convention Big News Page, and our HuffPost bloggers' Twitter feed, live from Denver.

Comments

[shaitan]

For the real state of the country and the economic catastrophe that has been created by Republicans since Ronald Reagan left an extra $3 Trillion hole and G.W. Bush's extra $5 Trillion hole for our children and grandchildren to fill, take a look at the updated information at
http://perotcharts.com/
and listen to good old Ross tell it like it is. None of the smoke and mirrors tax cuts for the wealthy help the economy and deficits don't matter nonsense of the Republicans and also a harsh reality that the Democrats and all US citizens must face.

[athenasword]

Columns or no columns. Music or no music. Stadium or indoors... for sure, we know that the GOP will throw the kitchen sink at him no matter what.

This convention has gone so well, and last night was just electric. There is real passion in the air! Mile High will only intensify that. One thing I know - they will use the "celebrity" thing again. I would love to see us not be afraid of that insult... In fact, I would love to see the Dems go over the top; passionate in a way that ignites a fire in this country. I really hope we don't hold back, out of some fear of what the GOP might say. Let 'her rip, folks! No holds barred!! YES WE CAN!

[athenasword]

Well... CNN is already going with the "rock star" theme. Gotta get beyond that. This is so much bigger, and I can't stand that the MSM would take the shot at making it trivial.

[missette]

What that all means is that we have to take our country back not only from the Republicans, but also the media who have compliantly served as their mouthpieces. For the media to perpetuate the perverted logic that the more popular and likable a candidate is the less likely he is to be a good president is shameful, yet the only person of stature calling them out on it is Jon Stewart.

[bellepepper02]

A pity that his aides have warned him against being over-inspirational. There can never be too much inspiration!

[thecanadian]

Yes Yes Yes

[jethrock]

John McCain's response:

"For five and a half years as a POW, I didn't have microphone, podium, stage or stadium. Now I'm a co-owner of my own major-league baseball team, The Arizona Diamondbac­ks... and I own the multi--million dollar parking lot at the stadium where I charge 10 bucks for parking."

Who's the elitist?

[BobOfFla]

Some are saying the speech set represents the Lincoln Memorial in front of which Dr King gave his "Dream" speech 45 years ago on this date.
Why would Obama do that? It doesn't make sense; both Lincoln and Dr. King were Republicans. Both fought against misguided Democrats; Democratic Slave owners and then Jim Crow Democrats.
Not the best image to start off Obama's general election campaign.

Actually the set's design elements are more in line with the architecture of the Brandenburg Gate war memorial.

[PghDemocrat]

I would say in the history of our nation both MLK and Lincoln both transcended their party affiliations.

[athenasword]

Absolutely. And they embodied change and hope and a brave new future.

[teacheng]

Both were liberals. Back then, the parties were switched. Lincoln was a progressive (obviously). The two parties began the switch with Woodrow Wilson and by the 1970s we were at the current state of affairs.

[Bronxcutie]

The party of Lincoln is no more.

[wildflowermaven]

Many of the southern Dems turned Repub when Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. They were segregationists, and I have no doubt they helped turn the Repubs into the far right party it is today.

[MamaBird62]

It's absurd to suggest that either MLK or Abraham Lincoln would support the Republican party as it exists in 2008. MLK opposed the Vietnam war and would certainly have opposed the Iraq war. He wanted social justice and understood that simply changing laws would not change hearts, but that's where we had to start. He would have stood against the social injustice of today's Republican policies, which have resulted in more poor and unemployed Americans than at any time in the past 10 years.

Obama is the embodiment of the dream about which MLK spoke 45 years ago. Millions of people who have different color skin than him support him for his ideas and for his character. He won't be elected simply because he's got dark skin, we will be elected because that just doesn't matter any more! His candidacy is historic and long awaited. So yes, a setting that invokes MLK is perfect!!
Obama/Biden '08!

[AKJM]

Dr. King’s “I have a dream speech” can be rightly expanded to include all of humanity, but that August day Dr. King was addressing the conflict at hand: the sons of the slaves were demanding equality from the sons of the masters. The dream remains unfulfilled.

[Spesabsquemetu]

Part II

The reasons for these failures are crystal clear.
The cries of our impoverished children weren't understood.
It was ALL GREEK TO THE GOP.

The cries of families struggling to purchase food, gas, medications or save a little money to send their children to college, were ignored.
IT WAS ALL GREEK TO THE GOP.

Never mind the lost jobs, the inability to purchase INSURANCE for one's home, or HEALTH INSURANCE for one's family....­it was never an issue for John McCAIN.
It was ALL GREEK TO HIM and TO HIS TWINS IN GOVERNMENT.

[AlindaFaye2000]

Spesabsquemetu, this is really great. Actually, I read it backwards; but, then read in the right sequence. This should be passed around.

[Spesabsquemetu]

Part I

GOP looks at DNC's work and sees “miniature Greek temple".

This explains why the GOP failed in raising America to the heights she is capable of achieving as crumbling infrastructures across the land with chilling losses of life that followed came through a failure to ADMINISTRATE the PUBLIC'S INFRASTRUCTURES through responsible utilization of TAX DOLLARS THAT CAME FROM THE PEOPLE - FOR THE PEOPLE, why the loss of thousands of jobs left American families homeless and broken with no means to pay for HEAT, pay for medical expenses, pay for food, clothing and shelter, or to even give their children HOPE for a better education and a FUTURE.

It explains how precious lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, incurred through the most unethical conduct demonstrated by elected officials that included misrepresentations of government funded investigations and reports that were then literally misrepresented to the American people could leave some with nothing to STIR THEIR CONSCIENCE.

Or how thousands of American children, DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOLS across America isn't seen as URGENT, DANGEROUS and threatening America’s hopes for PROSPERITY. Or how children living in sub-human conditions all across America, wouldn't merit a summoning of our collective will in putting an END TO POVERTY, an END to the injustices that families face as their cities crumble under siege of gunfire, violence, murderous drugs crushing theAmerican dream, while our children's future is robbed from their reach.

[wsb25]

Well, for his inauguration, should hire Zhang Yimou...

[allonfla]

The only people who are knocking the greek columns are elitists, pundits, opponents, political junkies and serious nerds. The people who his message will be tailored to DON'T GIVE A FLUB!!!

[wildflowermaven]

They would criticize the stage no matter what it was. They have nothing of substance to object to so they focus on the trivial, the personal, and lies.

[lpeggy]

Bush did his 2004 acceptance speech in front of greek columns. Are the Republican's this stupid to bring this up when they did the same thing? Doh!

[vinny]

anything to distract from the real issues at stake...

[AlindaFaye2000]

You know how they always forget things. That's why they elected someone to run as their candidate. He fits right in with the memory loss theme of their party.

[themodernleader]

Chiman1. Because of the insignificant influence of my (and many others) warped views which have been shunned and buried by shiny, warm and comforting choreoography about the nature of America's place under the sun expressed at the Democratic Convention, I may very well take your advice. And you will be the first significant other that I report back about my new knowledge. And I can predict that the new knowledge will compell me to discard the futilitarian and frightening vision I have of my beloved country by denying anti-American empirical data and ordinary knowledge of the condition of our organization. Thank you for putting me on a more solid footing.

[Dialogue]

A number of so-called "free market" advocates, reject high-paying jobs for the working-class, as being anti-competitive, and stunts corporate wealth creation. A 'free market" advocate, who happens to own a business magazine, reponded to comments on one of the Saturday morning investment shows on FOX. One of the Saturday morning regulars mentioned that, in some instances, American workers are competiting against 20 cent per hour wages in other countries. The "free market" advocates paraphrased response was, be careful what you ask for, you just might get those wages here in America (then there was laughter). Well, what's in the heart, eventually comes rolling off of the tongue.

[navy62802]

I'm not sure who all has posted on here, but I think I may have figured out what the DNC has erected at Mile High Stadium. The pictures that I have seen very much resemble the Parthenon at Athens. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Parthenon is the renowned symbol of the Acropolis of Athens...o­therwise known as the city upon a hill. I think Obama's acceptance speech will recall an earlier time when America was the city upon a hill...the contemporary Acropolis. He will speak from the Parthenon!!

[rlkinny]

Get over it!!! We're in an endless war. People are losing their homes. People are losing their jobs. The oil companies are pulling in windfall profits while people are wondering if they'll be able to heat their homes this winter. Corporate executives are are getting annual compensation in the millions of dollars while the stockholders earnings are in free fall. And you're talking about the architectural details of a speech backdrop!! What's with you??????

[kmac23va]

Actually, there's been two other points on the structure. Number one, and I didn't think of this even, the columns could represent the Lincoln Memorial, where the "I Have a Dream" speech was given on this day. And more of an "in your face" to the GOP: Bush used a similar structure in 2004 for his acceptance speech, and pictures have been circulating (saw one on Morning Joe this morning).

[missette]

You do realize that all this juvenile "Greek Temple" stuff is all the Republicans have to offer. That's it! They want to take away employer-sponsored health insurance, send even more of our bravest off to war to bully the world into submission, and further erode our liberties, all the while ignoring the nation's economic distress. They can only accomplish this by appealing to the dimwitted, fearful, ignorant and just plain stupid. Surely you must tire of the ways, like this, that they talk down to their followers. The're being mocked and don't even know it!

[notepad2]

The One had argued that giving The Speech at the Temple of Zeus or Mount Olympus was only fitting for a god like he is.

[SensibleAmerican]

"Focus on middle class"?! The same bitter people who cling to guns and religion or the typical white people like his granmaw?!

[getoffthecross]

THAT doesn't sound very sensible at all. Or even remotely America. Poser.

[klmebane]

his grandmother IS a typical white woman. and some bitter people DO cling to guns and religion. just because it makes you uncomfortable to hear it doesn't make it any less true.

[evgolightly]

Yep. And your guy can give his speech from a bamboo cage.

[notepad2]

Heard that The One wanted to give the speech in Greece at either the Temple of Zeus or on top of Mount Olympus.

[AlindaFaye2000]

I'm wondering if George McCain can remember his speech.