VIDEO>> The Crowd Reacts To Obama's Acceptance Speech: "Awesome!"

By Kelly Nuxoll and Dawn Teo

Thursday, August 28

DENVER -- It was not just the speech. It was the moment. Sure, the words that Barack Obama said tonight mattered, and those words were incredibly apt and eloquent. But for the tens of thousands of people at Invesco Field, what made this day remarkable was history--both recent and old.

Obama's speech marked the culmination of a hard primary. It was the pinnacle achievement of decades of civil rights battles. It was the disbelief that we were actually attending this transcendent moment. It was not only the Democratic community coming together -- the unity of a family after a difficult squabble - but Americans loving our country enough to make it better.

The day had a patriotic Fourth of July feeling, and not just because of the props -- the flags, the fireworks, the nachos, the lemonade, the soundtrack of Melissa Ethridge and Bruce Springsteen, which all contributed to the feeling of a grand celebration. It was also about the small moments of the people in the stands.

During the seven hours we spent waiting in the sun, we got to know our bleacher neighbors. The ladies in front of us work for the Democratic National Convention Committee and were celebrating the end of the week by cheering and waving the American flags that had been distributed to almost everyone in the stands. The people behind us work for the Obama campaign and seemed exhausted and relieved that this day, a day they had worked so hard for, had finally come. A woman apparently without any credentials (the other folks at the forty yard line were mostly badged with "Special Guest" and "Honored Guest") eventually put down her book to chat with the woman behind her. Across the aisle a young couple danced with their infant son.

The columned stage set that was such a hot topic this week seemed unremarkable within the huge arena. It was dwarfed within the 75,000 seat stadium. We barely noticed it, and after talking to more than 100 spectators afterward, we realized that no one ever mentioned the set.

When Barack Obama took the stage, only a few minutes behind schedule--an achievement in itself for a political event--he expounded on the theme of unity. He appealed to our common values as Americans. He thanked his primary opponent, Hillary Clinton, and noted her achievements. He transcended party politics. And he showed political courage by talking about issues that are typically taboo in elections, most notably appealing to a common belief that our "gay and lesbian brothers and sisters" should be able to visit the person they love in the hospital.

The crowd was on their feet often throughout Obama's speech. As Obama came to the end of his speech, the audience rose to their feet for the final ovation and then remained standing as he completed the final threads of his speech and even after his final words--applauding, screaming, waving flags. The crowd did not rush to get to their cars as he concluded (or after). When it was over--and this was the most remarkable thing--no one left. We just stayed, most of us standing, and watched him stroll around the stage and wave (presumably, security prevented him from working a rope line), and wished the evening wouldn't end.

Follow Dawn Teo on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dawnteo

Comments

[Kamrooz]

I think it's fair to say that this speech was awesomely awesome. hahahaha..­..

[CalexenderJ]

The speech was indeed awesome. Obama knocked it out of the park. I'm fired up and ready to go.

[SurrealPumpkin]

*feeling sorry for myself* I just want to revel in Obama's speech last night and all anyone wants to talk about is Palin.

Why are we letting the Republicans get away with this?

[blaqntelligence]

Awesome...­...

This country...­..
This time.....
Americans.­.....

Awesome...­..

Our next president. Awesome.

[Pupadup4oBama]

wow, and YEAH!!!!!
that video was AWESOME!

[chewie2008]

Inspirational and to the point.

[wm1066]

Thanks for the visual.
I woke up this morning with hope. That was something taken from me after the Supremes Major Blunder in 2001.

[washington31]

It was just......­.grand. I am happy to be alive at this moment in history. America is going to live up to its promise. God Bless America. On a sour note:

Palin will never be a Hillary Clinton! At least Obama had enough respect for Clinton to not choose another woman to put on his ticket!! McCainis showing that his respect for women not only lacks in his personal life, but also in his professional life. Palin will NEVER be a Hillary Clinton. BO needs to have Hillary slam her.

[Texanna33]

You are so right ! You say at least Obama had enough respect for Clinton to not choose another woman to put on his ticket. Truth is, there is no other woman out there right now who can hold a candle to Hillary and very few men for that matter.

Palin is just a silly choice. Putting her on McCain's ticket is just a futile attempt to appear up with the times and into women's issues. Palin's views on women's issues would throw us back to vistorian times.

Palin came in second as Miss Alaska years ago and she and McCain will come in second this November!

[annieR]

Posing as an even-handed commentator, TOM BROKOW disrespected the writer of this article, the rest of those in the stadium and the millions of us at home cheering our heads off. Immediately after Obama's speech, he described the audience in the stadium as "besotted.­" Merriam-Webster defines "besotted" as 1 : to cause to be foolish : deprive of sound judgment; and 2 : to make dull or stupid; especially : to muddle with drunkenness.

As a scheduled moderator for one of the Presidential debates, he is not an honest broker. On last Sunday's "Meet the Press," he contradicted Nancy Pelosi twice at the end of two separate topic discussions without giving her a chance for rebuttal. And he was not a panel member. He was the HOST. Pay attention to his commentary. On Democrats, he always begins with a negative slant. Let's see what he does next week with the Republicans. Thinking of him moderating a Presidential debate makes me queasy. And, Tom, you weren't calling only 80,000 Americans "besotted.­" You were calling many millions of Americans "besotted.­"

[indeevoter]

I agree, Annie. To repeat a hackneyed comment...­.

Tom Brokaw, I knew Tim Russert...­and Brokaw, you're no Tim Russert!

[Mauimom]

Thanks for the write-up.