I can remember vividly watching the Democratic National Convention in July of 2004 and seeing Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama for the first time — well, I knew about him, but seeing him speak for the first time. The Democratic presidential nominee at the time pegged Obama to give the keynote. Many said, “Who?” But when he appeared and spoke, it was spellbinding.
I remember watching that speech, not knowing much about the very young state senator from Illinois. Let’s be honest, he looked like he was in his 20s. But I’m sure we can all recall being completely captivated by his words, his poise, and the sense of hope he instilled in everyone who heard him.
Obama’s speech was like a spark that set off a political wildfire — his message of unity, the idea that “there is not a liberal America and a conservative America; there is the United States of America” — his most famous line from that speech — resonated deeply with people across the country. It was a moment that marked the beginning of his meteoric rise in American politics.
After that keynote, Obama’s political career took off in ways few of us could have predicted. Just four years later, he was back at the DNC, this time accepting the Democratic nomination for president. There are some who say that after what he did in 2004, becoming the nominee so quickly wasn’t a surprise.
But Obama was surprised. The famous story — a legendary one at this point — has then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid calling Obama to his office in 2007 and telling him, “If you want to be president, you can be president now.” Obama then went on to motor through the primaries, becoming deity-like, pushing for hope and change. He was a global superstar, even drawing record crowds — as only a candidate, no less — for a speech he gave in Berlin in July 2008.
Then, at the end of August in that glorious summer of Obama — that’s what many were calling it and still call it — blew everyone away with his acceptance speech at the DNC. Referring to the enormously unpopular sitting president, George W. Bush, Obama said, “America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.” And we all whooped it up because we knew we were a better country, and we were better off going with a young Black man full of hope and spark.
He solidified his status as the party’s leader and the embodiment of its hopes for the future. Yes, I keep repeating “hope,” because we all had so much of it back then. The energy he brought to the convention that year was palpable, and it translated into massive TV audiences. According to Nielsen ratings, Obama’s 2008 DNC speech pulled in an astonishing 38.4 million viewers — making it the most-watched convention speech in history at that time.
In 2012, when he declared, “Our problems can be solved. Our challenges can be met. The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place,” he once again reminded us why he was the leader we needed. Even after his presidency, in 2020, his speech at the virtual convention was a stark warning about the state of democracy, in which he said, “Do not let them take away your power. Do not let them take away your democracy,” which was both a rallying cry and a call to action.
As he neared the end of his second term as president in July 2016, Obama gave what amounted to his valedictory speech at the DNC. The audience literally wept, having to say goodbye to a man who had done so much good for the party. Remember, there were no scandals during the Obama administration. He was passing the torch to the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton.
Obama famously said, “You know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office. You can read about it. You can study it. But until you’ve sat at that desk, you don’t know what it’s like to manage a global crisis or send young people to war. But Hillary has been in the room; she’s been part of those decisions.” He was making the point that Clinton had experience that the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, could only dream of.
Well, we all know what happened, and because Clinton lost, the Democrats still clung to the memory and legacy of Barack Obama. And while we suffered for four years under Trump, we all longed for the return of the years when Obama sparkled. We were desperate for a decent person to be in the Oval Office.
Well, we got our wish In 2020 when the incomparable Joe Biden became our nominee, and while Biden was a savior in an era of Trump disaster, he couldn’t compete with the magical Obama in the way he could deliver a stemwinder.
That year, during the pandemic, Obama gave a speech in August from Philadelphia during a virtual Democratic convention, and he laid out, in stark terms, the urgency for Biden to be elected: “So we have to get busy building it up — by pouring all our effort into these 76 days and by voting like never before — for Joe and Kamala, and candidates up and down the ticket, so that we leave no doubt about what this country we love stands for — today and for all our days to come.”
And that was the first hint that a new star was emerging in the party. Now, four years later, the new hero of the Democratic Party is our vice president, Kamala Harris. While we love Joe Biden, it’s not his fault that he was sandwiched between two telegenic and magnetic superstars.
Obama is set to speak tonight, and after 20 years of being the party’s leading voice, he will ostensibly be passing the torch to someone else who will take his place as the Democrats’ top star.
Like Obama, Harris is a unique “first.” She is the nation’s first female, first Black, and first South Asian vice president. She has proved to be just as poised as Obama, and she stands ready to take on that mantle of megawatt.
Harris has proven during these last few weeks that she can command the stage, deliver a message, and make everyone smile and feel confident. Further, at least for us, Harris comes in 100 percent committed to our community, not only now but throughout her career. If you recall, Obama had a bit of a learning curve, particularly with marriage equality.
It really is a poignant moment in Democratic history, where one trailblazing figure begins to pass the spotlight to another. Just as Obama inspired a new generation in 2004, Harris is set to become the next Democratic star, carrying forward the party’s ideals and continuing to make history in her own right.
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but finally, after 20 years, I’m longing to see and hear from someone else. That’s not to say I don’t love Barack Obama! He is a historic figure and a very much beloved one. And he deserves all our gratitude for carrying the torch for so long.
Now it’s time for Kamala to get top billing!
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