The Democratic nomination of Barack Obama for a second term as president of the United States Thursday night sends a strong signal of party unity heading into November, said state Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood.
Jordan, a longtime Democratic activist, served as a Mississippi delegate at the convention. He was headed home this morning.
“We had exciting speakers. This was probably one of the best conventions I’ve attended,” he said by telephone from Charlotte, N.C.
Obama proved in his acceptance speech that he’s a leader, Jordan said.
“If we continue with this president, we’ll be better off. He’s open-minded. He’s smart,” Jordan said.
He said the convention’s delegates reflected Americans of all races, brought together for a common purpose. It provided a sharp contrast to the Republican Convention in Tampa, he said.
“There was no mean-spiritedness among any of us on any issues,” Jordan said.
Jordan said former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland’s speech Tuesday night touched on the American automobile industry, which received aid from the Obama administration.
“We would have lost the automobile industry if the president didn’t do what he did,” the senator said.
Obama’s wife, Michelle, and Vice President Joe Biden also did an excellent job of firing up the crowd, he said.
Wednesday night featured a speech from former President Bill Clinton.
“He knew all the angles. He knew what he left — how he created jobs,” Jordan said.
Jordan said the party is unified.
“I think the American public can see the direction, where we need to be going,” he said “The Democrats are heading in the right direction.”
The task facing Obama in his first term was simply too big to be handled in a single term, Jordan said.
He downplayed a last-minute platform fight over placing references to God in the party’s platform. In the end, the references were restored.
“God supersedes everything,” Jordan said.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
