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| Democratic convention: Obama to lay out 'clear choice' | Democratic convention: Obama to lay out 'clear choice' |
| (36 minutes later) | |
| US President Barack Obama is to present the impending presidential election as a generational choice, excerpts of his upcoming convention speech show. | US President Barack Obama is to present the impending presidential election as a generational choice, excerpts of his upcoming convention speech show. |
| Mr Obama will accept the Democratic nomination on the last night of the political jamboree in North Carolina. | Mr Obama will accept the Democratic nomination on the last night of the political jamboree in North Carolina. |
| He will lay out goals for the US, and say to voters: "You didn't elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear. You elected me to tell you the truth." | He will lay out goals for the US, and say to voters: "You didn't elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear. You elected me to tell you the truth." |
| Republican Mitt Romney challenges Mr Obama for the White House in November. | Republican Mitt Romney challenges Mr Obama for the White House in November. |
| Opinion polls show the two contenders neck-and-neck. | Opinion polls show the two contenders neck-and-neck. |
| On Wednesday, ex-President Bill Clinton told the convention the economic "mess" Mr Obama inherited from the Republicans needed more than four years to fix. | On Wednesday, ex-President Bill Clinton told the convention the economic "mess" Mr Obama inherited from the Republicans needed more than four years to fix. |
| Fired-up Biden | |
| Vice-President Joe Biden took the stage shortly before Mr Obama to accept his own nomination. | |
| In an emotional speech that focused on family and national security, he described Mr Obama's process of dealing with the country's crises. | |
| "Folks, I've watched him. He never wavers. He steps up," Mr Biden said. | |
| "He asks the same thing over and over again: How is this going to work for ordinary families? Will it help them?" | |
| Mr Biden also criticised Mr Romney for not backing the US auto industry bailout, referring to the former Massachusetts governor's time leading private equity firm Bain Capital. | |
| "I just don't think he understood what saving the automobile industry meant, to all of America. I think he saw it the Bain way, in terms of balance sheets and write-offs," he said. | |
| "The Bain way may bring your firm the highest profit. But it's not the way to lead your country from its highest office." | |
| The third and final night of speeches in Charlotte also saw former Florida governor Charlie Crist - who was previously a Republican - and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry address the convention. | |
| Mr Kerry criticised the Mr Romney for surrounding himself with "neo-conservative advisors who know all the wrong things about foreign policy". | Mr Kerry criticised the Mr Romney for surrounding himself with "neo-conservative advisors who know all the wrong things about foreign policy". |
| "This is not the time to outsource the job of commander in chief," the Massachusetts senator said. | "This is not the time to outsource the job of commander in chief," the Massachusetts senator said. |
| Former Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords, still recovering from a near-fatal shooting on a meeting with her constituents in 2011, appeared on stage to lead the convention in the pledge of allegiance. | Former Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords, still recovering from a near-fatal shooting on a meeting with her constituents in 2011, appeared on stage to lead the convention in the pledge of allegiance. |
| Walking slowly and steadying herself to recite the pledge, Ms Giffords brought left many in the crowd dewy-eyed as she smiled through her recital. | Walking slowly and steadying herself to recite the pledge, Ms Giffords brought left many in the crowd dewy-eyed as she smiled through her recital. |
| According to the excerpts of Mr Obama's speech, released hours before he appears on stage, he will tell delegates in the hall and voters watching at home that the nations problems have built up over "decades" and cannot be fixed in a flash. | According to the excerpts of Mr Obama's speech, released hours before he appears on stage, he will tell delegates in the hall and voters watching at home that the nations problems have built up over "decades" and cannot be fixed in a flash. |
| "I won't pretend the path I'm offering is quick or easy. I never have," he will say. | "I won't pretend the path I'm offering is quick or easy. I never have," he will say. |
| "But when you pick up that ballot to vote - you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation. | "But when you pick up that ballot to vote - you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation. |
| "Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington, on jobs and the economy; taxes and deficits; energy and education; war and peace - decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children's lives for decades to come," he will say. | "Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington, on jobs and the economy; taxes and deficits; energy and education; war and peace - decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children's lives for decades to come," he will say. |
| Democrats hope the president's oratorical gifts can recapture the enthusiasm that helped sweep him to power in 2008. | Democrats hope the president's oratorical gifts can recapture the enthusiasm that helped sweep him to power in 2008. |
| But BBC North America editor Mark Mardell says disillusionment has replaced much of the energy unleashed by Mr Obama's message of hope and change four years ago. | But BBC North America editor Mark Mardell says disillusionment has replaced much of the energy unleashed by Mr Obama's message of hope and change four years ago. |
| This convention has been all about persuading, frightening and exciting Mr Obama's disaffected supporters to join him again, says our correspondent. | This convention has been all about persuading, frightening and exciting Mr Obama's disaffected supporters to join him again, says our correspondent. |
| Mr Romney said at a campaign stop on Thursday he had not watched any of the convention's speeches so far, and was not planning to do so with Mr Obama's remarks. | Mr Romney said at a campaign stop on Thursday he had not watched any of the convention's speeches so far, and was not planning to do so with Mr Obama's remarks. |
| He told reporters that Mr Obama should focus on what he had done since the last election and not make new promises. | He told reporters that Mr Obama should focus on what he had done since the last election and not make new promises. |
| Venue change | Venue change |
| There will be no grand visual spectacle like the one in 2008 when the candidate, then an Illinois senator, accepted the nomination at a packed football stadium in Denver, Colorado. | There will be no grand visual spectacle like the one in 2008 when the candidate, then an Illinois senator, accepted the nomination at a packed football stadium in Denver, Colorado. |
| Organisers have moved Thursday's speech from a 74,000-seat arena in Charlotte to the indoor convention venue with space for 15,000, citing severe weather forecasts. Republicans blamed the prospect of empty seats for the change of venue. | Organisers have moved Thursday's speech from a 74,000-seat arena in Charlotte to the indoor convention venue with space for 15,000, citing severe weather forecasts. Republicans blamed the prospect of empty seats for the change of venue. |
| Mr Obama held a national conference call on Thursday with those who held tickets for the arena speech but had been shut out of the new venue. | Mr Obama held a national conference call on Thursday with those who held tickets for the arena speech but had been shut out of the new venue. |
| Mr Clinton's 50-minute speech on Wednesday was strongly critical of Republican economic plans, while offering a staunch defence of Mr Obama, whose remedies he said were working. | Mr Clinton's 50-minute speech on Wednesday was strongly critical of Republican economic plans, while offering a staunch defence of Mr Obama, whose remedies he said were working. |
| He said the Republican campaign argument is "pretty simple: 'We left him a total mess, he hasn't cleaned it up yet, so fire him and put us back in.'" | He said the Republican campaign argument is "pretty simple: 'We left him a total mess, he hasn't cleaned it up yet, so fire him and put us back in.'" |
| Mr Clinton, 66, said: "Listen to me now. No president. No president - not me, not any of my predecessors - no-one could have fully repaired all the damage that he found in just four years. | Mr Clinton, 66, said: "Listen to me now. No president. No president - not me, not any of my predecessors - no-one could have fully repaired all the damage that he found in just four years. |
| "But he has laid the foundations for a new, modern, successful economy of shared prosperity. And if you will renew the president's contract you will feel it. You will feel it." | "But he has laid the foundations for a new, modern, successful economy of shared prosperity. And if you will renew the president's contract you will feel it. You will feel it." |
| After the speech, Mr Clinton was joined onstage by Mr Obama, making his first appearance at the convention. Mr Clinton bowed to the president and the two men embraced. | After the speech, Mr Clinton was joined onstage by Mr Obama, making his first appearance at the convention. Mr Clinton bowed to the president and the two men embraced. |
| On Thursday, the Romney campaign released an ad using statements Mr Clinton made in 2008 against Mr Obama. | On Thursday, the Romney campaign released an ad using statements Mr Clinton made in 2008 against Mr Obama. |
| Relations between the pair were strained after the bitter election campaign of 2008 when Mr Obama wrested the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton. | Relations between the pair were strained after the bitter election campaign of 2008 when Mr Obama wrested the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton. |
| But correspondents say Mr Obama needs the former president's help to reach out to white working-class voters. | But correspondents say Mr Obama needs the former president's help to reach out to white working-class voters. |
| Opinion polls show these traditional Democratic voters are wary of Mr Obama, but like Mr Clinton. | Opinion polls show these traditional Democratic voters are wary of Mr Obama, but like Mr Clinton. |