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Five things Obama's speech needs to accomplish

Craig Gordon

August 28, 2008

1 Recognize the historical import of his nomination, with a nod to the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Obama is often reluctant to talk about his role as a pioneer but people will want to hear something from him about it tonight.

2 Give a nod to Hillary Clinton's supporters - she did her part, with her speech and nomination of Obama from the floor, and now it's his turn to reach out to her bitterly disappointed supporters in this high-profile setting.

3 Make Americans see him as a credible leader for a dangerous time - probably his single most important task, as many voters aren't yet convinced.

4 Find a way to connect with voters who might view him as different from them - a major theme of the convention this week, starting with wife Michelle's speech. Now voters want to hear directly from him that he shares their values.

5 Sketch out a few concrete ideas how "change" would help people's lives - don't read a five-point plan from the podium but give voters a sense of how they would be better off with him as president, not John McCain.