News

Obama officially named Democratic presidential nominee

DENVER — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is now the official 2008 Democratic presidential candidate, becoming the first African-American nominated for the position in American history.

Delegates voted Wednesday afternoon at the Pepsi Center in Denver — site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention — moments after the senator landed at Denver International Airport.

Obama will deliver his acceptance speech Thursday at Denver’s Invesco Field to an expected crowd of 75,000.

Former president Bill Clinton and Obama’s running mate, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., is scheduled to speak Wednesday night at the convention.

Although the streets of Denver were filled mostly with individuals wearing Obama t-shirts, buttons and bags, many supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, made their disapproval of Obama’s nomination known.

Clinton lost the race to become the Democratic presidential nominee to Obama in June and had since thrown her support behind Obama.

The Republican National Convention, where U.S. Sen. John McCain, D-Ariz., is expected to be nominated as the Republican nominee, starts Sept. 1 in St. Paul.

See The Badger Herald’s Fall Registration Issue on stands Tuesday for complete coverage from Denver’s Pepsi Center in addition to coverage of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.