The Democrats had a good week in the US presidential campaign. It started with Barack Obama's choice of Senator Joseph Biden as his vice-presidential running mate just before the party convention opened in Denver, and ended with Obama's inspiring acceptance speech at the convention. Every effort was made to restore party unity and Obama obviously listened to his advisers by taking it easy on the rhetoric and emphasising what he stands for.
In picking Biden, Obama decided that the Delaware senator's long experience in congress and foreign affairs would be an important asset in his campaign. Whenever presidential candidates settle on a running mate, they either go for some sort of balanced ticket or they choose a person who comes from an important swing state that could tip the balance in the election. In this case, Obama opted for a balanced ticket - Delaware only has three Electoral College votes and it usually votes Democratic anyway.
When balancing a presidential ticket a running mate can be chosen on the basis of the region he is from, for example a southerner would be a good choice if the presidential candidate is from the northeast. A choice may also be made on a candidate's political convictions, or, as in this case, on a candidate's capacity to fill the void as far as experience is concerned. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden has built up his expertise in foreign and security matters, something Obama lacks.
Biden's 35-year span in the senate also makes him an ideal intermediary between the White House and congress. Furthermore, his Catholic faith and blue collar background - two groups Obama has had difficulty with attracting - should earn the Democrats some extra votes. On the negative side, Biden is said to be gaffe prone and has had two failed presidential bids, including one in 1988 when he was accused of plagiarism, but on the whole he is a good choice. The convention went well and Obama was roundly endorsed by Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Edward Kennedy and, most importantly, Hillary Clinton. Mrs Clinton emphasised the importance of a Democratic victory in November, called for party unity and urged her supporters to vote for Obama.
She asked her supporters: "Were you in this campaign just for me or for the people who have suffered for eight years under George W. Bush?" It is true that Clinton's main message was that voters should back Obama because he is better than Republican rival John McCain, rather than because he is an excellent candidate. However, she definitely bowed out on a high note, was genuine in her calls for party unity and cannot be accused of hindering Obama's campaign in any way.
Speaker after speaker at the convention, including Obama himself, linked McCain to Bush, saying there was little difference between the two and that a vote for McCain would be a vote for a continuation of the policies of the past eight years. This is not necessarily true - Republicans chose McCain precisely because he is not George Bush - but it makes sense for the Democrats to put forward this argument, since Bush is such an unpopular president and McCain is his successor.
However, the Democrats are mistaken if they think that Bush's unpopularity will be enough to ensure an Obama victory in November. After all, Nicolas Sarkozy managed to win last year's presidential election in France despite the fact that he was from the same party as the unpopular Jacques Chirac, who had been in office for 12 years.
Obama's acceptance speech - which made history because it marked the first time an African-American has been nominated as a presidential candidate by a major political party - was powerful and moving, but it was not as rhetorical as some of his previous speeches. This is a good thing because in the past he has been accused of being somewhat vague on specific policy details. Nobody doubts that Obama is a visionary, has charisma and is an excellent orator - all of which are very important in politics - but more is needed if he is to get into the White House.
Obama's speech in Denver was a good start towards convincing people that he is a better candidate than McCain. He criticised McCain as being a man of the past, a Washington insider and a man who is out of touch with the economic, healthcare and educational struggles of ordinary Americans.
He also pledged to cut taxes for 95 per cent of working families, which should strike a chord with the electorate and something is usually associated with the Republicans. Obama called for an end to US dependency on foreign oil within 10 years and pledged to restore the nation's standing in the world. He said: "I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom".
On the whole, Obama gave a serious speech and made repeated references to the future - a subtle way of reminding voters about the age difference between him and McCain - as well as the need for change after eight years of the Bush administration. Opinion polls after the convention gave Senator Obama a lead of 47 per cent compared to 44 per cent for McCain.
This is promising for Obama, but not enough - after a party convention a candidate usually leads by a higher margin over his opponent. So Obama needs to work harder to make history and become America's first black president.
This week the Republicans hold their convention, which could see McCain leading in the polls. It's going to be a close race.