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NYT/APDENVER (AP) -- Barack Obama will accept his party's presidential nomination by laying out a case for sweeping political change and illustrating the choice voters face between his candidacy and that of Republican John McCain, a top adviser said Wednesday.
Previewing Obama's convention speech for reporters, senior strategist David Axelrod said the Illinois senator had substantially finished the text but would probably continue to edit it right up until he delivers it Thursday night. Obama began working on the speech shortly before leaving for vacation earlier this month, Axelrod said.
The stakes for the speech were high for Obama, a relative newcomer to the national stage who rose to prominence after delivering the keynote address at the Democratic convention in 2004. While that speech was widely praised as an inspirational stem-winder, Axelrod said Obama would use his nominating address to convey a more simple message about what he would do for the country as president. ''His goal is to talk to the American people about the challenges we face and what we need to do to solve them, and the stakes of continuing to do what we are doing,'' Axelrod said. ''I will leave it to others to decide the inspiration factor.''
Axelrod said Obama had looked to past nominating speeches as models, including Bill Clinton's in 1992, Ronald Reagan's in 1980 and John F. Kennedy's in 1960.
Obama won't shy from drawing a stark contrast between himself and McCain, especially on economic matters. But he will do so in a respectful way, Axelrod said. ''There are stark differences on the economy. Senator McCain thinks we're on the right path, and Senator Obama knows most people disagree with that,'' Axelrod said. ''McCain is wedded not just to the Bush economic policy but also to the Bush foreign policy.''...
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