Former president Bill Clinton has called for a US that shares responsibilities and opportunities with the rest of the world, urging Americans to make the "right" choice at what he called a turning point in the country's history.
Both Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, emphasised that with John Kerry in the White House, Americans would be assured that more jobs would be created in the country and not shipped out.
In the first ever party convention where South Asian Americans are present in force, not just as delegates from 22 of the 50 states, but as scores of volunteers with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and branches like the Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) and Indo-American Leadership Council (IALC) of the DNC, Bill Clinton spoke of the need to live in racial, ethnic and tribal harmony not just nationally but globally.
He emphasised that Democrats and Republicans have "deep" differences on how to build a more secure America and a more secure world, countering left of centre critics who claim the two major parties do not differ ideologically.
Hillary Clinton introduced her husband but not before making an impassioned plea for the nation to recognise Kerry's qualifications when Republicans have portrayed him as a waffler on national security issues.
{{/usCountry}}Hillary Clinton introduced her husband but not before making an impassioned plea for the nation to recognise Kerry's qualifications when Republicans have portrayed him as a waffler on national security issues.
{{/usCountry}}"John Kerry is a serious man for a serious job at a serious time in our country," she asserted.
While all Americans shared the dreams of peace, freedom, good jobs, safe schools and a secure America and world with less terrorism, Bill Clinton said, "our differences are in how we are going to achieve these goals".
Despite calling for a "positive" campaign, he lashed out at the Republicans, saying "they need a divided America" when they criticise the Democrats of lacking strength.
Immediately after 9/11, he said, President George W. Bush had the opportunity under his slogan of "compassionate conservatism" of bringing the world and the nation together.
Instead, the Bush administration, he said, opted out of international treaties on the environment, nuclear treaties and, at home, wealth had got concentrated in fewer hands as the deficit burgeoned.
Former vice president Al Gore also made an impassioned speech about getting Kerry into the White House, obliterating concerns about his past endorsement of maverick contender Governor Howard Dean, whom Kerry displaced from the race in Iowa earlier this year.