Kerry's big moment in spotlight

By RUPERT CORNWELL in Boston

After a five-day progress across America, John Kerry arrived in Boston yesterday for his coronation at the Democratic convention, vowing to accept not only the nomination, but also "the responsibility and challenge" of his bid to win back the White House for his party.

"This has been an amazing journey," a beaming Kerry told supporters waiting to welcome him in his home town, surrounded by a dozen fellow veterans from Vietnam, who had greeted the candidate as his campaign plane landed at the city's airport.

Today as the convention reaches its climax, the Massachusetts senator will deliver the most important speech of his career, telling thousands packed into the Fleet Centre and a prime time national TV audience of his vision for America, and trying to convince them he is the man to whom they can entrust the country's leadership for the next four years.

Yesterday he set out only the broadest outlines, stressing the convention's theme of a "Stronger America, Respected in the World". Kerry served notice that his speech, like most of those that preceded it this week, would be less about bashing the Bush Administration, and would focus on what a President Kerry would do if elected.

Yesterday, the official roll call vote of delegates of the states - once the stuff of real convention drama, but now a showy spectacular - formally delivered the nomination to Kerry, and his vice-presidential running mate, Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.

Far more important, for the second day running the party's top figures set about telling the country about a presidential candidate who is a less than stirring orator, and still a largely unknown quantity to many Americans.

Yesterday Edwards took the spotlight with his own acceptance speech.

He introduced himself to Americans with the promise that "hope is on the way".

Edwards invoked for delegates the values of faith, family and responsibility that he said he learned growing up in a small Southern town and promised that Kerry would strive to lift up all Americans.

He challenged Americans to reject partisanship and embrace "the politics of hope", saying Kerry would be a decisive, strong commander-in-chief.

"What John Kerry and I believe is that you should never look down on anybody, we ought to lift people up. We don't believe in tearing people apart, we believe in bringing them together."

Edwards, who talked often during his failed presidential bid this year about the "two Americas" - one for the rich and one for the struggling - reprised the theme, but said, "It doesn't have to be that way. We can build one America."

Edwards, the son of a mill worker who was the first in his family to go to college, said Republicans were "doing all they can to take this campaign for the highest office in the land down the lowest possible road".

"You can reject the tired, old, hateful, negative, politics of the past, and instead you can embrace the politics of hope."

Edwards also used his trial lawyer skills at selling a case in the courtroom, to selling John Kerry to the country.


- INDEPENDENT, REUTERS