Barack Obama Hits It Out of the Park at DNC

Barack Obama rocked the house with his official acceptance speech at Denver's packed Mile High Stadium on the final day of the Democratic National Convention -- a day that also marked the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's historic "I Have A Dream" speech. Amid thunderous cheers and applause, the first-ever African-American presidential nominee for a major party stood across from his wife and two young daughters to bask in the glow of a campaign for change. "To the love of my life -- our next first lady -- Michelle Obama, and to Malia -- I love you so much, and I'm so proud of all of you," he beamed, opening his "The American Promise" speech with the statement, "To all my fellow citizens of this great nation -- with profound gratitude, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States."Obama expressed his thanks to "the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey," singling out Hillary Clinton, President Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy and "the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden." He also referenced his historic speech at the DNC four years ago, in which he declared his humble beginnings and two parents from Kenya and Kansas who shared "a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to." "We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight," he said. "On November fourth, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is enough.' "Now let there be no doubt: The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect," he added. "But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change." In response to McCain's positioning Barack as a "celebrity" without enough experience, he referenced his grandmother's struggles along with everyday workers, saying, "I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States." Earlier in the day, a variety of big-name stars performed for the DNC convention-goers at Mile High Stadium.John Legendwill.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas Sheryl Crow, Michael McDonald and >Stevie Wonder wowed the crowd with inspirational tunes for change, while former Vice President (and 2000 presidential contender)Al Gore and Joe Biden also delivered memorable speeches In response to the historic acceptance speech, Hillary Clinton said in a statement, "Barack Obama's speech tonight laid out his specific, bold solutions and optimistic vision for our nation and our children's future. His speech crystallized the clear choice between he and Senator McCain. Four more years of the same failed policies or a leader who can tackle the great challenges we face: revitalizing our economy and restoring our standing in the world. I am proud to support Senator Obama, our next President of the United States and Joe Biden, our next Vice President of the United States." Watch ET for all the on-the-floor highlights from the climactic final day of the DNC!