Barak Obama

Following his victory in the United States presidential election, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama gave his victory speech[1] at Grant Park in his home city of Chicago, Illinois, before an estimated crowd of 240,000. Considered one of the most widely-watched and repeated political addresses in recent history,[5] Obama's speech focused on the major issues facing the United States and the world, all echoed through his campaign slogan of change.

In his speech, Obama reflected on the hard times of the campaign and the "challenges that America would face ahead." TV coverage of the speech showed Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey weeping in the crowd. Obama's speech also marked the first time a President-elect referred to gay Americans in an acceptance speech. Grant Park is the location of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, an event significant for its protests which ended in violence, riots and police brutality. CNN declared, "History gave Grant Park another chance Tuesday as the scene of a peaceful and jubilant celebration of Barack Obama's presidential victory." Obama's speech has been praised as having "...the rare ability to cultivate the things that are common to all human beings, regardless of artificial and arbitrary distinctions."

Due to the high security threat involved, Obama delivered the speech protected by two pieces of bulletproof glass (5.1 cm thick, 3.0 m high, 4.6 m long) to each side of the lectern to deflect any shots from the skyscrapers overlooking Grant Park. There was no glass shield in front of the lectern. A no-fly zone was also imposed over the area, with only police helicopters allowed in the air. The gathering involved the deployment of thousands of police, Army and Secret Service personnel. The event cost the Obama campaign an estimated $2 million.

Prior to Obama's emergence onto the stage, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" by Jackie Wilson were played. When Obama, Joe Biden, and their families appeared onstage following the speech, music from the film Remember the Titans, composed by Trevor Rabin, was played. "The Rising" by Bruce Springsteen was also played following the speech (Springsteen had endorsed Obama).

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Obama speech