Thursday night, Senator Barak Obama
accepted Democratic party's nomination -- becoming the first African-American
to lead a major party ticket. Almost 40-million people watched his acceptance
speech on television at a stadium filled with about 80-thousand cheering
supporters.
In a speech filled with policy specifics, Obama said McCain would simply continue
what he described as the failed policies of President George Bush. Obama vowed
to end the Iraq war responsibly and finish the fight
against al-Qaida and the Taliban. He also pledged to cut taxes for working
families, stop giving tax breaks for corporations that move jobs overseas, and
end U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Meanwhile, U.S. Republican presidential
candidate John McCain has chosen a relatively unknown -- Alaska Governor Sarah
Palin -- as his vice presidential running mate.
McCain announced his selection on Friday
to a crowd of supporters at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, ahead of next week's Republican
National Convention. He called Palin the "right partner" with strong
principles, a fighting spirit and deep compassion. The social and economic conservative
is the first woman to run on the Republican party's national ticket.
Dr. Zia Hasan is the vice president for planning, assessment and information services at Claflin University in South Carolina. In an interview with Voice of America's Bangla Service, Dr. Hasan analyzes Barack Obama's speech and John McCain's vice presidential selection.
Dr. Hasan also spoke about how all this will influence Hillary Clinton's supporters and the independent voters.
