Denver Post staff is at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium. Read their observations below.
8:58 p.m. Obama invoked the words of Martin Luther King Jr. near the close of his speech, the crowd on its feet cheering.
“America, we cannot turn back,” he said. “At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future.”
As he waved goodnight from the stage, “Only in America” by Brooks & Dunn blared into the stadium and white, red and blue fireworks and streamers shot out of the back of the stage. Obama’s wife and two daughters, Biden and his wife, joined him on stage.
8:54 p.m. Obama also accused McCain of mishandling the war on terror.
“John McCain likes to say that he’ll follow bin Laden to the gates of hell, but he won’t even go to the cave where he lives,” he said.
Obama said that while McCain was “turning his sights to Iraq,” he opposed that war because he knew it would “distract us from the real threats we face.”
“I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11 and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights,” Obama said.
Obama said he would end the war in Iraq responsibly and “finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.”
The nominee also slammed McCain for challenging his patriotism.
“Let us agree that patriotism has no party,” he said. “I’ve got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.”
Obama called himself “not the likeliest candidate for this office.”
“What the nay-sayers don’t understand is that this election has never been about me. It’s about you,” he said, drawing big cheers. “The change we need is coming.”
8:43 p.m. We need a president looking toward the future, not grasping at the ideas of the past, Obama says. We are the party of Roosevelt, we are the party of Kennedy, Obama reminds the crowd to cheers.
8:40 p.m. Obama said McCain has subscribed for two decades to “that old, discredited Republican philosophy – give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else.”
“In Washington, they call this the ownership society, but what it really means is – you’re on your own,” Obama said. “Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, even if you don’t have boots. You’re on your own.”
Obama said part of the American promise is that government should “protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education.” He vowed to eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses that create high-tech jobs, end tax breaks for corporations that ship jobs overseas, cut taxes for 95 percent of “working families” and end our dependence on oil from the Middle East within 10 years.
“Now is the time to end this addiction and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution,” he said “Not even close.”
He also said he would invest $150 billion during the next decade in affordable, renewable energy sources, including wind and solar power. And Obama vowed to expand preschool programs, recruit more teachers and pay them higher salaries.
“We will keep our promise to every young American – if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education,” he said.
8:39 p.m. “I want my daughters to have the exact same opportunities as your sons,” Obama says, as he promises to back “equal pay for equal work.”
8:38 p.m. Big, big cheers erupt as Obama promises to end dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
8:36 p.m. Crowd waves flags and stomps as Obama promises to back education and teachers
8:34 p.m. Obama promises tax cuts for 95 percent of working families.
8:28 p.m. Crowd goes wild as Obama tells them “it’s time for us to change America and that’s why I’m running for president.”
8:25 p.m. Obama said the crowd of 80,000 came tonight because “we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight.” The audience began chanting, “Eight is enough!”
Then Obama launched into an attack on presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, who he said has voted with President Bush 90 percent of the time.
“What does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than 90 percent of the time?” he asked. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change.”
8:18 p.m. Sen. Barack Obama stepped in front of a nearly packed football stadium to accept his historic nomination for president tonight as a sea of American flags and blue-and-white signs saying “Change” waved from the crowd.
Obama had to wait for the chanting of “Yes we can” and the feet-stomping to die down before he could speak. Then he thanked Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton “who made a case for change as only he can make it” last night at the Democratic National Convention.
He began his speech talking about the belief instilled in him by his parents: that he “could achieve whatever he put his mind to.”
“It is that promise that has always set this country apart – that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well,” Obama said.
Obama, the first African American presidential nominee, called tonight “one of those defining moments – a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil and the American promise has been threatened once more.”
“America, we are better than these last eight years,” he said. “We are a better country than this.”
The crowd shook American flags to the beat of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” and Invesco Field’s digital sign boards flashed “America” and “Obama” in the lead-up to Obama’s appearance. Cameras flashed across the nearly full football stadium and roving spotlights sprayed the audience. People were stomping their feet – making “Rocky Mountain Thunder – and shouting “Yes we can!”
The stadium was on security lockdown before Obama’s speech and Secret Service agents were posted above the scoreboard near the rearing white bronco.
A video before his introduction showed Obama tearing up while talking about his late mother, debating passionately on the Senate floor and announcing his candidacy for president. His wife, Michelle Obama, spoke about turning him down when he asked her out and then falling in love with him after hearing him speak to a community group about hope.
8:14 p.m. Crowd stomps its feet so heavily as Obama appears that the top of the stadium shakes. Barack seems hesitant to cut off the crowd, but they keep applauding, chanting “Yes We Can!”
8:12 p.m. Obama takes the podium to a standing ovation.
8:03 p.m. A video of Barack Obama begins playing on the stadium screens.
8:02 p.m. Some of the biggest cheers come as Durbin talks about Iraq, and how Obama “Has the good judgement to know that we should not risk the lives of our brave soldiers in the wrong war.”
American can turn a page, Durbin said.
With Durbin leading, the crowd stomps its feet cand cheers “yes we can.”
The lights darken as a video on Obama’s life starts.
He is moments away from appearing.
8:01 p.m. Barack Obama’s keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston four years ago “changed politics in America,” Obama ally Sen. Dick Durbin told the Invesco crowd.
The crowd cheered as Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois, tells them that Obama has united people across the country, and like many standing on the stage before him, Durbin drew a parallel to Abraham Lincoln.
“Like another son of Illinois, he has spoken to a divided people about the better angeles of our nature,”Durbin said.
7:30 p.m. Biden introduces a musical performance by American Voices, comprised of people respresenting those working groups, then pledges that when he and Obama are in the White House, “we’ll always listen to them.”
7:29 p.m. Sen. Joe Biden appears before the crowd and tells them he always dreamed he’d be standing at Invesco Field
“When we talk about an open convention, this is what Democrats meant,” Biden said. “We’re here for the millions of Americans who’ve been knocked down, to show that we’re going to get back up as a nation.”
He tells Democrats “we’re here for the next president of the United States, Barack Obama.”
Biden adds that “we’re here” for the teachers, the business owners, the factory owners.”
7:27 p.m. As a tribute to the military began, retired Air Force Maj. General Scott Gration had a confession for the audience at Invesco Field.
“Until recently, I was a Republican,” Gration said, then assured the audience, “you’ll be happy to know that I’m looking forward, to voting for Barack Obama in November.”
Gration said he came to Mile High by way of an upbringing in the Congo, where his parents were missionary teachers. The family had to be evacuated and ended up as refugees.
“So I learned at an early age to value freedom and the ideals of American,” Gration said.
7:25 p.m. Eisenhower called for “a new and compelling vision for the 21st Century.”
She then drew an example from her grandfather’s administration, saying that he was at one point under fire for moving too slowly in response to political pressure. Robert Frost then wrote of Ike, “the strong are saying nothing until they see.”
Obama “has the energy and temperament to lead this country,” Eisenhower said.
She then cited Lincoln again, “We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of the earth,” and added “Let us restore the hope and bring the change that our nation needs.”
7:23 p.m. “The divisions in our country are deep and wide,” Eisenhower said. “Our cohesiveness as a nation is strained by multiple crises in finance and credit, energy and health care.”
The staggering national debt that children and grandchildren will have to pay off, Eisenhower said, “is a moral failing.”
7:21 p.m. The granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower is not a Republican or a Democrat, but an American, she tells those at Invesco Field.
Susan Eisenhower traces her roots back to the 18th Century, and tells the audience she grew up in Gettysburg, where Abraham Lincoln gave his historic address.
“On the killing fields of Pickett’s charge, our country came of age and assured for all time that our nation would survive as one,” Eisenhower quotes, then draws comparisons to the problems society faces today.
7:09 p.m. Huge American flags have come out in certain areas of the stands. Michael McDonald’s soulful version of “America the Beautiful” is has the crowd on its feet. He even sang the second verse of the song.
7:03 p.m. Gore worked the crowd into a feet-stomping frenzy with the refrain: “It’s time for a change.”
“After they wrecked our economy, it’s time for a change,” he said. “After they abandoned the search for the terrorists who attacked us and redeployed the troops to invade a nation that did not attack us, it’s time for a change.”
Gore compared Obama to Abraham Lincoln, who he said had a “powerful ability to inspire hope in the future at a time of impasse.”
“Barack Obama’s vision and his voice represent the best of America,” he said. “It is that common American identity, which Barack Obama exemplifies heart and soul, that enables us as Americans to speak with moral authority to all of the people of the world.”
Many in the crowd danced as Gore walked on and off the Invesco Field stage to “Let the Sun Shine.”
6:53 p.m. The crowd booed when Gore said Sen. John McCain is endorsing the policies of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
“Hey, I believe in recycling but that’s ridiculous,” he said, drawing big laughs.
Calling himself knowledgeable on close elections, Gore said this presidential election is so close because “the forces of the status quo are desperately afraid of the change Barack Obama represents.”
Gore spent a good portion of his talking time on his pet cause, reducing global warming. “We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the future of human civilization,” he said. “Sea levels are rising, fires are raging, storms are stronger.”
6:47 p.m. A crowd already revved up by Stevie Wonder singing “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours,” jumped to its feet and waved American flags as former vice president Al Gore stepped on stage and asked them to “seize this opportunity for change.”
He told a nearly full football stadium that eight years ago, some said there was not much difference between the two major parties and it didn’t really matter who became president.
“Take it from me, if it had ended differently, we would not be bogged down in Iraq, we would have pursued bin Laden until we captured him,” said Gore, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year. “We would not be facing a self-inflicted economic crisis, we would be fighting for middle- income families. And we would not be denying the climate crisis; we’d be solving it.”
6:29 p.m. The concession lines are long, and people are hot and hungry.
6:28 p.m. Overheard: “I was just interviewed by Al-Jazeera. Awesome,” says woman on cellphone.
6:25 p.m. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, representing another battleground state, said Sen. John McCain would “keep us in Iraq for 100 years.”
“Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe we must fight the terrorists – not where we imagine them to be, but where we know them to be,” Richardson said. “We must lead a global effort to secure loose nuclear materials, not where we imagine them to be, but where we know them to be.”
Richardson was greeted with stomping that shook the stadium and he drew big laughs when he asked: “I have a question for you: Is anybody here going to miss Dick Cheney?'”
The one-time presidential hopeful, who gave part of his speech in Spanish, said it was time “to put American workers first and rebuild the middle class with a president who supports unions and the rights of workers to organize.”
“America needs Barack Obama!,” he shouted. “My fellow delegates, are you ready to take our country back? Let’s do it!”
The trio of politicians were sandwiched between performances by Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow, who sang “A Change Will Do Us Good.”
6:17 p.m. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, leading a traditionally Republican state that will be critical this election, said faith in the American dream pushes Obama and Biden to “strive for better schools, economic justice and smarter foreign policies.”
“Aren’t we all tired of a Washington that doesn’t have any faith in us?” he asked the crowd. “We need to put our faith into action, to elect a president who will put middle-class Americans first again.”
6:05 p.m. Colorado Rep. Mark Udall, locked in a tough battle for a Senate seat, nabbed a spot under the national spotlight tonight at the Democratic National Convention.
“It’s fitting to have the eyes of the nation on Colorado,” said the Eldorado Springs Democrat, who was wearing a bolo tie. “It’s fitting that the change we need in Washington starts here in the Rocky Mountain West. We look to our mountains and prairies, our wide-open skies and we see the limitless possibility that is America.”
Udall said Obama has spent his whole life “standing up for working men and women” and that vice presidential hopeful Joe Biden has “never forgotten where he comes from.”
“Here at the foot of the great Rocky Mountains, our greatest mountains, we need leaders to match these mountains,” he said.
5:35 p.m. Will.i.am is here singing “Yes We Can” but where is Scarlett Johansson? No sign of her
5:19 p.m. Lewis called this election “a testament to the power” of King.
“We will march as we never have before to elect the next president of the United States, Sen. Barack Obama,” he said.
Introduced by his sister, the Rev. Bernice King, Martin Luther King III said his father would be proud on this historic night.
“On this day, exactly 45 years ago, my father stood on the national mall in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln and proclaimed, ‘I have a dream,” he said. “You know we are all children of the dream and he is here in all of our hearts and minds.”
King encouraged the crowd to help elect Obama and take an active role in democracy because our ability to “do good in the world is boundless.”
“Let us give our nation a leader who has heard this clarion call and will help us achieve the change we still need: Barack Obama,” he said.
5:18 p.m. CNN’s John King tossing football around… He’s no Elway. Keep your day job John.
5:05 p.m. Police detain a member of the credentialed press outside Invesco.
4:58 p.m.Martin Luther King Jr.’s children are taking the stage at the Democratic National Convention tonight – also the 45th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech – just hours before Sen. Barack Obama’s historic acceptance as presidential nominee.
U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, who was there for King’s historic speech, began the anniversary tribute.
“On that day, his words and his example inspired an entire generation of young and old, rich and poor,” he said. “Tonight, we gather here in this magnificent stadium in Denver because we still have a dream.”
4:56 p.m. From the police scanner: “I have 4000 people here and two porta pottys.”
4:55 p.m. Three hour wait to get into Invesco Field
4:54 p.m. “No Child Left Behind, For Real” That’s probably not the name of Obama’s early education plan. Audience being asked to send text message for the right answer.
4:48 p.m. Howard Dean says he knows how many houses he owns but doesn’t say how many.
4:47 p.m. U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Golden, hammered President Bush for high gas prices and a lack of focus on sustainable energy.
“For the past eight years we’ve had two oilmen in the White House, and where has it gotten us?” he said. “Record prices at the gas pump, heating oil costs going through the roof, oil companies reaping record profits, while American families struggle to put gas in the tank.”
“I say solar here, solar now. Wind here, wind now.”
Perlmutter said Obama will “invest in new ways to power this nation” and “break the tyranny of foreign oil.”
U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa, said the country needs a president who understands the struggles of rural America.
“We will elect Barack Obama as the next president of the United States of America!” Salazar shouted to the filling stadium, where some were waving American flags.
And U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, slammed GOP policies on health care, stem-cell research and mental health care for veterans.
“We need a new spirit in Washington,” she said. “We need to stop paying lip service to health care reform and just pass it. We need to protect a women’s right to choose and access to affordable family planning and health care. … And we need to bring our troops home.”
“We say today, we will not be satisfied with four more years of the same under John McCain.” — Jennifer Brown
4:43 p.m. Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, speaks to the crowd.
4:40 p.m. At one point, people walking across Colfax Avenue viaduct tried to cut in line from there but the line extended well past, causing chants from those who had been waiting.
“Go back, go back,” several people yelled. One woman shook her finger back and forth yelling “no, no you don’t.”
“Democracy is a dirty process,” said Liz Peck of Cortez. — Carlos Illescas
4:38 p.m. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., addresses the crowd. Degette warns against “four more years of the same with John McCain.” She says “we need to stop talking about ending the war in Iraq and just do it.”
4:36 p.m. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., is addressing the crowd. Colo. Salazar says Bush has ignored rural America but that with Obama as president he as a lifelong farmer sees “a silo” full of hope.
4:35 p.m. Gov. Bill Ritter quoted Merle Haggard when it was his turn to welcome delegates to Colorado. “If God doesn’t live in Colorado, I’ll bet that’s where he spends most of his time,” he said.
The governor, who has talked of his “Colorado Promise” since his campaign, spoke tonight about an “American promise.”
“It’s about a set of American ideals that offer hope and unity and the promise of change,” said Ritter, his voice hoarse. “It’s about binding people together with common goals, shared visions and the pioneering spirit that defines all of America.”
Ritter said the “road to the White House cuts straight through the heart of the American West.” And he criticized “Bush-McCain” economic, energy and health care policies.
“Are you ready for the change we need?” he asked. “Are you ready for Barack Obama.” — Jennifer Brown
4:33 p.m. Ed Perlmutter addressing crowd at Invesco. Talks up Barack Obama’s plans for renewable energy.
4:30 p.m. Spike Lee, Federico Pena seen on the floor at Invesco.
4:27 p.m. Big cheers for Gov. Bill Ritter, who is very hoarse.
4:13 p.m. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has gaveled the last night of the Democratic National Convention to order. “We’re thrilled to have this magnificent crowd here with us tonight,” she said, to a stadium at least half empty.
Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson led the pledge and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson wowed the crowd with a soulful performance of the national anthem. The two stood together on stage, in front of a row of American flags and a curved, stone backdrop reminiscent of the Lincoln Memorial. — Jennifer Brown
4:11 p.m. Jennifer Hudson singing anthem. Red rockets shot off.
4:08 p.m. Lines at Invesco now a good two miles. The wait to get into stadium is at least two hours. A line of people walking across Colfax viaduct extends to auraria campus.
3:54 p.m. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois compared Obama to Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez, asking Latino voters and immigrants to rally behind him.
“In America, great leaders have always seized the chance for change,” he said. “Tonight, no matter where you come from, or the language you speak, I am asking you: elect Barack Obama president because he will fight for us.”
Delegates were still flowing into their seats on the field, gathering near blue-and-white signs with their state names. The stands were still at least two-thirds empty.
Gov. Bill Ritter and U.S. representatives from Colorado were among the first speakers in tonight’s lineup. — Jennifer Brown
3:46 p.m. Utah delegate says he waited one hour and 20 mins to get thru security.
3:39 p.m. Dan Rather patiently signng autographs outside men’s room.
3:34p.m. Line to enter Invesco for DNC final night and Obama’s acceptance speech at a standstill.
3:34 p.m. Love Elway? Cutler? The Broncos team store ois open at Invesco.
3:31 p.m. Retired reporters report from Invesco: It’s so great to have opinions! The bluegrass and seat companions are excellent.
3:31 p.m. Michelle Obama walks across floor area at Invesco Field at Mile High.
3:26 p.m. World War II vet Brink says Obama’s choice of Biden for vp won him over. Biden is “down to Earth, knows more about foreign policy than anybody else in the Senate,” Brink said. U.S. badly needs an effective foreign policy, he says. “It’s been spoiled over the last eight years.”
3:22 p.m. Only about 10,000 people out of an expected 75,000 were in their seats at Invesco Field as tonight’s program began, though the highlight of the night – Sen. Barack Obama’s speech – isn’t slated to start until after 8 p.m.
Much of the crowd was still stuck in a line winding toward the football stadium when the Yonder Mountain String Band kicked off the historic event.
Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson was scheduled to step on the royal-blue carpeted stage to give the pledge of allegiance, and Oscar-winning “Dream Girl” Jennifer Hudson was scheduled to sing the national anthem.
3:21 p.m. U.S. Navy submarine World War II veteran Charlie Brink, 83, of Florida sat down for a rest in hot sun at disabled entrance outside stadium for Democratic candidate’s speech: “This is the last one I’ll be able to go to. I feel all right. I woke up breathing this morning.”
3:12 p.m. Food sellers at media tent at stadium say security guards have blocked them from moving most of their food supplies out from a stash inside the stadium to the tent.
3:10 p.m. Others in line at Invesco didn’t mind the long wait to be witness history.
Jim Burgess of Denver had been in line for 45 minutes and hadn’t even made it inside Invesco, but that was just fine with him.
“I’m excited to be here,” Burgess said. “We want to get the whole experience of the whole day. This is a minor inconvenience.”
Irvin Williams agreed. He came all the way from Boston to be at this big day.
“This is a historical event,” Williams said. “Everyone wants a new agenda.”
The lines at the south entrance had grown significantly by 3 p.m., to about a half-mile or maybe more.
3:00 p.m. Word from DNC committee: Springsteen definitely not playing Invesco tonight.
2:39 p.m. “Isn’t Obama coming here today?” said Fort Collins residential construction contractor Shedd Farley, 49, who wore a “Deadheads For Obama” button on his cap.
2:35 p.m. Two long lines stretched several city blocks just to get inside Invesco Field. From there Obama speechgoers had to wait in another line to clear security.
Many were frustrated by the set up. The only entrance is on the south side of the stadium, which became a bottleneck.
“We knew it was going to take a while but we didn’t think it would be this long,” said George Rubenstein, who had been in line for about a half hour and hadn’t yet made it inside Invesco.
2:34 p.m. Light rail is not stopping at Invesco only at Auraria, riders say
2:32 p.m. Neon green-clad Denver Public Works trash pickup workers behind TSA metal-detector screeners at stadium say a few knives, a few umbrellas, and lots of sunscreen confiscated from people entering to hear Obama’s speech.
2:22 p.m New arrivals at stadium reporting wait times of about one hour from when they parked their vehicles
2:15 p.m. Stadium one-tenth full at 2:15 but folks you do NOT want lower South Stand seats. Obstructed view: ABC, CNN, etc.
2:17 p.m. ‘Dream Girls’ star Jennifer Hudson just finished her sound check for tonight’s National Anthem at Invesco Field.
2:17 p.m. The stage at Invesco Field includes a set with Roman column, reminiscent of the Los Angeles Colliseum where John F. Kennedy accepted the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination.
2:12 p.m. Medical marijuana supporters, with police escort, prepare march to Invesco.
2:10 p.m. Volunteers having trouble recruiting people to use phone bank at Invesco.
2:00 p.m. Mexicana For Obama” reads the message on towering red-and-white hat worn by Washington state delegate Antonia Gonzalez at Denver’s stadium. She says she’s confident “change” includes an immigration system fix so that raids no longer break up immigrant families.
1:59 p.m. Phone-banking for Obama inside Invesco gates is off-the-hook, with drawing to get on the field.
1:56 p.m. Parking lot at Invesco looks like an RV and satellite trade show.
1:53 p.m. Lakewood Police Officer Ryan McKone watching crowd atop steps at Denver’s stadium: “Everything’s good, real peaceful. Protesters are following what they said they would do.”
1:43 p.m. Security is extremely tight around Invesco Field, with several cops blocking normal entrances. Denver Public Works dump trucks also being used to block entries.
1:43 p.m. Atmosphere is like a festival, with vendors selling Obama T-shirts, buttons and other collectibles.
1:43 p.m.It’s 80 bucks to park at Sportsfan on Federal and 60 bucks to park at Burger King next door.
1:43 p.m. Planned Parenthood has 25 people out giving away “Protect yourself from John McCain” condoms.
1:44 p.m. Big horse statue at DIA. Bronco atop Invesco Field. Denver’s no cowtown, it ‘s at least a two-horse town.
1:43 p.m. Standing room only on media shuttle bus to Invesco. Many many handheld devices.
1:41 p.m. Red-clad East High Angels drumline rattles and pounds chanting “Obama!” greeting crowd entering Denver’s stadium.
1:33 p.m. Yay we made it!” Reading teacher Joan Mangle, 63, and fellow Democratic Party volunteers from Fort Collins now inside stadium after one-hour wait in line. “It’s not just about the last 7 years. It’s about moving forward, resuming our role in world leadership.”
1:32 p.m. Huge snaking line of people at Auraria campus across from Pepsi Center, awaiting shuttles to Invesco?
1:30 p.m. Obama T-shirts already 50% off. Convention must be winding down.
1:21 p.m. Retired Detroit city government secretary Pauline Dyer, 68:: “I want the sun, the waiting in line, the whole experience. I’m standing in line for my grandchildren.”
1:18 p.m. Retired Kansas state fire marshal Jack Alexander: “I’m 77, been waiting all my life for this. So standing in line here doesn’t bother me at all.”
1:13 p.m Many in crowd converging on stadium say they came early to make sure they get through to see Obama, and also to feel and savor vibe of the event. Free water helps beat the heat
12:59 p.m. Agape International Choir singer Bettyanne Shannon of Santa Monica limping with crutch pauses under viaduct outside stadium to pray – “that there’s peace here, harmony and order, and that what’s going on here radiates.”
12:54 p.m. With 15 minutes to go until the gates at Invesco Field open to the general public, thousands of people are waiting in line already.
The crowd seemed to be in good spirits for now, waving as a bus carrying mostly press drove by.
More than 75000 people are expected to attend Sen. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech tonight.
The crowds pose an invedible challenge for security forces who are patrolling the perimeter with dogs.
12:41 p.m. The line to get inside Invesco Field and Mile High where Barak Obama is to deliver his speech at about 8 p.m. tonight stretched across the South Platte River and east under Interstate 25 viaducts.
12:35 p.m. “This isn’t like just a football game. It’s a historical moment, something you can take to your grave knowing you were part of history,” says shirt-and-pin vendor Tony Robinson, 40, of Atlanta, who’s been selling at Obama events around the country for more than a year.
12:26 p.m. Denver official who drives in from ‘burbs says best thing about convention is being able to speed all over the place without consequences.
12:25 p.m. Mall shuttles appear to be running again, though more slowly.
12:24 p.m. War on morons sign seen in front of hard rock
12:17 p.m. Celebs rolling out of hard rock cafe
12:16 p.m. Seen on the 16th St. Mall: Anne Hathaway seen at Earl’s, and Spike Lee and Susan Sarandon at the Hard Rock Cafe
12:08 p.m. 16th St Mall shuttles have apparently temporarily stopped. No shuttles have passed for a half hour and there are angry crowds.
12:05 p.m. More than a block’s worth of shuttles backed up between Glenarm and Welton, waiting for the pack of celebs to cross the mall.
12:02 p.m O? No! The crush at Earls did get to see a pack of Creative Coalition reps, plus NY Gov. David Patterson
11:57 a.m. VIDEO: Invesco Field awaits an historical day: Invesco Field at Mile High is going to be .. http://bit.ly/28ptem
11:53 a.m. O? 500 people crowd the mall outside Earls. Could it be Mz Winfrey coming from the Tribute to MLK’s big speech?11:40 a.m. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano hits the oxygen bar in the press tent before the big event.
11:33 a.m. DNC has brought no increase in prostitution or DUI arrests.11:23 a.m.
Early birds heading to Invesco.
11:30 a.m. DNC Day 4: Schedule at Invesco Field: http://bit.ly/1U2g7S
10:45 a.m. Sen. Joseph Biden meets with firefighters, national guard outside Invesco Field.
10:30 a.m. Burger King on Federal near Invesco charging $80 to park for speech.
10:23 a.m. Officials advise Invesco Field Obama ticketholders to arrive by 2 p.m., don’t plan to park at stadium. Complete info:
