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HAMILTON — Donald Daiker, an Oxford resident and delegate for Sen. Barack Obama, predicted the Democrat Party's presidential candidate's acceptance speech would "try to inspire Americans as they have not been inspired since the time of John F. Kennedy."

Obama certainly inspired the crowd of more than 80,000 at Denver's INVESCO Field Thursday night, Aug. 28, as he officially became the first minority candidate of a major party to win its nomination for president.

"Tonight I say to the people of America, to Democrats, Republicans and Independents across this great land –  Enough!," Obama said in criticizing the Bush administration. "This moment, this election, is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. ..."

More than three hours before Obama took to the stage, Daiker watched the stands fill up. "You can feel the electricity," the retired Miami University professor said. "You can feel the excitement."

Daiker was on hand in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.

On the 45th anniversary of that event, Daiker said he believes King would "both be surprised and pleased that the dream he shared with us ... was going to be realized by the nomination of Barack Obama by a major party."

Daiker said being a part of the process that elevated Obama to his party's candidacy left him with a sense of satisfaction, pride, fulfillment and joy.