Los Angeles, Aug. 16 -- While the first night of the Democratic National Convention focused on the accomplishments of the past eight years, the second night was dominated by a theme of looking to the future.
On Tuesday night Democratic leaders had two goals in mind, emphasizing the grave importance of the upcoming presidential election and showcasing their new platform as a plan for the future.
The event opened with "A Tribute to America's Working Heroes" and "The American Dialogue: The Promise of Tomorrow". In these two segments healthcare and education issues were highlighted as topics which will be of utmost importance to America's future.
Susan Fadley, a teacher from Columbus, Ohio, discussed the importance of preschool and Head Start programs and told convention delegates about the opportunity she had to visit with Vice President Al Gore and talk with him about the future of America's educational system.
Another panelist told the audience how Tipper Gore's support of mental health care research and issues had changed her life.
Rev. Jesse Jackson then took the stage to electrify the crowd with his address. In it he compared the future of America under Gore with the future of America under George W. Bush.
"My fellow Americans," Jackson said, "this is a moment pregnant with possibility, a moment that we have waited for more than a generation to come our way."
Jackson told the audience he saw only despair with a government under Bush. He ended his speech by rousing the audience with chants of "More with Gore" and "Keep hope alive."
Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, daughter of President John F. Kennedy, then took the podium and captivated the audience with a nostalgic look back at the 1960 Democratic Convention, which also was held in Los Angeles, where her father received his nomination for president. She quoted from her father's famous speech when he stood in front of the convention, facing west, and called the world in 1960 a new frontier to be conquered.
She brought delegates to their feet once more when she said in her address, "As I look out across this hall, and across this country, I know that my father's spirit lives on ... it is our turn to prove that the new frontier was not a place in time, but a timeless call. Now we are the new frontier."
Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy continued with his niece's approach of looking to the future by remembering the past and the convention of 1960. Kennedy also tried to give the public a closer look at Gore's policies and personality.
The Convention was then literally put on hold as vice-presidential candidate Joe Lieberman entered the Staples Center and the delegates erupted into wild cheers of "Let's go Joe".
Former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley, a former presidential candidate, and Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) rounded out the night's speaker list. Bradley tried to give a personal glimpse of Gore the man. Ford again spoke of the importance of this election to the youth and future generations.
This was a "night dominated by a look ahead," said Tad Divine, senior advisor to the Gore campaign.
Divine said that issues such as health care and education, which were highlighted Tuesday night, reflected not just the substance but the true values of the Gore campaign and the Democratic platform.
"While we are proud of the accomplishments of the past, we believe this campaign will be fought and won on the terrain of the future," Divine added.
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