In his speech closing the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) accepted his party’s nomination with a speech that focused on improving the U.S. economy and bolstering the fortunes of the American middle class. Obama called it “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.”

The Wall Street Journal reports Obama’s speech included several proposals aimed at easing middle class economic malaise, some of which could hold significant bearing for foreign policy. The Financial Times says perhaps the most ambitious of Obama’s economic proposals is to wean the United States off foreign oil within ten years, and to invest some $150 billion in alternative energy programs.
Obama repeated his call for an expedited withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq and renewed emphasis on the war in Afghanistan, saying: “You don’t defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq.”

Al-Jazeera notes that Obama’s speech drew immediate attacks from Republicans and Obama’s presumptive opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), as being “misleading.”

Earlier, former Vice President Al Gore, and Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) spoke to the convention, among others.

CFR has a series of resources lending context to the campaign generally, and its economic dimensions more specifically. CFR.org’s Campaign 2008 blog includes on-scene updates from the convention. A new article looks at how international press covering the election see the vote affecting their home countries. This Issue Tracker details the candidates’ statements on trade policy.

CFR will host several panel discussions on foreign policy issues at next week’s Republican National Convention in Minnesota.

For full coverage, please see CFR.org’s Campaign 2008 website.