Picture of dude watching Obama on TV

Okay, maybe David Lockhart should have changed his shirt before attending last night's Lake Superior State University campus party to watch Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

We thought the message was supposed to be more an Audacity of Hope kind of thing?

But Lockhart, an LSSU junior, liked what he saw last night.

Especially when the freshly crowned prince of the Democratic Party started talking about the need to make a college education affordable to all.

Lockhart has a 19-month-old child he hopes will also get an opportunity for an education.

"Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education," Obama proclaimed. "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."

Nearly everyone in the room at last night's event, organized by the LSSU Democrats, started applauding at that point.

Obama formally accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I have a dream" speech, in the process becoming the first African-American nominee for a major U.S. party.

He delivered his rousing acceptance speech before more than 80,000 people who filled an open-air football stadium in Denver for the highlight of the Democratic convention.

The candidate's advisors billed the address as a "direct conversation" with the American people.

Obama began by accepting his party's nomination "with profound gratitude and deep humility."

Moving quickly to the attack, he attributed many of America's problems to the "failed policies of George W. Bush."

"America, we are better than these past eight years," he said. "It's time for us to change America and that's why I'm running for president of the United States."

Obama went on to make specific pledges to cut taxes for 95 percent of workers and to change the tax code.

He promised to end the United States' dependency on Middle East oil within 10 years and also committed to spending $150 billion on affordable sources of renewable energy that would create five million new jobs.

Referring to comments by John McCain and other Republicans, Obama said he was eager to debate his suitability to serve as commander-in-chief.

Obama also emphasized the importance of restoring America's moral standing in the world.

"Our work will not be easy," he told the Denver crowd. "The challenges we face will demand touch choices."

"In a defining moment like this, change doesn't come from Washington, change comes to Washington." Democratic Party organizers have established a campaign beachhead in the Michgan Soo and are currently recruiting two campaign teams to work nearby rural areas of the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

(Those portions of this article describing Barack Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention were prepared by SooToday.com's Rick McGee.)