Democrats Open National Convention, Push For Obama's Re-election

The Democrats have gathered in thousands at the downtown football stadium at Charlotte, N.C., for the three-day Democratic National Convention starting Tuesday. The Party unveiled its formal 2012 election policy, ahead of the convention Monday night, advocating the strengths of their presidential candidate incumbent Barack Obama over Republican rival Mitt Romney.

Obama, who carries the burden of incumbency at a time when the economy is at an all-time low, has the tough task of convincing voters that he is better equipped to steer the U.S. off its economic woes toward a better future.

The highlight of the opening night of the conference on Tuesday will be first lady Michelle Obama's speech and the forum will conclude with Obama's acceptance speech on Thursday at the Bank of America Stadium. The conference will also re-nominate Joe Biden for the post of Vice President.

The convention gives Obama and the Democrats a chance to rebut the allegations of the rival GOP candidate Romney and his party. The Republicans have repeatedly challenged Obama's economic leadership, calling his policies directionless.

Romney had launched a new line of attack against Obama at the Republican conference at Tampa, Fla., last week, asking the voters if Americans were better off than they were four years ago.

Democrats who initially gave contradictory answers to the question on Monday came up with "'absolutely' better" as reply to Romney's question.

"You want to know whether we're better off?... I've got a little bumper sticker for you: 'Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive,'" AP reported quoting Biden who spoke at a campaign crowd in Detroit. However, Democrats will have to take this opportunity to convince voters that what they affirm holds true.

Obama is expected to speak in more specific terms about his recovery plans of fixing the ailing economy at the convention.

As a crusader for the middle- and lower-class Americans and women --his largest voter base in the 1998 elections -- with 'tax the rich' plans, abortion rights and explicit support to gay marriages, Obama will draw sharp contrasts to Romney.

Obama visited Monday, the Hurricane Isaac-hit areas in New Orleans and Louisiana and promised federal recovery help, Reuters reported. The President visited the St. John the Baptist Parish, one of the hardest-hit communities by the hurricane and interacted with the officials and respondents.

He surveyed the devastation brought on by the hurricane in parts of Louisiana and lauded the efforts of the administration in limiting the loss of human lives and property.

"There has been enormous devastation in St. John's Parish," Obama told reporters.

In an interview with USA Today on Monday, Obama also chose to hit out at Romney and the GOP for attacking a "fictional Barack Obama." He said his rivals have taken his record and his words out of context to the extent that they have created a fictional character in his name.

He was referring to the Republicans' allegation that he was "taking the work out of welfare reform," which he alleged was taken out of relevant context from his speech.

Both the candidates are running fairly even in the recent opinion polls, indicating a tough and tight race ahead for the presidential post.