On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Tonight, 45 years later, Senator Barack Obama will accept the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention.

“I Have a Dream” began by invoking the memory of Abraham Lincoln:

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

Now, Senator Obama stands in the symbolic shadow of King, whose “I Have a Dream” speech served as a renewal of the great beacon light of hope established by Lincoln. Tonight is his opportunity to unite the Democratic Party behind him in his call for “Change We Can Believe In,” to continue the vision of his remarkable predecessor, and to remind the country to take King as an example when he said 45 years ago:

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."... With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

To be fair though, McCain has a legacy too. Like President George W. Bush, he was a terrible student, finishing 894th out of 899 students in college.