This morning, Senator Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for the presidency of the United States.

His speech in front of around 75,000 delegates and supporters at the huge Mile High Invesco Field in Denver was a smash hit:

In his speech, Obama proved to the US public that he is no push-over, that he is not an “O-bambi” who cannot face political adversaries and turned the tables on those who seek to paint him as a “mere” celebrity and a lightweight.

“Eight is enough,” said Obama.

Because of this success on the part of Obama and his party , many now wonder how the Republicans would respond as they hold their own convention next week.

Locally, it is a challenge for so-called superstars in Philippine politics to look at themselves and see how they compare. There are many who now jockey for proper positioning for the 2010 presidential elections but all of them have so far failed to capture the imagination and feeling of Filipinos. All they give the public are political stunts and gimmicks, jingles and ditties, and no programmatic response to the widespread despair and helplessness that is now the hallmark of the corrupt Arroyo administration.

There are no indications that the political elite will attempt to “turn a page”. No one has dared take up calls for change and hope. No one has agitated the growing legions of young people and new voters to take the high and noble road of contributing to the national debate on how to change the direction of the country. This is one of the tragedies of Philippine traditional politics which badly need an overhaul — or replacement by a dynamic new leadership.