Obama accepts Democratic presidential nomination

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – Barack Obama on Thursday accepted his party's nomination for president with a prime-time convention address that asked Americans to give him four more years at the White House.

"On every issue, the choice you face won't be just between two candidates or two parties," Obama said, making his case for re-election. "It will be a choice between two different paths for America."

Admitting that aspirational credo had been sorely tested by recession and a painfully slow recovery, Obama asked voters to believe that, under his custody, America's greatest days are ahead and his promised changed will come.

"That hope has been tested – by the cost of war; by one of the worst economic crises in history; and by political gridlock that's left us wondering whether it's still possible to tackle the challenges of our time."

"But know this, America: Our problems can be solved. Our challenges can be met. The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place. And I'm asking you to choose that future."

"I won't pretend the path I'm offering is quick or easy. I never have."

"The truth is, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over decades."

Obama also castigated Republican rival Mitt Romney for insulting top ally Britain on Thursday and said he was not ready for international diplomacy.

"You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can't visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally," Obama said.

Obama contrasted his sterling record with that of an opponent he portrayed as clearly not ready for the Oval Office.

"My opponent and his running mate are new to foreign policy, but from all that we've seen and heard, they want to take us back to an era of blustering and blundering that cost America so dearly," he said.

"After all, you don't call Russia our number one enemy – and not Al-Qaeda – unless you're still stuck in a Cold War time warp," he said to raucous cheering from a convention hall in North Carolina packed with party faithful.

"My opponent said it was 'tragic' to end the war in Iraq, and he won't tell us how he'll end the war in Afghanistan," he said. "I have, and I will."

The Olympics barb was particularly scathing, coming after Romney arrived in London for the Olympics in July and promptly questioned the preparations, suggesting that the host nation might not be fully behind the Games.AFP