Obama makes appeal for re-election

President Barack Obama urged voters on Thursday for patience in rebuilding the country’s weak economy as he appealed for a new term in the White House.

Accepting the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Obama delivered a more realistic follow-up to his 2008 "hope and change" message.

With the pressures of wars and high unemployment, the incumbent addressed the crowd in a much more subdued tone.

Obama told Americans they face two very different paths in choosing between him and his Republican rival Mitt Romney in the November 6 election. He said his way may be hard but would bring economic renewal.

"America, I never said this journey would be easy, and I won't promise that now," he said. "Yes our path is harder, but it leads to a better place. Yes, our road is longer, but we travel it together."

With two months to go until the election, Obama aims to repeat the magic of his historic campaign four years ago and boost enthusiasm among voters.

Obama's nationally televised address highlighted that his economic measures, such as the 2009 bailout of the auto industry, were working and urged Americans to rally around a set of goals, including increasing manufacturing and energy jobs and U.S. exports, improving education and cutting $4 trillion from America's $16 trillion debt.

Repeatedly comparing his priorities with Romney's, Obama depicted the former executive as an elitist and out of touch with middle-class Americans.

"I don't believe that rolling back regulations on Wall Street will help the small businesswoman expand, or the laid-off construction worker keep his home. We've been there, we've tried that, and we're not going back," he said.

Democrats in Charlotte formed "watch parties" to view the speech on television after convention organizers moved it indoors from an outdoor stadium due to a threat of thunderstorms.