Colwell: Twenty years ago, Obama spoke of a united United States. That hasn't aged well.

The inspirational keynote speech at a national political convention 20 years ago was instrumental in bringing landslide election of a president, even though the presidential nominee of that convention went down to defeat.

That speech was delivered on July 27, 2004, by Barack Obama, then a little-known state senator from Illinois. Yes, a state senator. He had not yet been elected to the U.S. Senate. His name was funny sounding, his governmental credentials slim.

While most Americans couldn’t recall the names of other past keynoters for any Democratic or Republican convention, most of those who listened to Obama’s speech will never forget it.

The speech, drawing a wildly enthusiastic response from Democratic National Convention delegates in Boston and from viewers nationally, had these memorable lines:

“There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.

“The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States.”

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To rising cheers, Obama said that even though Americans could differ on war in Iraq, “We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.”

After a time of hope and seeming progress, it appears that Obama has been proven wrong, the pundits proven right.

There is a Red America, a Blue America, more brightly colored and divided now than when Obama spoke so hopefully about a united United States.

Enthusiasm for Obama and his message didn’t propel John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, to victory over President George W. Bush in 2004.

It wasn’t Obama’s fault that Kerry lost. It was Kerry’s own fault that he blew a lead over a president with lagging popularity.

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The inspiring keynote — Obama telling of living the American Dream, with his diversity of heritage — was about the only convention speech drawing much enthusiasm around the nation.

Kerry strategists assumed mistakenly that they should avoid anything negative that might alienate voters. All speakers were ordered not to attack President Bush and take a positive approach. They did. Positively boring for many watching the convention on TV.

Kerry expected the traditional bounce in the polls after a convention. No bounce. He actually dropped in the Gallup poll.

Bush successfully went on the attack. The Republican convention, with strong mockery of Kerry and Democrats, did get some bounce.

Even Kerry’s service in Vietnam was ridiculed. He didn’t hit back, assuming nobody would believe that stuff. But Kerry’s high-road approach came across for many voters as haughty, out of touch. Negative works.

After that keynote speech, Obama’s political future was bright. He won for the U.S. Senate in Illinois as Kerry went down to defeat. Obama for president? Well, 2008 seemed too soon. But still.

Not every Democrat was thrilled with Obama’s sudden rise to stardom. Not Hillary Clinton. And I recall that Indiana delegates at the convention, though hailing the great keynote speech, lamented that Obama’s star could be rising higher than that of Indiana’s own Sen. Evan Bayh, also viewed as a rising star.

Obama wisely didn’t wait. He ran for president and won in 2008. He won by more than 2 to 1 in the Electoral College. He even carried Indiana. Yes, Indiana.

If he had not been a surprise pick to deliver that keynote speech or if it had been a more typical convention speech, he would not have had that opening to run in 2008. Maybe later. Maybe not.

What would be the reaction now, 20 years later, to a convention speaker, either party, saying there are no red or blue states, just a red, white and blue United States?

Jack Colwell is a columnist for The Tribune. Write to him in care of The Tribune or by email at jcolwell@comcast.net.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: There is a Red America, a Blue America