'I'm not aiming for a lot of high rhetoric,' he said days before the highly-anticipated speech. 'I'm much more concerned with communicating how I intend to help middle-class families live their lives. I want people to come away saying: 'Whether I'm voting for this guy or against the guy, I know what he stands for. I know what he believes in'.'
Of course, he had to deliver a piece that would live up to his reputation as natural orator.
For Republican nominee John McCain, his speech had twin goals. He needed to embrace those in his own party who are still holding back because of his long-established image as a maverick pursuing his own ideals rather than the party's goals.
Just as important, he needed to build a bridge with disaffected Democrats and independents, since his own party base is smaller than the Democratic base.
And Mr McCain's reputation as a convincing town-hall speaker, rather than a wonder on the podium, meant that listeners were not exactly looking for spellbinding oratory.
The venues complemented their styles. In a sports stadium, against the backdrop of Greek columns meant as symbolic reminders of the ancient roots of democracy, Mr Obama had to appear larger than life to his eager audience of more than 80,000.
Mr McCain chose to deliver his message at the end of a T-shaped stage jutting into the audience, elevated only a few feet, to a crowd of some 20,000.
So who did better?
'In some ways, an irrelevant question. Mr Obama is perhaps the greatest orator in American history,' said Mr Steve Hess, a Brookings expert and an adviser to the Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations.
'No other candidate has moved as far and as fast as he has on his ability as a speaker.
'That has never been McCain's strength and it wasn't last night. The Republicans were wise not to try and duplicate Mr Obama's unprecedented feat in speaking to 80,000 people outdoors. They would have failed.'
Mr Obama's spell worked and the party left Denver united.
'Mr McCain has a hold on the party's conservative evangelical base through his running mate Sarah Palin. Whether he can attract the independents will be known in 60 days,' Mr Hess added.
A wider test is the rating in opinion polls. The average is 8 points, and Mr Obama scored that, going by polls so far. Early polls showed that Mr McCain has levelled up to him.
In other words, it was a tie.
BHAGYASHREE GAREKAR