[img_assist|nid=3437|title=Barack Obama, right with adviser David Axelrod, tours Invesco Field before his speech there Wednesday night|desc=Getty Images Photo|link=none|url=undefined|align=left|width=420|height=210]DENVER - U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Mechanicsville) says that if Barack Obama is to successfully deliver his acceptance speech for the Democratic presidential nomination, he needs to demonstrate that he can take America forward.

“I think Barack Obama has to show the American public where he wants to take this country,” the 5th District Democrat told PolitickerMD.com. “The policies he wants to promote in order to make the lives of average working people in this country better.”

He continued “At the same time I think it’s going to be very inspirational and appeal to the best of America and say that -- as he says all the time -- ‘I want to have this country be not what it is but what we think it ought to be.'”

Hoyer argued Obama’s speech could potentially secure a number of votes.

“I think he’ll inspire and I think that he will encourage an awful lot of people to say ‘yes we can and yes he can and I’m gonna vote for Barack Obama.’”

Hoyer says Democrats handled McCain “about right” at this week’s Democratic National Convention.

“Unlike four years ago where the Kerry campaign was a little hesitant to go after the Bush administration. I think we made a mistake there. The Bush administration policies have been failures on every issue you can name,” Hoyer added.