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Obama's Speech
18 Mar 2008 11:45 am
Comments (110)
Obama is like Ahmed Chalabior Benazir Bhutto -- he really knows how to use American iconogprahy to make Americans cry. Great speech.
That was one for the history books. I am SO proud of him and so proud to be a supporter. Unprecedented in its candor and insight. And it soared without treacle.
obama will be elected. i am as sure as ever. the stronger you trash him, the stronger he'll come back. he can lose these battles, but he'll win the war, because his message is so much broader than the campaign. and the people who vote for him not only believe in his campaign, but in his message.
Really well done.
Like him or not, he is without question the finest orator in the country.
Wow. I'd thought Obama was done when the Wright videos surfaced.
What a speech. He may have pulled it off.
Please please please please let this man become President.
1) I think Obama is lucky to be black!
2) Wouldn't this speech have been better if it had been delivered by Steve Sailer, or Harry, or Fred, or Juan?
Seriously though, pretty awesome speech.
I get the sense that he felt that this controversy could sink him even if he did the politically easy thing and just rejected and denounced Wright, so he took a tack that I don't think I've ever heard in American politics, acknowledging legitimate grievances that animate both sides of the racial divide, and that people air them out in private in a way they don't in public. It's probably the best approach he coudl have taken.
MY:
You might want to tell Marc and Ross to pull their head out of their asses. Or are they that embarassed of McCain that they would rather try and tear down Obama?
Best part - Obama's acknowledgement of white resentment
So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they’re told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.He's the only one who can do a Nixon-to-China on affirmative action. If it's successful - if he can convince blacks and white liberals that discrimination is discrimation, even if its in "reverse" - there's your next president.
How does his words square with his use of racial smears against Hillary Clinton?
If he believed any of what he said he would have fired Jesse Jackson Jr immediately after New Hampshire.
Obama is all talk. His pretty words are nothing but bullshit.
Re: Daniel. Amen to that.
A man whose campaign is on the verge of collapsing chooses to give ... a smart nuanced and subtle speech.
If that's not President material, then I don't know what is.
Many pundits online seem to say it was a stunningly good speech but they don't know if it was not too brilliant for its own good and not sound-bitey enough.
I guess Obama is making the bet Americans are smarter than people give them credit for.
We shall see.
But Amen to Daniel said !
Check out how unimpressed they all are at The Corner. That can't be a bad sign.
Epic and historic.
But is America really ready for it?
Obama is betting the American people are smart and willing to pay attention to nuance. Very little about the last 10 years is encouraging in that regard.
But I'm still skeptical that Wright is hurting him except with people who weren't voting for him anyway.
Not just brilliant but brave. Nothing in this speech is easy, either to hear or to say--which is to say, it is honest: the only way to talk about race in this country.
That speech made me as proud as I ever was to support Barack Obama. His remarks are so nuanced and unconducive to sound bites though that I don't know if it will be able to resonate with anyone who didn't watch or read the whole thing.
I am your typical internet tough-guy; I don't remember the last time I cried. But I almost did today.
Well in fairness to Ross, his last two posts (the only post-speech posts) have been favorable. Which shouldn't be too surprising, as Obama seems to have mostly done what Ross asked for in his 9:19 a.m. post.
Best speech I've heard since Cuomo's "tale of two cities."
But, as he said: "it is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children. But it is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger."
She has a better shot at accomplishing this, so I stand where I stand.
This is excellent news for Hillary.
Superb, for many of the reasons already stated. And for one other reason: it is utterly genuine in its expression of who Obama is and why he is running and by being so it (even if only subliminally)reminds us of how utterly fake Clinton is.
This was the most honest political speech I have ever heard. It was brave, personal, honest, and just outstanding. This is the best speech I have ever heard him give.
Benjamin, that's what I'm worried about. I think he often puts too much faith in Americans. As I often point out here, we're the people that elected Bush (twice!).
Oh, and go to CNN.com if you want to be enraged over a headline. Too bad the building wasn't brought to the ground by that tornado.
I was very impressed by the speech reading it at work. I look forward to watching the actual delivery when I get home. I was glad he didn't do conventional political thing and throw Wright and his church under the bus entirely. I don't know if this will be enough to keep or win the votes of people who were more viscerally repelled by Wright's comments than me, but I can't think of what more Obama could do than this. It would be pretty sad if the first black President was derailed because of comments he himself didn't say or agree with.
Fantastic, minus the requisite "Israel is flawless, it's all the crazy Muslims" part.
My only concern is whether people will see this. CNN certainly isn't going to show it and FOX will likely stick to a 24/7 loop of Wright, and it's pretty long. Hopefully people will somehow get the opportunity to see it - I plan on forwarding the inevitable YouTube version to my undecided family and friends.
I'm part of the Obama kool-aid klub, but I thought that the text of the speech was a B+ and the performance a B. The speech would have benefited from some editing -- it was sort of long, and his delivery was a bit lackluster. Also, I think it meandered somewhat, not quite taking advantage of an opportunity for him to make Andrew Sullivan's argument for his candidacy; namely that while many older people, including people he loves, like Wright and his grandmother, were scarred by the traumas they lived through, Barack is blessed to have been born into the world they brought about, and is accordingly more free to feel entirely American, to embrace the motto of e pluribus unum. He did very well to identify Wright's mistake as the assumption that history was static and that change was not possible (indeed, that it was not already happening). I just felt that the speech could have hit that point a little harder and more precisely.
Superb, for many of the reasons already stated. And for one other reason: it is utterly genuine in its expression of who Obama is and why he is running and by being so it (even if only subliminally)reminds us of how utterly fake Clinton is.
We all knew Obama was eloquent. But he is also a brave, brave man.
I thought this was a courageous speech. Very nuanced. He did not skirt away from difficult topics but took them head on. Or, rather, from all sides.
Obama's ability to consider, and understand, multiple viewpoints and to direct them toward a common goal is one of his most appealing abilities as a candidate. His seriousness and sense of purpose would be such a benefit in a President.
I hope we can move on from the Wright stuff now. I think he challenged the press to do so.
Obama is betting the American people are smart and willing to pay attention to nuance. Very little about the last 10 years is encouraging in that regard.
Since when did "nuance" become some special style of thought, and not the very essence of thought? A dumb country simply can't be a great country for long.
Fucking soundbites are going to be the downfall of this country. Them and loudmouth, indecent ideologues who refuse to think.
Great speech. It's a real test for this country -- what matters more: out-of-context soundbites peddled by dumb ideologues or great speeches by thoughtful people? If we continue to choose the dumb ideologues, we're going to continue going right down the toilet.
infirm, I think it's dangerous for him to claim an advantage because of the era he was born in. He already has trouble getting old people to vote for him, and it might be perceived as ageist.
Someone mentioned earlier that those crypto-fascists at The Corner weren't too impressed and concluded this was a good thing.
I disagree.
We will hear this speech on the news presented in two versions:
1. Rev. Wright is family to me.
2. Blacks have legitimate complaints against whites.
The speech was too complex for the corporate-media buffoons whose job it is to promulgate it, so they'll retreat into the soundbites they think will get the best ratings and response.
Mark my words; this marks the end of Obama's candidacy.
Hillary wins PA handily, goes on to do very well in the remaining states, and steals the nomination.
Good enough for Democrats, not good enough for the country...yet.
It's probably going to come down to how local news plays the speech. Fox affiliates are going to blast him no matter what, but there is a self-selection bias to Fox's demographics, even for local news (think of how the SC affiliate praised Storm Watch or whatever that neo-Nazi site is called). Besides, two weeks is a lifetime in politics during a primary. By the time ballots are first cast in PA, we will be talking about something else entirely.
Wow, what a speech! But the amazing thing is that it is all true. This is not spin. This is life. Obama is for real. He talks like a real person living in 2007, not some phony who is trying to be all things to all men. Who doesn't have a Wright in their family/friend circle? My own father who I love, admire, and respect holds deeply regressive views about gay people which he freely expresses to all. I do not share those views; if fact I find them disturbing and disgusting. But how can I disown the man who might be most responsible for making me the person I am today?
You pessimists have convinced me. Fox News will cherry pick and remove things from context and bring in some bullshit "analyst" to agree with them. Other networks will follow suit. We the People will listen, agree, and then change the channel.
I think it was beautiful and true and I have no idea if he can win the election. I'm just reminded that Romney's speech simply served to remind people of the essential angst they have with his religion and he failed in his endevor. Now, Obama has addressed this head on but ultimatly this is a personal thing every voter will come to and it's something that can still be easily twisted.
I think a lot of the man and this speech makes me see him as a thoughtful guy with a clear view of history.
But the politics of it, I can see today being a great reason why HRC is in this race today still. Despite the math.
If the Democratic Party kills his candidacy because they are too craven or too racist to accept its necessity, I will never forgive them. Obama is the first candidate in my lifetime who does not feel like the lesser of two evils.
If the Democratic Party kills his candidacy because they are too craven or too racist to accept its necessity, I will never forgive them. Obama is the first candidate in my lifetime who does not feel like the lesser of two evils.
I realize that I may be speaking out of turn here, but why would you want Obama to be elected?
Unless he promises from day 1 to ask for Uncle Ben's resignation and reappoint Volcker, because there sure as hell aren't any like him left at the Fed, I doubt he could fix the economy.
He has the potential of turning into Carter. And then we'll see Jeb or someone worse elected in 2012.
We're really, really fucked right now and nice speeches can't change that. A decent Fed chairman and a ruthless plan to punish the fraud and quasi-fraud that's been going on in the financial world would be a start.
FINALLY!
After a President who proclaimed that he "did not have sex with that woman" and another who proclaimed that Saddam Hussein was a member of an "axis of evil" and possessed "some of the most dangerous weapons on earth" - -
Finally - a candidate, and I hope and pray a President, who speaks inspirational words for the ages.
Godspeed Barack Obama.
It was a different speech than I expected.
The parsing will be mostly "gotcha" focused. Did he or did he not ever hear Wright say inflammatory remarks. Yaddy yaddy.
I think this kind of analysis is really beside the point, but it will continue to air especially on programs like FOX, and in living rooms across the country.
Hoepfully though the speech will, at the very least, lay a foundation that Obama can operate from going forward; a foundation that allows him to say he wants to focus on real issues instead of commenting endlessly on racially-charged tit-for-tat.
The ending made me a little teary, but I cheered back up thinking of Bush trying to give this speech. Try it, it's a funny thought.
"As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. And we know how hard it is to put, to put food on your family. Families is where our wings take hope, where our hopes take dream. It would be a mistake to misunderestimate the anger of working-class white Americans. Fool me once, shame on. Don't get fooled again, America! 9/11! Thank you! God damn, I mean God bless America!"
"We're really, really fucked right now and nice speeches can't change that. A decent Fed chairman and a ruthless plan to punish the fraud and quasi-fraud that's been going on in the financial world would be a start."
Who's the most likely candidate to do that? John McCain is a dumbass when it comes to economics, so he'd probably pick some old buddy. Hillary probably has the economic background (and the husband), but I think she's too in bed with corporations (RELEASE THE TAX RETURNS!) to expect a change.
I realize that I may be speaking out of turn here, but why would you want Obama to be elected?
I'm with Greg.
Obama's a pretty good "speechifier", but if he won't pull America out of Iraq and won't "fix" all those Wall Street thieves (who incidentally include his big donors), what good is he?
I am not an American, but with an avid interest in US history and politics.
This is a impressive speech .. I can hear resonances of both Lincoln and Martin Luther King, not to mention Frank Capra's Mr Deedes.
There are brilliant political touches ... like mentioning Clinton, Ferraro and McCain ... but overall it comes from, and goes to, the heart.
I am not sure if it will quiet all the political slanging, but I think it will settle it for most people. I cannot imagine Clinton (either one!) or McCain giving a speech like that.
It was a brave speech. As a person of color, I'm very impressed that Obama had the guts to speak so candidly about the resentments and prejudice on all sides of the racial divide. Perhaps not the most energetic speech, perhaps soundbites will be taken out of context, but as someone looking for nuanced, grown-up discussion on the defining issue for many of my fellow Americans, an issue that is simply totally ignored or dumbed down or demagogued by far too many, I was moved. I was reminded why I was attracted to Senator Obama's candidacy in the first place.
This primary election is the defining moment for our party, perhaps for the whole of the 21st century. I pray we choose wisely.
Maybe some of y'all are right that this Pastor Wright nonsense will affect the election. I don't think so. But let's assume that as well as various doubts about Hillary too in the general.
Part of me has grown pretty damn tired of feeling like our Democratic candidates need to be experts at coddling the American people's astoundingly fragile egos.
If people want to find some lame-ass excuse to vote in President John McCain, then maybe they actually want the country to fall apart.
Sure, they'll act all surprised and outraged once again when even worse stuff than now starts to happen, but, whatever, it's their choice, and if they want to be babies and moan about how Hillary or Obama failed to make them feel good enough about themselves and John Kerry talks funny and has a long face & looks French and was against the war before he was against it or whatever, fine.
If the American People want to choose Republican Great Depression 2 over Obama's Crazy Preacher Scares & Offends Me or Hillary's Cold & Bitchy, then that's what they want.
In the end, they can do what they damn well please. Maybe the teacher warning them not to go play with the hornets' nest has a really funny voice or stupid hair or ugly glasses or this one time was mean and unfair. So, if they really, really want to go play with the hornets' nest, maybe that's what they need to do. Apparently their lesson from the 2004 hornets' nest only sank in a bit, so they need more lessoning. Who knows.
How long until we are all referring to this as the "More Perfect Union Speech"? I am glad I skipped class to see it live.
"I'm just reminded that Romney's speech simply served to remind people of the essential angst they have with his religion and he failed in his [sic] endevor"
Romney didn't even mention Mormonism. He failed in his endeavor because he is profoundly unlikeable.
I am not an American, but with an avid interest in US history and politics.
This is a impressive speech .. I can hear resonances of both Lincoln and Martin Luther King, not to mention Frank Capra's Mr Deedes.
There are brilliant political touches ... like mentioning Clinton, Ferraro and McCain ... but overall it comes from, and goes to, the heart.
I am not sure if it will quiet all the political slanging, but I think it will settle it for most people. I cannot imagine Clinton (either one!) or McCain giving a speech like that.
Hillary probably has the economic background (and the husband), but I think she's too in bed with corporations (RELEASE THE TAX RETURNS!) to expect a change.
Not to mention she 'n Bill were all too happy to let Uncle Alan do whatever he wanted to do.
No, Monster, I don't think the other two would do better. They'd almost certainly do worse.
At the same time, I think that the presidency is a poisoned chalice that Bush cannot wait to unload on his unsuspecting, charismatic Democratic successor.
Barack doesn't really seem to recognize the magnitude of our disaster any more than the others. And I would hate for him to be a one-termer, like Carter, if he only figures this out in 1978 or 1979 - oh ,I'm sorry, 2010 or 11.
The thing that encourages me is that even Candy Crowley, Joe Scar, et al. were moved & impressed.
But then I turned to local affiliate: 20 seconds of Wright ranting followed by 2 seconds of Obama "I can't denounce him".
Sigh.
Obama's a pretty good "speechifier", but if he won't pull America out of Iraq and won't "fix" all those Wall Street thieves (who incidentally include his big donors), what good is he?
And do you think McCain or Clinton will be able to cure these massive problems?
The next President faces huge challenges, whomever is elected.
Greg,
You're right. None of the candidates is or will be willing to deal with any of that in a serious way.
Though I have to point out how...odd it is that you'd worry about Obama "turning into Carter" -- who was the guy who did exactly what you want Obama to do, appoint Paul Volcker to run the Fed!
We are the country we are. Obama has way, way, way more faith in us than I do. Social change in this country, from what I've seen has been driven by conflict, demand, and threat. But I've been wrong before, and certainly will be wrong again. Maybe I'm wrong about this.
Charlotte,
And it soared without treacle.
That Ashley anecdote at the end was like treacle concentrate straight from the can, with extra syrup poured on top.
Flitting quickly around, the conventional wisdom seems to be "great speech, the mainstream media won't cover it, the people may not get it".
I agree on the "great speech", and share the lack of confidence in mainstream media. But you know, the mainstream media is deathly afraid of being rendered irrelevant by the new media, blogs, and social networks. Watch how quickly the coverage of this speech and reviews of the mainstream media's performance radiate out, and the kind of pressure that builds if it doesn't get covered.
And as for "the people may not get it", this is blatant elitism. 90% or more of the people I know live this every day. They'll get it.
jon
Obama's a pretty good "speechifier", but if he won't pull America out of Iraq and won't "fix" all those Wall Street thieves (who incidentally include his big donors), what good is he?
And do you think McCain or Clinton will be able to cure these massive problems?
The next President faces huge challenges, whomever is elected.
Greg, I understand the concern, but I'm not voting to create a legacy, I'm voting to avoid a Depression and prevent a draft and another 9/11. Obama, IMO, is the most likely person to do those things. If he fails, he fails, but I'd firmly believe that the other two would have failed worse.
"Romney didn't even mention Mormonism. He failed in his endeavor because he is profoundly unlikeable.
Posted by Jen | March 18, 2008 12:28 PM"
True. Plus, even some conservative intellectuals in major conservative outlets were complaining that he slighted atheism. Romney sounded too Madison Avenue to pull anything off convincingly (from "Gosh I love America" to nonsense like doubling Gitmo to talking about Massachusetts being so blue it's almost purple like his expensive suit).
I'm sick of babysitting Israel. I hate that we have to kowtow to these jerks all the time.
That said I liked it.
Holy shit. Magnificent speech. I can't remember the last time I saw a major politician show such respect for the intelligence of the American people.
Unfortunately, I agree with some above that it's going to be hard to get this thing out through our idiot media. That speech does justice to the complexities of a long history, where there are no longer any simple heroes or villains.
A KBY-
The problem is, Republicans will still be a political force next year even if Barack is elected. This means they can *BLOCK* anything he tries to get done. Like I said, he needs to come out swinging, with acts like getting Bernanke to resign, getting Volcker or someone else to get back to the Fed, siccing the FBI and the DOJ on Wall Street, and essentially, having his 100 Days.
What I am saying is that if Barack wins, and he doesn't do this, he may become Hoover.
Not only would this kill any chance he has at another term, but it would doom the Democrats for a generation. I wonder how great that would be for our country.
I blame the media for our fall from grace almost as much as I blame Bush. I'd say about 55 Bush, 35 Media, 10 our own arrogance.
I agree with Greg. There's only one candidate who truly knows the magnitude of our impending economic disaster, and who therefore has a shot at a two-term presidency.
Me.
Monster, if you think you can *prevent* the economic calamity we're going to see, then you're smoking some potent stuff.
Nothing can stop that now. The question is how prepared Barack is to take immediate steps to arrest the problem, and, indeed, whether whoever is president *CAN* deal with the problems. It may be that the *next* one is better off.
And if the *next* one is a Republican, it will mean that the Democrats have been consigned to the dustbin of history.
I'm not too worried about the idiot media. Anyone who ever considered voting for Obama is going to give the whole speech a chance.
What El Cid said. X 1,000.
Looks like there's been a change in the CNN dot com headline... Gone from "original sin of slavery" to "Obama: We can move beyond racial wounds."
It's still the lead story.
pesto, from what my father and others who were in the Carter administration Treasury Dept. said, Carter, to paraphrase Churchill, did the right thing after he exhausted all the other alternatives.
Perfect speech, except for the one line about how our real problem is outsourcing corporations.
I disliked that he consigned the hatred of Wright to something practiced by older generations, when in my experience Wright's views are mainstream and common among African-Americans of all ages.
I disliked when he threw his grandmother under the bus for her entirely understandable fear of black criminals. (Google "the color of crime")
I disliked that he didn't point out that what drives the continued de facto segregation in this is the entirely justified aversion of whites, Latinos, Asian and middle- and upper-class African-Americans to living around large groups of lower-class blacks. The problem therefore is sick ghetto culture, and the dysgenic behavior of young girls who think that becoming a baby factory is a responsible choice in life.
Aside from all that, he gave a great speech, an optimistic speech that made me more likely to vote for him. The end story of the white girl whose story touches the heart of an old black man, and its hopeful idea that whites and blacks can really come together around common class and national interests, managed to get through my race realist heart to its humanistic core. Obama is one of the most gifted people I have ever known. I'm inclined to think that we ought to give him a try, and see what happens.
So Greg, you're worried that Obama might do the right thing (in your view) for the wrong reason?
I have no first-hand or even 2nd or nth-hand knowledge of the Carter Treasury Dept., but it's pretty weird to say, "We need Volcker!!" and "No, not another Carter!!" in consecutive sentences.
I will vote for the Democratic candidate in November. But reading this speech it highlights to me that Obama has no experience to draw on, all he has is hope. His lack of accomplishment and experience is like the proverbial elephant in the living room, it is bad manners to talk about it. His personal story is inspirational, he overcame tremendous odds to become a US Senator. But he was running for President within a year of taking that office. He has had, to date, a typical freshman term, unremarkable. He aspires to create a beautiful world, his dreams are the dreams of all decent and honorable Americans. Yet, even he can't articulate, at least to me, why he can succeed where others have failed. I am very worried.
The problem therefore is sick ghetto culture, and the dysgenic behavior of young girls who think that becoming a baby factory is a responsible choice in life.
Maybe J.P. Morgan just buy all their babies for $200 million.
Pesto -
Carter appointed Volcker in 1979. He had only just given the malaise speech, and fired a bunch of cabinet officers.
The problem was that he didn't start addressing stagflation, driven by the explosion in energy prices, until the second half of his term, because he hadn't expected the crisis to occur under him.
He appointed Volcker as a way to counteract this, and by doing so at such a late point in his presidency, he basically destroyed his chances of reelection. His handling of Iran at the same time was just the nail in the coffin. The economy probably could have done him in by itself.
What I want is a Volcker from day 1, which would mean pushing Bernanke out. I want Obama to take really radical steps because what seems to be occuring right now is a political game aimed at preventing a blowup from happening while Bush is in office.
In January 2009, all bets are off.
Great speech!
Masterful jujutsu move against the Limbaughs and Hannitys and Hillary (since she is carrying McCain's water by unjustly attacking Obama).
Politics ain't beanbag say the cynics.
My favorite part
"This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. What’s remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them."
You have guys like Cedric Daniels who won't "fix the stats." Then you have accountants and managers at Bear Stearns and Enron and other "succussful" "innovative" corporations fixing the stats all the time.
The speech was brilliant. Arguably, the most important quality of a president is not so much the ability to tell us what he thinks but to articulate what we, the people, are thinking. Obama did that.
Um, Ted, that's nowhere near the most important quality of a president. Maybe a public speaker, but not a president.
(And for the last time, I will be voting for Barack in November).
Haven't seen/heard it yet, but after reading it, my take is:
FEARLESS!! Absolutely fuckin' FEARLESS!! Somebody finally had the balls to bring up a discussion that is LONG overdue. And with all it's complexities and nuance.
Sadly, I think it will be viewed as a Rorshach test. People will interpret it in whatever way fits into their previous views on race. But perhaps it will change a few people's minds slowly. In any event, it's about time this discussion finally came up to a large audience. I applaud Obama not only for his excellent oratory, but also for having the courage to go against CW and get real on an important issue.
"Here's the pitch and (crack) it's going back...BACK...WAY BACK...AND IT'S OUTTA HERE!!!!"
A fantastic speech and an amazing moment in American history. Obama shows us that to strive for a better world is what it's all about. Whether he wins or not, and I think he will, is secondary. That's what distinguishes him from Hillary et al.
If Barack Obama is not elected, I despair for the future of our country.
If the biases and prejudices of the American electorate means that a patently inferior candidate is selected, then I guess we deserve whomever we vote in.
Right now though, I still feel tingly. What a speech.
Okay, Greg, I see where you're coming from now. FWIW, I don't think any of the candidates would do what you're suggesting. But that's an indictment of our society as a whole, and the electorate, as much as it is an indictment of these candidates, the 2 Parties, or our political system.
It is what it is, and we are what we are.
i got verklempt 2x while reading it; his message is very poignant to me. i will be surprised it a lot of msm attn is paid to this though.
Good speech. It shows that Barack Obama is awake from the neck up; I mean that as a compliment: http://theseedsof9-11.com
Not quite as good as Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural address, but close. It's almost as if circumstances conspired to force this man, with his uniquely relevant biography, talents and sensibility, to address just this topic at this time. He'd avoided plunging into the flames till now for obvious political reasons, but thank God he was forced, for political reasons, to plunge in. He came out unsinged.
Pesto, you know I agree 100% with your post; that's why I said we're screwed :(
Whoa, stevtar, hold on.
This speech is good, but there's no way it's in the same league as the 2nd Inaugural Address.
Greg -
He couldn't afford the concision or the consistent poetry of the 2nd Inaugural Address because he had to meet political needs which demanded length, nuance and prosaic intricacy. Given those requirements, I think the speech was almost as effective as Licoln's.
Great speech. The way he dealt with it is completely different from politics as usual. You can't please everyone, or win everybody over, but you can try to be fair to everyone, and over time something good will come of it.
I want a Tshirt that says
"I am here because of Ashley".
I want a Tshirt that says
"I am here because of Ashley".
I want a Tshirt that says
"I am here because of Ashley".
An amazing speech. I just teared up and I haven't cried in a decade.
I getting tired of people saying (paraphrase), "other people won't vote for him so I'd better not." This was all I heard from people before Iowa. This latest stuff seemed to make it ok for people to start saying this again.
It took 40 years (FORTY?!?), but an American politician finally has picked the ball up from MLK and is moving forward. I will vote for Obama in any election I can until the day I die.
I don't care if he wins or not. I don't care about the polls or the MSM. I don't care about Appalachian White Males or Southern Baptist Democrats or last wave immigrant Latinos. I hope they vote with me, but I think the choice is clear and the answer is easy.
"I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible."
Certainly a minor point, because he's speaking to the domestic voter. But sincerely, this is possible in lots of countries around the world, and that's part of the lesson of Obama as a "post-global icon" or whatever you want to call him.
This was astounding.
When is the last time you were spoken to as an adult by a politician?
Any criticism of his relationship to Wright by the right can be answered by two passages:
The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine
--- and ---
And it means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.
But reading this speech it highlights to me that Obama has no experience to draw on, all he has is hope
I keep reading stuff like this, and it honestly astounds me.
So is the idea that what he ought to have done is injected his speech with some platitudes about his legislative accomplishments? Maybe he should have gone with something scary like "when the phone rings at 3:00 am, and the black folks are looting the stores, who do you want answering the phone?"
The fact that he didn't take this golden opportunity to drone on about his record convinces you that "hope" is all he's got? Like somehow only the depraved or the deficient would ever be so desperate as to fall back on somthing so lame as "hope", since clearly hope cannot possibly co-exist with the kind of "experience" needed to guide the ship of state through dangerous waters.
Really?
This election cycle, more than any other, has convinced me of just how badly some people actually want, or even need, the kind of brazen pandering and cynical bloodless marketing that has created such a massive gulf between the types of people that this country needs, and the types of pols that it actually gets. I guess it makes them feel good and safe and warm, like an old smelly blanket that they don't want to put through the wash for fear that it'll fall apart (and God knows, we can't get a new blanket! Heaven forbid!).
Me, it just makes me want to puke.
Man's a ninja.
At this point the question is not whether Obama is good enough for America, but rather if America is good enough for Obama...
The most interesting apart about the speech was not that Obama tried to solve his "problem" with Wright, but that he called on the American people to realize that, in effect, the fact that he even had to give the speech is a problem. When he repeated over and over towards the end, "Not this time", he asked, implored, the American people to never again accept this sort of divisive discourse within their culture. This is a strong calling - it's not asking "what you can do for your country" but rather, "what do we want do for our country". It's a very 21st century concept of the relationship between the citizenry and its government. We shall see if Americans are ready to sign on to this - if they are ready for the future v. the past.
Peter -- let me see if I understand you correctly. The problem is that there are still some white people in America who dislike spiteful, vulgar and ignorant black preachers, and the mobs that cheer them on?
I do dislike them, though not as much as I dislike those who make excuses for them out of a misplaced sense of justice.
The reason a person chooses a church is because the church represents their beliefs. Thus the reason for denominations in churches.
A 20 year membership to a church means frankly that he embraces the beliefs/projections of that church...no matter how Obama wants to paint the picture. Furthermore, to suggest the manic behaviors of a black church are just that and nothing more is insulting to the general public. Get a grip America...read between the lines of the Rev Wright rhetoric and look at the website of the church.It reeks of white hatred pure and simple.
I liked the speech, and I like Barack Obama. However, as a Swede, I was offended by the line: "I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible."
The notion that The United States is the greatest country on earth is embraced by every American that I've ever met. And that's fine, if it wasn't usually expressed by someone who thinks that Iraq is situated in Mexico. Sure, Mr Obama is better educated than that (probably thanks to his four years in Indonesia), but the attitude that The United States is a "better" country than, oh , say Sweden, permeates the entire political debate on foreign relations.
I'm not the biggest fan of Sweden, but we still beat The United States on basically every issue - health care, economy, education, social security, equality, the environment and immigration. These facts, however, are usually repudiated by Americans with an ignorant comment like: "That's nice, but I don't want to be a communist."
There is a suburb to Stockholm called Södertälje, with 80 000 inhabitants. Last year, it welcomed more refugees from Iraq than The United States and Canada combined. So before you claim to live in the greatest country in the world, with liberty and justice for all - take a good look in the mirror.
I liked the speech, and I like Barack Obama. However, as a Swede, I was offended by the line: "I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible."
The notion that The United States is the greatest country on earth is embraced by every American that I've ever met. And that's fine, if it wasn't usually expressed by someone who thinks that Iraq is situated in Mexico. Sure, Mr Obama is better educated than that (probably thanks to his four years in Indonesia), but the attitude that The United States is a "better" country than, oh , say Sweden, permeates the entire political debate on foreign relations.
I'm not the biggest fan of Sweden, but we still beat The United States on basically every issue - health care, economy, education, social security, equality, the environment and immigration. These facts, however, are usually repudiated by Americans with an ignorant comment like: "That's nice, but I don't want to be a communist."
There is a suburb to Stockholm called Södertälje, with 80 000 inhabitants. Last year, it welcomed more refugees from Iraq than The United States and Canada combined. So before you claim to live in the greatest country in the world, with liberty and justice for all - take a good look in the mirror.
I liked the speech, and I like Barack Obama. However, as a Swede, I was offended by the line: "I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible."
The notion that The United States is the greatest country on earth is embraced by every American that I've ever met. And that's fine, if it wasn't usually expressed by someone who thinks that Iraq is situated in Mexico. Sure, Mr Obama is better educated than that (probably thanks to his four years in Indonesia), but the attitude that The United States is a "better" country than, oh, say Sweden, permeates the entire political debate on foreign relations.
I'm not the biggest fan of Sweden, but we still beat The United States on basically every issue - health care, economy, education, social security, equality, the environment and immigration. These facts, however, are usually repudiated by Americans with an ignorant comment like: "That's nice, but I don't want to be a communist."
There is a suburb to Stockholm called Södertälje, with 80 000 inhabitants. Last year, it welcomed more refugees from Iraq than The United States and Canada combined. So before you claim to live in the greatest country in the world, with liberty and justice for all - take a good look in the mirror.
Of all the Presidential contenders in this present Political Presidential Campaign, I have tried to listen to them all and read their pieces and tend to pretend Ilike them all as aperson.
Now that I am beginning to know them not only by what people write about them but by their own self proclaim, so far, I can come to a conclusion that the most strogest of them all is Mr. Barrack Obama.
His last time dodging from the missles of a Kitchen Sink. hauled over to him without a damage and now the work of Devilish Fox writer, this had worked in favour of Obama today.
One good thing is that now we know more about our would be Mr. President Barrack Obama. This futher propel him before the people of america, that America comes first and there shoul be no discord in providing Wealthy ideas and in throwing un helpful ideas like that of his past pastor.
He put forward that of his Leadership quality and shows him that he is not afraid to air is opinion be you the Elephant, the most Racial biggot in america. As such, he feels that america should move forward and stop blowing Racial Lines for their Selfish interest, rather they should bring and unite people together instaad to do oterwise.
It is my believe that the American will live above the issue of race and foster to Integrate together as a United Nation in America.
Comments closed April 01, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
Loved it.
Posted by stoneyforest | March 18, 2008 11:48 AM