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The Soundbite From Obama's Race Speech
What's the soundbite going to be? How do you boil down Obama's speech into a snappy response? This, to me is it.
Wright's mistake was underestimating America's ability to move forward.
Wright's mistake was underestimating America's ability to move forward.
The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It’s that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country – a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen – is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope – the audacity to hope – for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.Implicit in this argument is that to continue wallowing in the mire of racial paranoia is to make exactly the same mistake Wright made: assuming that America is in racial paralysis.
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Great speech, and I think Josh nails it when he states the obviuos that Barack did not seem to havehis 'A' game. I read it then heard it on Fox, the only station we get at work, and read a lot better than was said, but nonetheless I forwarded to all my family and friends because it was a great speech. I think it will be ignored by those that have already made up their mind against him but I think it will appeal to those with their eyes and ears open. It can not hurt to be dilligent and personally I have never read a speach as well written about the America that I see than this one given today. I think it really echoes the sentiments and feelings of may who make up my generation (Gen X or Y?).
March 18, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've mentioned before that a great speaker doesn't superimpose one "A game" onto every speech regardless of content.
Obama, in my opinion, (and I say that because someone is going to think I'm stating a fact, and say that I'm wrong) Obama has shown more integrity now than ever. He has not wavered from his overall vision. He denounced Rev. Wright's divisive way of achieving that vision.
Some want him to banish Rev. Wright into exile. And those people still won't vote for him.
Somehow the "you can be president if you keep the kind of friends we keep" never had moral grounding.
March 18, 2008 1:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
The orgy of hate is from people who were never going to vote for Obama anyway. I worry about the working class voter in PA on the fence; but I doubt that that voter was comfortable with Obama under any circumstances. Without the Wright issue, Obama would have been free to pursue them on economic issues.
Which he still should do. Because as he made clear in the speech, these are common goals amongst the working class, regardless of race.
There is a sea change, and the speech that proved that Obama is the real deal, made that obvious. It may not get him to the White HOuse this time; he's made an impact on history. He was brave. He was bold. He was authentic. It will resonate.
If McCain wins, he will be a one-term president. And my take on Hillary -- so will she. I think she is out totally out of touch with the needs of the country, except in tiny little increments on her 10 point plans. I think she is brittle and rigid and so sure of her rightness that she will not be effective at adapting to a world that she doesn't even recognize now. I think there are serious bombshells in Bill's business dealings, the library and foundation donations. She will pick a weak VP who will go down with her. I predict she would be a one-term president as well, if she can beat McCain. And I have serious doubts about that.
I still want Obama to be our president. There's hope. He has achieved what has never been achieved in America. And the speech, whatever the current outcome, began a new path to his destiny. The 14 year olds who will vote in 2012 will be even more post-racial than the young people voting now and those numbers will soar. The acrimony in either a McCain or Hillary administration will be so poisonous, and our recent choice so obvious, people will be even more weary than they are now.
Today Obama was bold, brave, honest and authentic. That will not be forgotten. I hope America answers his call to their better angels.
March 18, 2008 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink