I have to admit the cynical side of me thought this speech would be more of the same. Boy was I wrong! On Hardball yesterday, Chris Matthews called a speech that will read and examined for years to come like the Gettysburg Address or Wilson's 14 points. I agree. It was stunning.
Think about what this man is going to be like as president. Think of the poise and intelligence he is going to use when he tackles issues that are as big as this.
Part 3 tomorrow...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Obama's Historical Speech On Race 3-18-08 Pt. 2 of 4
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5 comments:
Golly, the Gettysburg address? If we act quickly, perhaps we can get his bust added to Mount Rushmore in time for the inauguration.
Ignore the tired cynicism, Mark. You might as well get used to it. If Obama wins the White House, we are going to be hearing a lot of critics saying many things that are largely going to be untrue.
Maybe when they see what America can be with a leader as thoughtful as Obama they might come around.
Tired cynicism? That was a perfect blend of wit & sarcasm, nearly matching the wonderific oratory skills of our favorite junior senator.
We know blacks are angry. Does history “change” because of their anger? Will history “change” when they gripe about it or does it make them EVEN MORE angry? I have a few observations about that speech. Flag lapel pins are “faux patriotism,” but when you’re in trouble because of your astonishingly bad judgement of other people’s character then it’s OK to bedeck the stage with more flags than you’d expect to see at a Fourth of July parade? People can accuse others of “cherry-picking” the despicable things that Wright has said, but defend him by reverse cherry-picking only the things he finds admirable in him? People claim to want to move “beyond race,” but won’t repudiate an “advisor” of 20 years who is a flaming racist? I’d have given him the benefit of the doubt if allegations surfaced that he *used to be* a member of a racist black pseudo-Christian “church,” but left it 20 years ago; or that he *once knew* an unrepetent member of the Weather Underground, but had long ago repudiated that association. But neither of those two scenarios is the case; in fact just the opposite is true. Even if he decided that Wright didn’t need to change his ways and if what he heard was bothering him, Obama could’ve found another black church with a less repulsive minister. But he didn’t. He stayed put. If Obama didn’t believe in the hate rhetoric of his minister, he should have left the church. You don’t expose your children to what you yourself don’t endorse and nobody attends a church for 20 years if they do not agree with the teachings of their pastor. Good thing for him that his racist grandmother doesn’t own a company or work in the media or politics. People like Wright, Sharpton and Jackson would have her ass railroaded out of business.
Everyone’s a victim. You’re part of the problem if you keep talking about Jeremiah Wright. Everyone’s churches have crazy demagogues. Schools need more money. Leave illegal aliens alone. Never mind all the black grievance-mongers who have built careers sowing seeds of divisions. Look at all those talk show hosts and conservative commentators.
I've heard the term, "throw grandma under the bus", but Obama is the first politician I've seen who has taken that to heart.
...I don't have the Gettysburg Address committed to memory, but was there a quip in there where Lincoln side-checked his own grandmother, too?
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