Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Obama's speech on race

Go and read. One of the bravest political speeches you're ever likely to read.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just don't know.

He's still not working for me.

I think it's a political speech, like one's that everyone else makes.

John B. said...

Pam,
I'll have to respectfully disagree with your assessment that this was just another speech. If you haven't done so, I'd urge you to read the whole thing, long as it is.

This was about something much, much larger than, even, the future of his campaign. I don't know if this speech saved his candidacy, but I do know that I've never respected him more than I do now.

Anonymous said...

John, trust that I read it. (And please don't assume that because I wasn't as impressed by it that it was because I hadn't read it).

But as a female, it made me realize how terribly low down on the totem pole that we (women) all are. A speech like that, about gender, would have only generated rolling eyes and comments of 'what a whiner'. Yes, his words were a HUGE advancement and eloquent, but this whole primary season has made me feel disenfranchised as hell. By not connecting with Obama - it is either assumed that you are racist, uninformed, or 'just supporting Hillary because she is a woman'. It has been a miserable, lose-lose experience. For the first time in my lifetime, I have had to realize - no, accept - where women are. This isn't all about Hillary, it's the convergence of many different things - but many way that I speak with feel as I do, we've barely made 'baby steps'. I feel diminished (and silenced).

Anonymous said...

"but I do know that I've never respected him more than I do now"

Consider John, that you've never had problem respecting him in the first place.

It was a political speech, like all of his speeches. And it was good one. But the notion of Obama as somehow "more than a politician" is flawed. The guy has been running for president his entire life. He is the product of the Chicago democratic machine.

I suppose, as a citizen of Illinois, I'm just wondering when I will again get to have two Senators who are interested in being Senators. Our state is in real trouble. Property and Sales Taxes are shooting through the roof. Roads are not able to be repaired. Schools are in the crapper. Services are being cut everywhere. Everything is being privatized. The average price for a home is 20X the average income. Unions are out of control (to the extent that goods and services become unpurchase-able or un-sellable). The hegemony of Chicago city needs dominates all surrounding communities. These are complex issues. But I'll tell you one thing, we didn't send a Senator to Washington to simply vote "Present" on anything tough so that he might stand a better chance in a Presidential bid.

I'm angry about it. He still gets paid doesn't he? It is fraudulent to say the least.

It is EASY to do nothing and then criticize those who did things wrong.

But I need someone who does things.