Obama Race Speech Reaction.."speech unlike any delivered "

[DerekJ]

Link

Mother Jones, David Corn:

With racial sentiments swirling in the 2008 campaign--notably, Geraldine Ferraro's claim that Barack Obama is not much more than an affirmative action case and the controversy over his former pastor's over-the-top remarks-- Senator Obama on Tuesday morning responded to these recent fusses with a speech unlike any delivered by a major political figure in modern American history. While explaining--not excusing--Reverend Jeremiah Wright's remarks (which Obama had already criticized), he called on all Americans to recognize that even though the United States has experienced progress on the racial reconciliation front in recent decades (Exhibit A: Barack Obama), racial anger exists among both whites and blacks, and he said that this anger and its causes must be fully acknowledged before further progress can be achieved. Obama did this without displaying a trace of anger himself.

Atlantic.com, James Fallows:

It was a moment that Obama made great through the seriousness, intelligence, eloquence, and courage of what he said. I don't recall another speech about race with as little pandering or posturing or shying from awkward points, and as much honest attempt to explain and connect, as this one.

Radar, Charles Kaiser:

He did it.

No other presidential candidate in the last forty years has managed to speak so much truth so eloquently at such a crucial juncture in his campaign as Barack Obama did today. And he did it by speaking about race, the most persistent source of hatred among us since America began.

It turns out that a candidate for president with a white mother and a black father has a capacity that no one else has ever had before: he can articulate an equal understanding of black racism and white racism --and that makes it possible for him to condemn both of them with equal passion.

Atlantic.com, Andrew Sullivan:

But I do want to say that this searing, nuanced, gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian speech is the most honest speech on race in America in my adult lifetime. It is a speech we have all been waiting for for a generation. Its ability to embrace both the legitimate fears and resentments of whites and the understandable anger and dashed hopes of many blacks was, in my view, unique in recent American history.

The American Prospect, Kate Sheppard:

Obama's much-anticipated speech on race today hit the appropriate tone not just for addressing the Jeremiah Wright flap, but for framing the relevance of his candidacy in general. It was best in the way it framed the discomfort and resentment in the discussion of race in America that has lead to a "racial stalemate" for so many years, and made race "a part of our union that we have not yet made perfect."

[DearAbby]

1. I am so proud to add my voice to this post

:applause: and a K & R

Thank you

[Mme. Defarge]

2. K&R!

[LSparkle]

3. Wow -- even Andrew Sullivan was impressed ...

Before the speech on MSNBC, Joe Scabrous was skeptical of Obama being able to accomplish
much with just another talk. Afterward, he seemed chastened, like someone had let all the
air out of his balloon ...

[KnaveRupe]

44. Sullivan has been on board with Obama for a while, IIRC. (n/t)

[DerekJ]

4. GOBAMA

The attack dogs are on the loose trying to minimize the effect of his speech...

[NJmaverick]

5. I am so happy to see Obama rise to and meet this

Challenge head on and with great ability. His speech only confirms my support for him.

[quiet.american]

6. So very proud of Obama. nt

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

7. kicked and recccccccccccccccccc'd

[zanne]

8. I support him more than ever.

Good work, Mr. Obama!

[SunsetDreams]

9. K&R

[K Gardner]

10. Proud of Obama, Proud of What America Can Be..

[meow mix]

11. K&R

[debatepro]

12. Well said lets gather all the positive quotes in one thread.

http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/03/18/raise-your-expectations/

Oliver Willis:
One of my personal maxims has been that politicians will disappoint you. The ones you like will have personal failings, while the ones you detest will fail time and time again. With Senator Obama, for the first time in my life, I have watched a political leader who I don’t worry if he’ll be up to the task.

It’s like you had Michael Jordan in his prime or Joe Montana with 2 minutes to go. It’s that feeling where you say to yourself: Ok, breathe, he’s got it.

Chill, Barack’s got it.

[C_U_L8R]

13. President Obama

sounds even sweeter this afternoon.

[roguevalley]

21. eloquence after eight years of nuc-cuh-ler is beyond amazing.

[DerekJ]

14. post more positive reactions here...

[uponit7771]

15. He did his "thang" today...I'm proud to be an American

[npincus]

16. Hail to The Chief

President Obama.

Sounds good.

[stillcool]

17. Thank You!

[helderheid]

18. fantastic speech. K&R

[Scurrilous]

19. K & R

:thumbsup:

[mod mom]

20. thanks for posting this. This speech will be remembered long after we're all gone.

[Window]

22. K/R.

:kick:

[boppers]

23. *This* is what a president looks like.

Sad that we had forgotten.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

24. Simply amazing--the speech AND the reaction to it!

[Window]

25. K/R.

:kick:

[DerekJ]

26. self kick

Add more positive reactions here Duers :)

[yellerpup]

43. Inspiring and audacious

down to earth and wicked smart. K&R!

[myrna minx]

27. It's a new day!

:patriot:

[NMMatt]

28. Obama = best politician of our generation

His ability to turn lemons into lemonade is similar to Bill Clinton, however, he goes a step further. He does it with a cool deftness and oratory skills not seen since JFK.

[IsItJustMe]

29. K & R

[jasmine621]

30. So why didn't we all go bat shit crazy in '84 and '88?

After Reagan’s reelection in 1984, Jackson concentrated on building what he called a Rainbow Coalition, which would organize people who were hurt by Reagan administration policies—racial minorities, the poor, small farmers, working mothers, the unemployed, some labor union members, gays, and lesbians. Jackson believed the Democrats had paid too little attention to people left out of the American mainstream, and he blamed this lack of concern for the party’s defeats in four of the previous five presidential elections. He argued that Democratic leaders were too timid in opposing President Reagan and that they had yielded to the Reagan economic agenda of aiding the rich and the nation’s military-industrial interests at the expense of the poor.

In addition to his attacks on Republican policies, Jackson encouraged disadvantaged people to participate in the political process, to register and vote. With enthusiasm, he traveled the country, preaching a message of hope and empowerment and urging America to undergo a moral transformation. This transformation would place the needs of people above corporate profits while inspiring Americans to overcome racial bias. At the same time, Jackson urged black Americans to take more responsibility for their own communities. Jackson's high public profile gave him numerous opportunities, especially through interviews on major television networks, to publicize the need for greater educational and economic opportunities for inner-city youth. Jackson helped to register millions of new voters, who contributed to many Democratic victories in the 1986 legislative elections.

Jackson campaigned again in 1988 for the Democratic presidential nomination. He took up the cause of the victims of 'economic violence,' including indebted farmers who had their lands seized by creditors, and women who received less pay than men doing similar work. He also gave the nation a vivid description of the problems caused by drug abuse and the drug trade. Jackson focused on new and expanded programs to help people improve their lives and proposed financing these efforts by reductions in military spending and higher taxes on wealthy people.

Jackson won 15 primaries and caucuses with the support of almost all blacks who voted as well as one-eighth of white Democrats. Jackson received seven million votes in all, one-third of the total Democratic vote, and more than one-fourth of the Democratic convention delegates. He electrified the national Democratic Convention with an impassioned speech in which he used the refrain “Keep Hope Alive.” This speech and his success in the primaries forced other Democratic leaders to recognize the power of his coalition and to acknowledge him as its spokesman. Jackson's efforts and campaigns helped black candidates to crack racial barriers that had kept them from higher political offices. By 1988 more than 6,800 blacks served in elected positions at the local, state, and federal level, and black mayors governed at least four of the ten largest U.S. cities. Jackson continued to work for racial and economic justice, and in 1996 the two major organizations he founded, Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition, were merged into the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition."
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557067_2/Jesse_Jackson.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So Bill Clinton states the facts and is accused of being racist?
Jesse was every bit as inspiring during that time as Obama is now. What was the problem with Jackson? Was he too "black?" His message of unity was way before Obama.

[NOLALady]

35. Too Black?

Yep. I think you've got it.

[woolldog]

36. That was almost 20 years ago

A lot of people voting now weren't even alive then. It's a completely different generation, a different racial climate, different rules racially. You can't compare then and now.

[KnaveRupe]

45. Some of us DID.

But we didn't have the Internet then to network with others who shared our views. Jesse's Rainbow Coalition didn't have access to the kind of grass-roots fundraising that's possible now, and Jesse's rhetorical style was a little too "ethnic" for the mainstream Democratic bigwigs of the 1980's to get behind.

Isn't it great that what Jesse tried to do 24 years ago is finally being done today?

[Terran]

46. Jesse's a great guy, but:

he's a preacher. I never wanted a preacher to be President. Plus I was young n' stoopid back then.

[mzmolly]

31. Happy to recommend -

thank you so much.

[goclark]

32. 58th R and a K

[ClayZ]

33. GOBAMA! Wooo Hoooo! K and R

[calimary]

34. Hey, I'm a rude pundit, too, on this! Made HuffPo!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-lyon/our-joshua_b_92246.html

[judasdisney]

37. Imagine 8 Future Years of Homeruns Like This

From Lincoln to Obama ... Today's speech is a chapter in U.S. History that can never be erased.

[paparush]

38. SO MUCH DIFFERENT than 8 years of listening to Bush** Bumble-Stumble-Mumble

[Bonobo]

39. k/r

[Texas Hill Country]

40. Too bad Olbermann said that it was NOT a historical and transcendant speech...

but that it was a great political speech.


BUT much better than listening to Shrub.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jackpine Radical]

42. Among other things, Barack seems to have come up with the perfect reply

to Geraldine Ferraro. The whole speech stands as a rebuke to her idiocy.

[IndyOp]

47. ...at the same time graciously letting her off the hook, I think.

He acknowledged Ferraro's comments as wrong and still, in mentioning his love for his grandmother who made racist statements he is forgiving Ferraro.

[greyghost]

48. He makes me proud to be an American.

[Scurrilous]

49. Kick

:kick: