NY Times editorial: "Mr. Obama's Profile in Courage"

[maximusveritas]

Yet another glowing review of Obama's speech:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/opinion/19wed1.html?ref=opinion

Here are some key excerpts:

There are moments — increasingly rare in risk-abhorrent modern campaigns — when politicians are called upon to bare their fundamental beliefs. In the best of these moments, the speaker does not just salve the current political wound, but also illuminates larger, troubling issues that the nation is wrestling with.

Inaugural addresses by Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt come to mind, as does John F. Kennedy’s 1960 speech on religion, with its enduring vision of the separation between church and state. Senator Barack Obama, who has not faced such tests of character this year, faced one on Tuesday. It is hard to imagine how he could have handled it better.

Mr. Obama’s eloquent speech should end the debate over his ties to Mr. Wright since there is nothing to suggest that he would carry religion into government. But he did not stop there. He put Mr. Wright, his beliefs and the reaction to them into the larger context of race relations with an honesty seldom heard in public life.

We can’t know how effective Mr. Obama’s words will be with those who will not draw the distinctions between faith and politics that he drew, or who will reject his frank talk about race. What is evident, though, is that he not only cleared the air over a particular controversy — he raised the discussion to a higher plane.

While I was initially worried that this might sink Obama's campaign, it's now clear that he's not only survived, but seized the opportunity to present himself in his own words to the American people. While his opponents have been trying to define him by associating him with others, he has finally broken through and defined himself as his own man.

[Blue_Roses]

1. He had to do this

Not because of Wright but because it was the "right" thing to do. Everything he touched on in that awesome speech today has been simmering, ready to explode any minute. He addressed the issues head-on and with dignity and grace. Our country needed to hear this. It is indeed time. Time to move past the racial divide once and for all.

[calimary]

2. Yep, I think he did what needed to be done and he said what needed to be said.

People who still wanna cling to the "God damn America" clip have been minimized, as has that clip to some extent. Some of the sharpest fangs and longest pointiest teeth have been pulled out. He just took some of their ammo away, and short-sheeted their inevitable swiftboating plans. That swiftboating shit will still come, but now it's in a different context, and to many it just won't have the impact it once might have. He's neutralized it to a large extent, and with enough people. They'll use it alright, but they'll be cutting with a much more blunt blade. Instead of a switchblade, he ground it down to butter-knife strength.

Really good preemptive self-innoculation. REALLY good. Met it head-on - applied directly to the forehead, even!

[algol]

3. If you're gonna be a bear,

be a grizzly.

[EFerrari]

4. While the Clinton campaign tried to dirty him via guilt by association

Obama embraced his connection -- to his family, to his community and to his country.

Seldom have we heard such a complicated position explained so clearly and with so much affection. We're used to public speakers dumbing up their issue for us.

What a relief to hear a grown up speak.

[TAWS]

5. NY Times might want to rethink their endorsement of Hillary

[catgirl]

6. I agree with your comments

and it must not have been easy for him to put himself out there like that.
Obama has the courage and strength we need in our new leader.

[donheld]

7. Looks to me like Barack knows how to capsize a swift boat

:)

[Perry Logan]

8. It's good to see the NYT coming out on our side for a change.