More Like This: Obama’s Speech
It’s probably too late, but I’ll say this anyway: ignore all the coverage you see of the speech that Obama gave today, and go watch or read it yourself. It’s a little slow at the beginning, but I think it’s one of the best speeches on race in America (and how it affects our political discourse) that I’ve heard from a national politician in a very very long time. Instead of running from the issue, or smoothing it over with meaningless platitudes, Obama grabbed it head on and spoke frankly. I think every politician could take a lesson here. And if they actually paid attention to that lesson, they could help create a climate in which a substantive and productive discussion on race in America could take place.
I have been - and remain - an Obama skeptic. And there are a good number of things I’d change about that speech, were I giving it. That said, I think it represents a real step forward in political discourse. We’d all do well to take a look at it ourselves, instead of through the filter of cable news or short online summaries.
Catzmaw says:
I liked the speech, and particularly like that he wrote it himself instead of by committee, which seems to be the way most political speeches get written these days.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:15 am