Comments on: Obama's Speech Was Brilliant, But ...

New Republic: Speech On Race Struck The Right Tone But May Not Please All

[dovesong-2009]

It is important to respect one another''s differences. I think Obama represents this. He understands both sides and regards both negatives in each of our struggles. It is unfair to say that he should have left his church when you know nothing about it. It is unfair to critize the voice of his pastor when you have not heard all of his sermons over the last 20 years. It is clear that these controversial sermons were mixed with love and anarchy, but were rare occurances in this man''s 30 year history of preaching. You cannot condemn someone for cursing two or three times out of over 1500 or more sermons. Those lost in the past will be left behind, because this train is moving forward. Either get on borad, or stand in the way and be run down by progress. This nation has got to change. I encourage you to listen the Wright sermon "The Audacity of Hope" and judge for yourself.

[popstom1]

Obama and a fish out of water have a lot in common

[taotxzen]

The people that remain unmoved by Obamas speech are those that falsely labeled him a (Mus-lum), mocked his name and accused him of being unpatriotic.

They are blissfully unaware that their version of politics is what has divided this great country and they have no intention of joining the circle of a united America.

[bamadude55]

I think we now see how equality, according to race, works in this country. If a white minister said the things that supported his race like Rev. Wright did, we would now be putting fires out in many cities due to rioting. Also, the networks would be advocating removing all tax-exempt status from white churches, if not suggesting closing the doors. Race relations will never improve until we are all treated equally. But that means that we all have to contribute to society by working, paying taxes, raising and being responsible for our own children, obeying and respecting the law...but there I go...being racist!

[pugster]

Michael Crowley hit right off to the tee when it comes to Obama''s speech. There are tremendous opportunties to Black people since MLK days and Obama took advantage of that. When Ferraro tries to remind rest of the non-white people that, the Obama camp threw her under the bus. Obama''s colorful speech addresses none of those issues that non-white people talk about in their dinner tables every day. Instead Obama wants to dwell back to the past when black people are exploited. Come on, mexicans, native Americans, Asians are exploited before yet we don''t look behind the rearview mirror about this. Obama has to lay off this race card talk about talk about concerns of non-white people if he wants to cross the racial divide.

[taotxzen]

Obama broke with the pattern, played out by both major contenders for the Democratic nomination, of distancing themselves from controversial supporters, applauding their resignations and plunging back into the talking points. Obama used the constant harping on Wright''s strident remarks as an opening to delve into the thorny complications of race in America. "The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we''ve never really worked through%u2014a part of our union that we have yet to perfect," Obama said. "And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat to our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American." At that point, 20 minutes into the speech, the audience of several hundred invited guests burst into applause.

(cont)

[taotxzen]

(cont)

It remains to be seen whether Obama''s speech will quiet the cable news fixation with Wright%u2014and whether addressing race in such a head-on fashion will pay dividends, in this closely fought contest, which has seen African-American voters flock overwhelmingly to his side. Will it win over the blue-collar white males who have been trending toward his opponent, or drive them away? But if it was a roll of the dice, Obama took the gamble with gusto%u2014and deftly sought to repurpose the Wright controversy as an engine of the kind of change he has offered as the central thrust of his candidacy.

Richard Wolffe, Newsweek

[taotxzen]

Mr. Obama%u2019s Profile in Courage

There are moments %u2014 increasingly rare in risk-abhorrent modern campaigns %u2014 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%u2019s 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.

NY Times

[rplat]

Obama aimed to cover his rear, nothing more nothing less. He willingly subscribed to the lying rhetoric of that vile, white hating preacher for over 20 years. Anyone that believes he didn''t understand and internalize Wright''s message is either a member of his cult or hopelessly naive.

[ranger1948]

sosoe
By coming on here and calling everyone a racist, you are sounding like a racist. I think obama has no chance of winning now because of his affiliation with this church. You will call me a racist but i hacve friends of all races including Muslims. I was hoping we could elect a president that would pull us out of Iraq. Why are we fighting their war ? If they wanted Sadaam out of power it was their responsibility to take him out. And why are we paying for their war ? I have Muslim friends and i do not consider the terrorists we are fighting to be Muslims. They have violated the teachings of their own religion. I think we have the same situation we had eight years ago , now we have to choose who we will think will do the least evil. I wanted someone in office to pull this country together as one nation and make this country great again. Someone who would address the problems we have here at home. I would like tyo have seen a black person run who is truly qualified and had more experience than obama.