Obama's Speech Was Brilliant, But ...

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

(The New Republic)  This column was written by Michael Crowley

---

Barack Obama gave a brilliant, inspiring, intellectually supple speech--but one that may have done little to solve his festering problem with working class white Americans.

It's important to distinguish between these two dimensions of this remarkable address. Those who actually heard or read Obama's entire speech will be reminded that he is a true intellectual--a talented writer and lyrical speaker. Is there another person in American politics capable of giving a speech so organic, so devoid of cant and cliche? Certainly not that pedestrian orator, Hillary Clinton. (The lone exception, ironically, might be Bill Clinton.)

What Obama said from the lectern in Pennsylvania sounded like what you'd expect him to say, in less polished form, in a frank scotch-on-the-rocks conversation. I especially admired his keen analysis of how the media treats "race only as spectacle--as we did in the OJ trial--or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina--or as fodder for the nightly news." That's one reason it's sure to be a hit with elite commentators, not to mention racially super-enlightened liberal Democratic primary voters.

But those weren't the people Obama needed to reach today. His target audience was working class white voters--Reagan Democrats with a historic tendency to let racial prejudice and fear override their other social and economic interests, and whose view of Obama the Jeremiah Wright controversy threaten to permanently warp. That's one reason Obama sounded a striking note of sympathy for racial resentment within white America:

"Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends. Talk show hosts and conservative commentators built entire careers unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism."

"Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze--a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns--this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding."

It will be an epic triumph when American politics puts an end to those distractions. The question is whether a black man can accomplish this. One of Bill Clinton's greatest political assets (before this campaign) was his ability to be a Nixon-in-China when it came to race; his successful mid-90s defense of affirmative action is a perfect example.

For Obama, the task is far more complicated. Perhaps I'm too cynical, but I suspect the speech may fail to meet its goal of assuaging white America in two ways.

The first is the way the speech will be filtered through the media. Many headlines are already focusing on his condemnation of Reverend Jeremiah Wright's rhetoric. But Obama also refused to rhetorically dump Wright. Instead he argued that "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community." This is a complex and nuanced point--one which, taken from the context of Obama's larger assessment of race in America, won't satisfy people horrified by a preacher who blamed 9/11 on U.S. policies. Other headlines are likely to focus on Obama's overall call for racial reconciliation and a more perfect union.

Obama said, quite rightly, that the recent flaps over Wright and Geraldine Ferraro "reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through--a part of our union that we have yet to perfect." But the question is whether working class voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania and West Virginia and elsewhere believe, particularly in a stalled economy, that racially perfecting the union really ought to be a central goal of the next president. I would like to believe so. I'm not convinced they do. (A related point: Obama's speech was almost entirely devoted to the black-white divide. As a strategic political matter, he may have inadvisably glossed over the role of Latinos, who foster as much resentment towards black America as do whites.)

The second way in which Obama's speech may have come up short was the scant attention it devoted to social failures within the black community. This, again, was a theme that Bill Clinton used masterfully to establish himself as both a student of black culture and someone unwilling to indulge its worst excesses. It's true that Obama did urge blacks to avoid "becoming victims of our past," and take "full responsibility for our own lives--by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them." But this was a small part of his speech and not at all its tonal emphasis. Yet it seems quite likely that millions of white voters still see black America as indulgent of criminality and insufficiently devoted to education and work.

Obama's fleeting lines about victimhood and reading to children do little to address that audience. As an alternative, Obama might have benefitted from invoking the example of Bill Cosby, who has morphed from comedian to one of black America's sharpest internal critics. "Your dirty laundry gets out of school at 2:30 every day, it's cursing and calling each other [the N-word] as they're walking up and down the street. They think they're hip. They can't read. They can't write. They're laughing and giggling, and they're going nowhere," Cosby told a group of black activists in 2004 (who, it should be noted, cheered him on). There was nothing like that here from Obama.

Finally, I can't help but think of the familiar complaint that Obama's rhetoric is wonderful--but the specifics of the change he promises are fuzzier. In an entire speech about race in America, Obama never so much as mentioned affirmative action. He laments the state of our disgraceful public school system--yet his own platform doesn't promise the kind of revolutionary (and expensive) overhaul that system requires. Making decisions about the allocation of resources is where things get really tricky, but Obama steered away from those questions.

The information era being what it is, I was already debating my thesis via email with an Obama aide as I wrote this reaction. He warned me against assuming that Reagan Democrats are defined by the same racial prejudices that defined them in the 1980s, back when crime and welfare were primary political issues, when one Willie Horton could turn an election. He may be right. I hope he is. Unfortunately, I fear that America hasn't come nearly as far as he hopes. But it is the answer to that question that will determine the fate of Barack Obama.

[knigochey]

%u201CIf you google swift boat information you will find several quotes of Senator McCain''''s voicing disgust with the slimy but effective smear campaign%u201D ------------- McCain has his own agenda. Why are you bringing that?

%u201CBTW, GW Bush personally donated 5.5 million dollars to that very campaign%u201D ----------- so what? Kerry %u201Cdonated%u201D to his own campaign more money. What does it prove?

%u201CGreat, mission accomplished, meanwhile he goofed off in Arkansas under daddy''''s aeigis occasionally taking pilot training...%u201D. ------------------
Your propagandists forget to inform you that Kerry is 3 years older than Bush. So, when Bush was in National Guard, anti-war sentiments were very strong. Kerry left Vietnam in March 1969
%u201CI cringe to think what else is going to be slung at Senator Obama next%u201D ---------- before the nomination? You must ask Clintons what they doge so far. However, are you implying Wright was made up by Obama%u2019s foes?

%u201C you know like false and fabricated things to scare uninformed voters?%u201D ------------- Don%u2019t you? I%u2019m not a Democratic voter, so I%u2019m informed and not easy to be fooled and scared.

[knigochey]

knigochey - Your message may be important; however, your writing is so poor that it invalidates what you say. If you want to be persuasive, I would suggest that you improve your ability to communicate in a clear and articulate manner. If you do not, you will convince no one -----------

pjb880, English %u2013 is not my native language and I started learning as a very mature person. So, the only way to improve it is to express what I feel strongly %u2013 and to get constructive criticism. Thank you for your attempt to discourage me, BTW.

PS People who participate in this thread do understand what I%u2019ve said. Maybe you just find the content %u201Cso poor%u201D? And I have no illusions: the most eloquent posts just energize the similarly thinking people, no way to make anybody change his/her mind

[knigochey]

God is no respecter of persons, something that we seem to have forgotten! Has it ever occurred to African Americans that God has a reason for us being in America regardless of slavery? We are not the only people who have ever been victims of slavery. When the Romans invaded Israel there were 500 Jews crucified a day, 1.1 million Jews killed and millions taken into a brutal slavery system and the city and temple were destroyed. It did not stop there; look at what Hitler did to millions of Jews in Nazi Germany! God help the African American that will not turn from his own wicked ways to seek God%u2019s face and ask for forgiveness.

The madness has to stop! Churches like this church will have a day of reckoning coming and that day may very well be today. The Bible speaks of judgment starting at the house of God first (the churches, and with Christians). If a pastor is not preaching from the Holy Bible and preaching the Gospel than that church is a cult and those who attend are deceived.
When you stand before the Lord do you think the excuse you give for your bitterness will be accepted! Think again! There is only one Savior and that is Jesus Christ and we will be held accountable for the people we put in office to run this great country and we will be held accountable for our own wickedness and un-forgiveness.

[knigochey]

I did not vote for Obama because I studied his past, his voting record and where he stands on the issues. I feel that he is weak on National Defense and dead wrong on pulling the troops out of Iraq just to satisfy the Bush hating agenda of the Democratic Party. Voters beware! Obama''s ideals and his very being have been shaped by this pastor and his teachings. The hurt that many African Americans feel are hurts brought on by un-forgiveness!

People like Pastor Wright preach hatred and call it the Gospel but yet Jesus said that we must forgive those who persecute us or we will not be forgiven. Jesus died on the cross for all of mankind and the words that he spoke for such a cruel death and unjust punishment was %u201CFather forgive them for they know not what they do%u201D. If Jesus can forgive crucifixion than what do you think we should do as decedents of former slaves? Healing will never take place in America among Blacks and Whites unless we are willing to forgive racism, bigotry and yes slavery. African Americans need to stop looking for the black savior or the black deliverer (Jesus satisfied it all on the cross) and repent and seek God%u2019s face, and then will God heal the hurts of slavery and prosper us as a people.

[knigochey]

Here is what a black woman has to say about Obama.
Angeli
Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1

Re: The Speech That Revealed So Much

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am an African American woman and I am disturbed by the racist pulpit sermon of this pastor. I consider myself a Christian first, an American second, a Woman third and a color last. It bothers me that so many white Americans voted for Obama without really looking at where this man comes from, his political background etc.

I am sorry to say that I am not surprised that so many African Americans voted for him. Many whites voted for Obama (many of whom are professing to be Christians) because they feel that he will advance their far left liberal agenda, these people would not care if Obama was purple just as long as he is a liberal. Many African Americans voted for Obama just because he is black and they feel that a black President will elevate them (how tragic that we have not realized that we were elevated when Jesus said it is finished while he hung on a cross; not only were African Americans elevated but all those who call on the name of Jesus as Savior).

[jason_randon]

Blacks have to stop blaming all their problems on whites. If black
parents
spent more time reading to their children and taking them to places
where
they could learn to expand their minds instead of Playing BASKETBALL
all the
time they would be better off in this information based society. Its
time to
end these minority preferences that just re enforce their "I am a
victim
mentality". That is their way to true equality. And there are sooo many successful black American already achieved by hard work%u2026%u2026but no Hussein Obama wants turn back the clock to those inequality time in America with his speech.

obama speaks of change.
what change can he bring.
has he once been specific about his kind of change?

[backingbar]

If you google swift boat information you will find several quotes of Senator McCain''s voicing disgust with the slimy but effective smear campaign. BTW, GW Bush personally donated 5.5 million dollars to that very campaign. Great, mission accomplished, meanwhile he goofed off in Arkansas under daddy''s aeigis occasionally taking pilot training.... There was a lot of bang for that 5.5M buck!

I cringe to think what else is going to be slung at Senator Obama next; you know like false and fabricated things to scare uninformed voters?

[pjb880-2009]

knigochey - Your message may be important; however, your writing is so poor that it invalidates what you say. If you want to be persuasive, I would suggest that you improve your ability to communicate in a clear and articulate manner. If you do not, you will convince no one.

[knigochey]

That''s how I see you, guys:

Obamanation chanting

Entertain%u2019em, underdog%u2019em
Yes he can, yes he can!

Change in psyche, change in pockets,
Here we go, here we go

Witty speeches - little glitches
System works, system works

Chanting wildly, smiling kindly
Yes we want, yes we want

Someone mourns, stop him, morons
Just unite, just unite

Hope, soap, waxed rope%u2026
Yes we can, yes we can!

[knigochey]

I love how the right and hillary supporters try so desperately to paint obama as insincere..and theres certainly nothing zombified about barack supporters. they just see barack''''s candidacy as an avenue for remarkable changes to take place in this country. the cynics will always try to paint this as naiveness" --------
I didn''t "paint naiveness" - I point out that obamanation lacks common sense, not to mention logic and erudition. If it was not true, at least one of you would give me at least one sensibel answer, not just "he is amasing" and so on...

[knigochey]

%u201Cinaccurate retorts%u201D -------- what%u2019s inaccurate? A passive/aggressive insult?.

%u201CI am not "zombified"; whatever that means. A passive/aggressive insult? KGB?, can''''t figure that one out at all%u201D ----------
you even don%u2019t realize how many things you cannot figure out. And how far your vision is from 3D.

%u201Che did march%u201D -----------
again that marching, we are talking about issues or regimentation?

%u201CIn this blog throwing Mr. Jackson''''s record into the mix is supposed to do what?%u201D --------
casting doubts as to whether I%u2019d vote for a qualified person of any race is supposed to do what?

%u201CCan you get your rhetorical thinking cap on a little tighter please?%u201D ---------
what is that suppose to mean? Well, tell me your scull size, so I%u2019ll re-tailor the cap.

[regulation411]

I love how the right and hillary supporters try so desperately to paint obama as insincere..and theres certainly nothing zombified about barack supporters. they just see barack''s candidacy as an avenue for remarkable changes to take place in this country. the cynics will always try to paint this as naiveness.

[knigochey]

%u201CStating categorically that Senator Obama is a racist%u201D ----------- agree, but that was an easy call. We really do not know for sure whether Barack is a racist. His wife looks like, but she is not running. However, why don%u2019t you argue with my ponts regarding Obama%u2019s insincerity or bad judgment at best? And his inability to predict the negative effect of that insincerity %u2013 definitely that is not what one would expect of the President.

%u201CI suppose Senator Kerry also deserved to be swift-boated and have his military career reinterpreted%u201D --------
I%u2019m glad you connected both cases. Definitely, Kerry thruster that upon himself. He built his entire career on slandering his comrades and condemning the %u201Cdirty war%u201D that allegedly undermined American security. Then he dared to claim that he defended this country in Vietnam. How you can defend at war that only harms? You can%u2019t have it both ways. Veterans used to protect each other and will never attack a fellow soldier, without an extraordinary reason. I%u2019d rather believe several hundred guys than 4-5 people from his bout. Besides, I also have some military background %u2013 and I also find very strange some details related to Kerry.

[backingbar]

Like I said, .....Better to try to drag him down with cheap, angry, partial, and inaccurate retorts.

I am not "zombified"; whatever that means. A passive/aggressive insult? KGB?, can''t figure that one out at all.

Okay, Jesse Jackson may not have been a highly viable candidate; he did march and fight for Civil Rights as we can all agree. In this blog throwing Mr. Jackson''s record into the mix is supposed to do what? Reflect somehow on Senator Obama? Can you get your rhetorical thinking cap on a little tighter please?

[knigochey]

"knigochey- you would vote for MLK?...you mean back when you were marching etc" ------ It is not about marching, backingbar. Jessie Jackson also marched next to MLK - but Jessie, I believe, doesn''t deserve any lowest office (this is the least critical note I can make)
"except wait, Dr King was not running for office and got cut him down before we got to know his beautiful, fully-articulated dream"---- Exactly: he had ideas and raised issues - that is why I could vote for him and people like him. Not the office and ransom seekers.
%u201CNow we have an able, poignant, compelling figure that makes some yearn again for new and real possibilities. He happens to be running for office%u201D -------- I also have been somewhat charmed but cautious as life taught me. I could summit to the notion that Barack used the Wright%u2019s clout if he honestly admitted it. Instead, he engaged in that stupid lying/denial. Have you seen the %u201Cchurch%u201D website? If so, you know what I mean.
%u201CHe can''''t however, muster hope in people%u201D --------
The question is: hope for what? It is quite insincere to deliberately leave the %u201Copen-endedness%u201D so gullible (zombified) people (each one of them) would construct their own models of the utopist future and refer those dreams to Obama%u2026 But the strategy is brilliant. It is not new, however %u2013 something similar they employed in NKVD (the KGB predecessor) when people made up their own %u201Cconfessions%u201D.

[backingbar]

Some see fit to defend and interpret Don Imus'' racial slur and then defy logic by concluding that the dilemma of Rev. Wright''s sensational remarks indirectly affecting Senator Obama are identical situations. I see no evidence for that except half-baked, inflated, bombastic knee jerk reactions of those that dislike this particular candidate.

Stating categorically that Senator Obama is a racist might stir up some particular sentiments for some; but they are specifically a subjective response and not based in reason or fact. I suppose Senator Kerry also deserved to be swift-boated and have his military career reinterpreted because it got some people riled up and was expedient. The illogic is at least consistent.

"I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community." ====But it didn''t take him 20 years to disown Don Imus. Called for his head on a platter within a matter of hours after talking to Al Sharpieton. Said he couldn''t stomach the offensive language Don Imus was using to talk about some black girls; didn''t seem to have any trouble stomaching 20 years of "God *** America." Is that the way it works for a Great Uniter? Pull the brother inside your arms and protect him, send the white guy to the unemployment line? It isn''t whether this black man can make this divide go away; it is now whether this divide will make this black man go away.

[backingbar]

knigochey- you would vote for MLK?...you mean back when you were marching etc, or all the times you demonstrated on behalf of balance/justice & fairness? I can just see you now voting for MLK; .....except wait, Dr King was not running for office and got cut him down before we got to know his beautiful, fully-articulated dream.

Now we have an able, poignant, compelling figure that makes some yearn again for new and real possibilities. He happens to be running for office. He can''t however, muster hope in people that have none or for those that prefer to shrink from the challenge that his candidacy might provoke in them. Better to try to drag him down with cheap, angry, partial, and inaccurate retorts.

[knigochey]

"WOW! you people sound....Racist. The hateful tone and the constant references to race make me very uncomfortable. You sound like closeted racists who would never vote for Obama simply because he''''s black. Maybe you should look in a mirror before you label someone else racist" --------
Maybe you should read what you opponents say, before throwing the mirror?
Well, you do not need anything since you are doomed to be "on the right side" by virtue of being the left as the Communist party teachers, correct?

I''d vote for Congressman Watts or Frances Rice, and readily for MLK, who stemmed from a Republican family - your hatemongers didn''t tell you who he was? %u2013 sorry about that.

[knigochey]

"Funny, what lies are you refering to? Cough em up......"---------------

Well, #1: pretending Dem do not lie at least quintuple to compare with Reps.

And then, the endless range of deliberate lies: starting from "immediate withdraw will immediately save money for the budget%u201D (truth: it will cost scores of billions) %u2013 to we aren%u2019t going to overtax middle class %u2013 to illegal immigrants help the economy, etc

%u201CI don''''t just hope to get Bush out. I hope to remove anyone in office that still thinks the "trickle down" effect works.....%u201D --------------------

Another lie: you are going to bring to power the party that historically based everything on %u201Ctrickle down effect.%u201D (at least from the time it was established in its modern, redistribution-oriented incarnation %u2013 1964, after the Kennedy assassination). It was I, not you, who experienced the fruit of the leftist party ultimate victory %u2013 that is why I cannot be as blind as you are. Never again %u2026 I%u2019d rather die.