Obama's Speech This Morning Is One That Every True Democrat Should Be Applauding.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

That's a fact.

It is a speech that cut through political tripe and went right to the soul of the issue in a matter of fact way. It said many things that needed to be said. It put things in the proper perspective. It gave a dose of reality to those who otherwise refuse to let that reality enter their minds.

It was something that carried with it the core values and integrity that EVERY member of the Democratic Party subscribes to. The words, the tone, the facts, the intent and the message, were all inarguable.

I commend Senator Obama for a fine speech. He said exactly what needed to be said and did so with grace and conviction. I am proud of him, and I am proud to be a democrat.

There are some that will ignore the speech. They will dismiss it and not pay its wise words any heed. They will do so for several reasons. Some will do so because they are on the other side of the aisle, and don't want to hear those words. Some will do so out of hatred, racism, and bigotry, and a refusal to consider changing their ways. Some will do so out of sheer ignorance and lack of understanding as to how true those words were. Others will do so merely because he is not their choice candidate, and they will let their sports minded like mentality become more important than the powerful words spoken today.

But no matter, because anyone in any of those groups is not a true democrat at heart. They may believe they are, may claim they are, but at their very core they are not. No true democrat would be ignorant enough to turn a blind ear to these wise words today. No true democrat would let their passion for their candidate rise above a speech with such a greater purpose. No true democrat would try and squash those words and dismiss the message, which is a message so true and pure that we should be excited to spread it far and wide.

So I say to all: Do not be discouraged in the face of those who would undermine this message. Try and teach them, try and help them understand, and if that fails, then simply ignore them. This is a message all of us, from every camp, from every walk of life, from every political ideology, should readily be able to applaud. As democrats, I'm confident we all are.

Hear hear to you all, and a toast for tomorrow...

[DarienComp]

1. OMC, as always, you show yourself to be fair and honorable.

A better person than me. Thank you for setting a fine example.

[mod mom]

2. Thank you OMC. I agree.

[TexasLady]

3. Right back atcha!

[meow mix]

4. this is why your 1 of the 3 hillary supporters, not on my ignore list.

at least you show honesty and rationality at times =)

[malik flavors]

5. Exactly, I don't see how any democrat couldn't applaud a speech like that,

Whether you like Obama or not, if you're a dmeocrat you should be celebrating those words.

[mmonk]

6. I think so. Thanks OMC.

[Andy823]

7. I agree with you

He said what needed to be said, and did an excellent job of it. It's to bad that many here are attacking him, but that's politics. I am sure that the right wing will still use this against him, but they would never vote for him anyway, so it makes little difference. I was, and am, a strong Edwards supporter, but have decided that I have to support Obama over Hillary at this time. We need someone who will face the issues, as he did today, and tell it like it is, not dance around the issues, and pander like so many other politicians do.

I think he did a great job today, and though some will not agree, he has made his case to lead the this country stronger.

[Bonobo]

168. Me too. Fantastic.

[WinkyDink]

8. A great speech still doesn't mean I should vote for Obama for President.

I didn't think this election's issues revolved around race.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

32. Ahhhhhh, But You Don't Have To Choose Him As Your Candidate, To Applaud His Words Either.

Some things speak for the party as a whole and beyond, not the candidate himself.

[fight4my3sons]

58. Thank you for saying this.

If only other people realized this were true.

edited for spelling

[butterfly77]

59. And that is what a lot of people are losing ...

in the debate.

[casus belli]

161. They do whether you realize it or not. n/t

[1776Forever]

9. If Hillary had given this speech I would have applauded it also - It will go down in history I think

I thank you for the comment! It would be great to feel like we are in the same party even if we do not support the same candidate more often!!

[DarienComp]

10. i'm kicking this

so that it doesn't get drowned out by the usual back-and-forth threads we've come to expect at DU.

[slinkerwink]

11. thanks, OMC!

[loveangelc]

12. Thank you!

k

[11 Bravo]

13. Well said, OMC!

[LSK]

14. K&R

[grace0418]

15. Well said OMC.

My concerns about whether he can make a great president are washing away.

[CTyankee]

85. My thoughts too! He exemplified leadership but tempered his lofty language

with well thought out positions on the race issue. His past speeches have seemed too vague for me, but he has hit just the right tone with this speech. I understand he is going to make two more major speeches, one on Iraq and the other on the economy. It will make McCain look like the angry little pink man that he is....

[DevonRex]

16. Now YOU made me cry...

I love you again.

[blm]

17. It felt good to hear as a CITIZEN and proud to hear as a Democrat.

KandR

[BenDavid]

18. bullshit! this speech was to coverup the fact the reprobate lied

about being in services when this racist wright spoke....obama lied....obama lied to the american people in interviews with abc, cnn, fox msnbc...the man lied......so now you obambots are going to overlook the lie and tell us because he gave a worded speech he is forgiven.

if he is such a trusted soul, then I would assume he asked forgiveness in the speech cause he sure as hell broke several of the commandments

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

22. I heard he deals drugs, too!!!1!!1 n/t

[haymakeragain]

25. Seriously dude, chill the fuck out. Obama didn't say he wasn't ever

at a sermon by Wright, pull your head out of your arse. Thnaks for playing Lieberman.

[pollo poco]

101. Did you mean that?

I mean that part about Leiberman. That came off a little like you're down on the brother for his jewishness. I hope it was just an accident.

Having said that, I do agree he should pull his head out.

[polmaven]

157. I think the Lieberman reference

was meant actually to question his credentials as a Democrat. You see, to some here, if you are not supporting Senator Obama, you are a Republican.

I agree that the poster was a little bit of an exaggeration, because I doubt the every sermon Reverend Wright gave was quite that inflammatory, but to say he had NEVER heard that kind of reference from Wright was, well, a little unbelievable.

All in all, I think it was an excellent speech, one that he needed to give, one that the country needed to hear, and one that, as "someone" (I've forgotten who) said on TV this morning, one that he, and only he, at this moment, could give from both sides of the spectrum.

May I say, though, that, unlike what some at MSNBC (i.e. Tweety) apparently think, it is NOT the most inspiring speech since the Sermon on the Mount.

The next thing that needs to be addressed, something that has been all but ignored, is sexism. Contrary to what many right here on this board believe, that is not a problem that has gone away, either. It is alive and well, and, I think, growing.

I'm sure I will be told to stop whining, but I think it needed to be said.

[rateyes]

31. OMC has been supporting Clinton...

Shows what the hell you know.

[U4ikLefty]

130. This is true. I am not a OMC-defender (for sure), but he made a genuine

heart-felt statement about a speech that inspired him.

For this, I commend him.

This is a rare occasion on my part OMC...you'd better bookmark it!!!

[Kittycat]

33. Kill the messenger before recognizing the message...

Is that your mission Ben David? Your heart is clearly not in the right place. Would you utter such contempt about speeches MLK gave about racial division & equality? That is exactly what this speech was about, regardless of whether you like the candidate or not.

[Shakespeare]

41. Dude, get some rabies shots.

Seriously.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

48. You have so much hatred in you.

It's really just sad.

[endarkenment]

57. OMC is/was a Clinton supporter. You need a time out. nt.

[butterfly77]

60. You really do hate the fact that the lies...

can not knock down the truth. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free!

[scheming daemons]

61. You have issues.... and you should go work them out before posting anymore....

....

[Forkboy]

77. ....

[Hawkeye-X]

173. Amen to that.

That guy is an embarrassment to my religion. A Likudnik for sure. He's more of a boring Jackie Mason - if you get my thrift.

Hawkeye-X

[krkaufman]

89. "because he gave a worded speech"

What...? Was he supposed to pantomime it?

[Megahurtz]

99. ...

[Jersey Devil]

100. Man, you sound like Captain Queeg

No, I don't have a key and I didn't take your fucking strawberries.

[40ozDonkey]

158. Your post will have me laughing all day.

Thank you.

[sunnystarr]

111. I've been on DU for years now and this is my first ignore ...

Congratulations!

[earthlover]

117. "the reprobate"...when you become civil, you deserve a response.

Racism is a disease. It affected Jews, blacks and a lot of others. Why?

[TankLV]

127. Yep - he said he was "not aware" and "did not hear" - all LIES...

stick a fork in him - he's DONE...

HA HA!....

[rAVES]

139. Lunatic... gtfo

[casus belli]

162. You didn't watch it, yet you have no problems mischaracterizing it?

Welcome to ignore.

[Greyskye]

19. Applause for Obama and OMC

[Tatiana]

20. K&R

Thanks for this message and the spirit in which it was given.

[Ichingcarpenter]

21. Damn OMC...never thought I would nominate

one of your threads but well said.

[IDemo]

54. Beat me to it

recommended

[rateyes]

23. K & R

from another true Democrat.

[ebdarcy]

24. K&R

[grantcart]

26. k and r

[Hoof Hearted]

27. If anything his speech today confirmed he is a liar and a typical politician.

How many times did he say on Friday he would have walked out or quit if he knew about the racist histrionics of Rev. Wright?

This morning, he admits not only did he know, but he was there.

Today I saw the audacity of insincere damage control, but then again, with two decades of attendance and video tape to boot, he didn't have much choice. It did accomplish the goal of re-placing the media's lips firmly on his backside.

[mmonk]

29. Take a cue from OMC.

[rateyes]

34. Sad that you would continue to post

lies like this. You obviously didn't listen very intently to the speech.

I bet your candidate doesn't share your opinion of the speech. Perhaps someone in the media should ask what she thought of the speech. Let's try and see her say what you just said. If she says anything other than that she agrees with every word he said, she will be toast.

[Kittycat]

36. Blinded by hate. That's all than can account for it.

[TahitiNut]

62. "Kissing Republican Ass For 35 Years With A Smile"??? (Refreshing candor.)

[Barrymores Ghost]

106. What a sad and lonely person you must be. n/t

[AntiFascist]

113. Obama voiced the mode of compromise that is required of true Democrats...

in dealing with extreme elements of one community or another, be it anger expressed by some in the black community or bigoted bias on behalf of some in the white. This is in contrast to the very calculated, triangulating compromise of the Clintons and their campaign in compromising between Republican special interests and those of true progressive Democrats. If anyone is lying or deceptive...

[ksquire]

138. that's not what he said... but this is flamebait so who cares really

[rAVES]

140. Well tell that to your friends on Free republic.. since Obama is going to be your next president!!

[rAVES]

142. Well tell that to your friends on Free republic.. since Obama is going to be your next president!!

[K Gardner]

28. Can't believe you wrote this.. thank you. K&R

[BlueIdaho]

30. Well Said!

Once again I find myself applauding you for your clarity and your honesty. Racism - sexism - ageism - homophobia all rip the fabric of our society. Frankly, this stuff is bigger than which candidate we support - this is about the kind of world we leave to our children. We stand at a turning point in this election cycle. Will we embrace slice and dice politics or will we demand a discussion on a higher plain. Right now I don't care who anyone supports - if they think racism - sexism and the rest are funny jibes or wedge issue talking points - they are not what I'd call a Democrat - hell they are not what I'd call a human being.

[Bentcorner]

35. Since I learned yesterday criticizing Obama means that you are a Republican,

this doesn't really surprise me.

To me, this was never about race. It was about judgment. The judgment to continue attending this church even though the paster routinely said awful, hateful things from the pulpit.

[DWilliamsamh]

131. Since I am sure that the Rev. is regularly taped....

90 seconds of over the top anger and completely incendiary rhetoric hardly makes a case for "the paster routinely said awful, hateful things from the pulpit."

Are we to distance our selves and renounce anyone in our lives who has ever said anything untoward? Are we to "shun" those closest to us who hold some views at some times that we find repugnant? That would be a very lonely world indeed.

[SunsetDreams]

37. OMC

Thank you for your honesty. I think he did very well, and I am confident that he can start the process of healing old wounds.
We can all start the conversations now, and try to better understand one another.

[publicatlarge]

38. Fantastic speech! n/t

[Bullet1987]

39. Awww...come here buddy...

[Bonobo]

40. Man, you are welcome in my home anytime OMC.

You're the real deal.

A good man.

[thevoiceofreason]

42. Good on you! And kudos to Hillary's Iraq speech yesterday -- it was strong also!

[DearAbby]

43. Yes, What a fine day to be a Democrat!...............n/t

[Armstead]

44. Good on you for that

He did get to the core of a lot of things from what ought to be the perspective of the whole Democratic Party, regardless of candidate.

[Melinda]

45. I *knew* there was a reason I didn't put you on ignore; You're far more than an HRC supporter...

You're a fuckin' rockstar.

[madrchsod]

46. well you restored my faith in some of the hillary supporters

we do not agree on candidates but we agree that it was something that needed to be said at this time in history. we have a common goal and that is to take back our country from the forces that divide our country. ya i`ll to that!

[donheld]

47. This comes from you, OMC makes me mighty happy

Thanks for posting.

[Teaser]

49. As always, OMC rocks the house

.

[Bluerthanblue]

50. glad to heartily agree with you

OMC-


peace~

[eggman67]

51. I agree

I've been a vocal Hillary supporter and I remain a Hillary supporter, but that was an excellent speech. Hopefully both racism & sexism can be put aside from the campaigning, and then ultimately addressed openly and properly under a new administration.

This is what comes from being a nation that has lived in fear of discussing issues openly and living under the weasels, on all sides, who have benefited from exploiting that fear. We moved from legal segregation to self segregation and decided to "let sleeping dogs lie" As he said - not this time.

EDIT TO ADD: Actually, this is a speech that every American should be applauding.

[cali]

52. No, no, no.

That's still not a fact, it's an opinion- even if it is one I wholeheartedly agree with.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

53. Thank you, OMC. You've proven yourself a true Democrat

in all the best senses. We may disagree on candidates, but we agree on the fundamental issues that make us Democrats.

Cheers!

[dionysus]

55. kick

[RememberWellstone]

56. Coming from Oompa's

One speech turns this around? No, I don't think so, it was another speech, howbeit a good one...but the is empty and vapid to his surroundings. He contradicted himself in the speech.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

69. I'm sorry you've had your wedge issue taken from you.

I'm sure you'll find another one soon.

[redqueen]

63. Wow...

strong words, and surprising ones too... glad you found the speech as inspirational and moving as I did.

[RestoreGore]

64. So anyone who sees it as just a politician's damage control speech is not a true Democrat?

Isn't that a Bush tactic? My question is, would this speech even have been delivered had those videos not surfaced? Why did they have to before he approached the subject? So sorry if I can't melt into a puddle instead of seeing this as nothing more than a political speech by a politician looking for votes to remain with him after a damaging week. I didn't realize freedom of thought was such a rare commodity here. Personally for me, supporting a real Democrat in John Edwards was what I believed in. But candidates like Obama and Clinton in league with a party apparatus that wants its "first" one way or the other and a very willing media shot down that belief as well, even though John Edwards has the policies and actually set the tone of this campaign regarding the important issues. How do you intend to reconcile with Democrats who once again still feel they are being lead by their noses? One speech remedies all of it? Yeah, sure. Yes, nice words. Now where's the action and the policy? BTW, how much time has Obama spent in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina? Just curious.

[gcomeau]

74. If it was just a damage control speech...

...he would have thrown Wright under the bus like a good cynical politician and downplayed any of the real tough issues as much as possible instead of doing what he did, which took a great deal of courage and personal integrity.

As for why he never gave this speech before the Wright videos surfaced, if he had you and a thousand other people would have been in here screaming about how he was trying to turn the election into being all about race when there was no need to give such a speech.

[RestoreGore]

79. Well then by your logic he has then turned this into being about race today

So what's your point? It was a typical damage control speech given by a politician looking to not lose votes while covering for his friends. I would believe the same even if it were Clinton under the same circumstances, and it did nothing to move me towards him anymore than I was yesterday because this is not about race to me but issues that are not being discussed because of all this diversion. He still favors nuclear power, his climate change proposals like Clinton's are weak at best, he wants to continue this war on terror, he has reneged according to his own advisor regarding pulling out troops from Iraq, he voted to fund this war many times in 2007 as well as voting to confirm Rice, Chertoff, and others which he never gave a speech to explain, and has a healthcare plan that excludes millions while favoring corporations that he has also stated he wants to sit at the table with. I am not then going to just gush and forget his policies because he gave a speech designed to appeal to peoples' "emotions" to make us forget that.

[crud76]

121. Thanks

There's even more that could be said.

[RestoreGore]

65. Dupe n/t

[thevoiceofreason]

66. Kick

[watercolors]

67. It was a great speech!

I was so very proud for him and our party. We have changed the direction of our vote to Obama, he gives us hope and will put a great face on us as a nation!

[Oilwellian]

68. Thanks OMC

Well said.

[thesubstanceofdreams]

70. Thanks! K&R!

[ClayZ]

71. Yay! K and R

[doyourealize1]

72. good post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[JimGinPA]

73. The Second OP From You This Week That Is Thoughtful - WTF!!!

Have you been sipping the Kool-Aid.

[Utopian Leftist]

75. Excellent post!

Does anyone know if the speech has been posted somewhere or on youtube yet? I missed it.

[Texas Hill Country]

76. This was fantastic. I hope it works.

[Forkboy]

78. Excellent post with just one flaw.

I hate the term "true" being attached to anything, and your post would have worked just as well without it. To me, I always see that and think of when the Repubs say "True American" or "True patriot". It's not up to any of us to decide who is "true" anything. It's kind of a per peeve of mine.

Other than that...K&R!

[robertpaulsen]

80. K & R! Great analysis of a great speech!

[VotesForWomen]

81. some of us will ignore his speech because we're waiting to see his actions. nt

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

88. The Actions Need To Start With You, Not With Him.

You seem to be putting an awful lot on his shoulders.

He spoke the message and spoke it well. It is a message every single democrat here should readily be able to embrace. What comes of that message, the progress we make as a country as indicated by that message, the awareness we can receive from that message, is all up to us, not him.

So ignoring his speech is the last thing you should do. Instead, you should listen to it with an open mind, realize that this isn't a candidate for president talking, but instead one of our most prominent democrats, and that the words are wise and something we all subscribe to and are proud of. We should then, through our actions, words, and interactions with others, do our part to help perpetuate this message and help it to ultimately become reality.

But the onus is on us, not him.

[JerseygirlCT]

163. Exactly! And that's maybe what's hard for some to take

It's up to US, not to any one of our politicians. If we think anyone at all is going to come in and solve these problems alone, we're living in a fantasy.

Want to work on the important issues? Put good people in office, yes, but then just get out and do it yourself.

Another good post, OMC.

[Life Long Dem]

95. Yep. One distraction after another.

Concentrate on Hillary getting her tax returns done. She has less than a month. So you were saying action speak louder than words? She can't even do her damn taxes and she wants to be president? Sigh!!

[angie_love]

82. K&R. Thank you OMC. We don't always agree but I think you always try to be fair.

[CTyankee]

83. The speech was an attempt at a sane, rational response to all of the media hype.

Obama did not duck the issue, he embraced it and told us we had better embrace it also. He was very graceful and elegant. He was presidential. I was struck by how petty and small Pat Buchanen was in hispost speech critique, how "yesterday" his shtick sounded, a sound bite stuck in the 80s and 90s.

Obama did a fine job of restoring intelligent discourse into the conversation. I doubt if anyone could have done it better.

[onenote]

84. Once again, OMC cuts to the heart of it. A Democrat who makes me proud to be a Democrat

I don't always agree with OMC and we both can get a bit snarky, particularly when we feel DU is being used to spread misinformation. But there isn't a DUer whose posts I look forward to reading more. A gentleman, a scholar, and a DU hall of famer.

[DerekJ]

86. Thanks OMC

[NoBushSpokenHere]

87. Thank you OMC ... it was truly one of the best speeches I have ever heard nt

[krkaufman]

90. Commendable post, OMC.

Though it's debatable that any threshold or litmus test for "true Democrat" should exist, I certainly feel that Obama's words and your post are excellent examples of liberal thinking, keeping an open mind and evaluation of ideas rather than strict adherence to ideology.

[ekwhite]

125. I have to disagree with you about the test for a 'true Democrat'

There are a few things I think make a true democrat:

1. Do you believe in the democratic process?

2. Do you believe a poor man or woman is just as worthwhile as a rich one?

3. Do you believe in civil and human rights?

4. Do you value real live human beings over artificial constructs such as corporations?

I'm sure that if we thought about it, we could come up with a set of principles that all Democrats could agree define what it means to be a Democrat. They could be very different from what I proposed.

[sybylla]

170. You mean like a platform?

Gosh, why didn't we think of that before...?

[bunnies]

91. Excellent post OMC. K&R

Excellent.

[Tresalisa]

92. I thought it was a GREAT speech, also! Thanks for the OP, OMC! Kicking. n/t

[cooolandrew]

93. He was very statesman like remnded me of Gore a touch too.

[Danger Mouse]

94. I was actually wondering what your reaction to the speech would be.

Excellent remarks. K+R

[Megahurtz]

96. What? YOU wrote this???

Kidding. Nice post!

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

97. Nice comment. It's good to see that you have an open mind.

Now you have an idea of why us Obama folks support him so much.

[SeattleGirl]

98. Thank you, OMC.

Doesn't matter who you support, Obama's speech was important, and people need to look at the message he delivered. He cut through so much BS, and presented his thoughts in a way that wasn't demeaning to anyone. He said, yes, there is anger in the black community, and here's why. He said, yes, there is anger in the white community, and here's why. And he nailed it, IMHO.

It wasn't the end all, be all, of speeches on race in this country; rather, it was the beginning of talking about it in a different way. I hope a lot of people were paying attention.

[mudesi]

102. Easily one of the greatest speeches I've ever seen

You have to hand it to Mr. Obama. He is an extraordinarily gifted public speaker.

[Patsy Stone]

103. Yes

[goodhue]

104. False democrats too!

[NewHampshireDem]

105. Again, thank you for bringing some sanity to GD:P n/t

[NickMorgan]

107. Bravo for principle!

A wonderful gesture of integrity, of principle over politics, or transcending the short term sports team mentality in service of the higher values of liberalism. You deserve commendation and respect!

[NYDem Observer]

108. K&R

[spoony]

109. Absolutely, it was inescapably powerful

and rose above mere politics into timelessness.

[Voice for Peace]

110. Thanks for your post. But do you extend your open-hearted Democratic

respect as well to people you judge to have small minds? To me, this is
as important as appreciating a great speech.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

112. All Democrats Have My Respect.

But a small mind, is still a small mind.

After all, not every dem is perfect.

[Voice for Peace]

114. Does a Democrat who once was a Republican have your respect?

Does a Democrat who becomes an Independent or a Green have your respect?

(These are sincere questions. I have many more.)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

116. Feel Free To Send Me A PM If You'd Like.

Sounds like you've got a lot you wanna say lol.

[Voice for Peace]

118. ok.. thanks for the invitation. nt

[myrna minx]

115. K&R. And a toast to you, sir.

[corkhead]

119. Thank you. nt

[damonm]

120. OMC, I misjudged you...mad props & a K&R

[tammywammy]

122. k&r

Good post OMC.

[mhoran]

123. Thank you!

An eloquent response to an eloquent speech.

[aaronbees]

124. You have a big heart, OMC

Just like the big heart behind Obama's speech today and the core values we cherish as Democrats. Thank you for this post; it's spot on right.

[TankLV]

126. I'm a true Democrat - and I found it SAD and SORELY LACKING - BIG TIME!

sorry - I just didn't see it - along with the REST of America who's not part of the cult...

you guys just don't get it...

[JanusAscending]

128. I APPLAUDE you for your gracious words!

Nothing else needs to be said.You covered it all, as did Obama.

[hisownpetard]

129. I appreciate your saying that, OMC. And I feel the same way.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

132. it was a great speech and I would vote for him if he is the nom...

[elixir]

133. It was a speech he made because he's in trouble. He didn't denounce Wright and now he's backpeddlin

[Forkboy]

134. Actually, it was a forward peddle...you just can't see that.

[1800flowers]

135. How did Chris Matthews' leg respond to the speech? n/t

[trickyguy]

136. "From every walk of life.

From every camp." That's what you just said. And I totally understand your
comments and I totally understand Obama's speech.

Because I'm from a different "camp". But I'm also a working Democrat
who's really proud to say that- especially today.

[ksquire]

137. THAAAAANK YOU!! I like to think i'd be wise enough to feel the same if/ when Hillary does something

as good for the country. thanks for helping us keep our eye on what's important.