I don't get it, what was so good about Obama's speech?

[Cali_Democrat]

I'm at work so I haven't had time to hear it or read it. What was so ground breaking about it? Why is everyone going crazy over it? Was it really that good?

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Yes, and I recommend ANYONE who is having trouble understanding the issue of race...

...to watch it. ALL of it.:thumbsup:

[tekisui]

2. The leading Presidential Candidate used the platform and the

media mic to speak truth of the State of Race in this country. It was not preachy or policy. It was one to make you think.

[billbuckhead]

3. Hillary's opponent blamed society for his 20 year religious mentor being a bigot

Just more racial jujitsu.

[democrattotheend]

7. He has a name, you know

President Barack Obama! ;)

Is "Hillary's opponent" some sort of technique designed to diminish him?

[PVnRT]

14. Wow. That may be the dumbest comment about the speech I've seen on DU

And that's saying quite a bit.

[book_worm]

28. billnucklehead is well known for dumb comments re: Obama.

[PVnRT]

30. Oh, I know

Still worth pointing out, though, every once in a while.

[Torgo Johnson]

40. He had it in for Howard Dean back in 2004...

and his comments were just as nasty back then.

[K Gardner]

46. I see IGNORED is at it again. Take a load off, use your Big Red X.

[thevoiceofreason]

53. Shove a whatever up my whatever. I am the stupidest person around.

[scheming daemons]

4. Read it or listen to it..... this speech is our generation's "I have a dream..."

....

and that's not hyperbole.

[TK421]

16. "Our Generations"? What is your age, if I may ask?

I think I'm beginning to see some kind of trend here, and it has nothing to do with race or religion, either...but a much younger voter

[scheming daemons]

22. 41

[TK421]

33. Ah...alright then. This seems to have something to do with age, after all

many of my co-workers ( between 24 and 32 ) find themselves voting for Obama, because they feel ( in one of their own words..compelled to vote for the first African American president ) They would, in turn be a part of history by being a part of this process.....is this really the case? Of course it would be a history-making event if this happened, but is that the sole reason for it? They can't list what this man has accomplished during his years in the Illinois senate

[GoldieAZ49]

23. also known as Obama has a nightmare

politically speaking of course

[Straight Shooter]

59. LOL! Best synopsis ever.

:thumbsup:

[mikelgb]

5. he went balls-out on race in America

it was pretty dammend good

links and transcripts abound

[chyjo]

6. Firstly it was an incredible speech

One of the main components of why it was incredible is depressing though ; it was an incredible speech because it was a deeply honest speech. It shows how sad politics has become that so few are unwilling to tell the truth without spin on the stump. The speech was great, and it was also honest ; an honesty almost lacking in the politics of the early 21rst century.

[AlCzervik]

8. go watch it and make up your own mind, i'm sure there's a link in the political videos forum.

wouldn't you rather decide for yourself?

[Cali_Democrat]

10. Can't watch videos at work

access DENIED!!! LOLZ.

[Cali_Democrat]

13. As long as this Wright thing dies I'll be happy. nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

34. The wound was cauterized

He took a lemon and turned it into lemonade.
Read the Rude Pundits take on it after watching the speech.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5137423

[AlCzervik]

25. well when you get home i think you should watch it for yourself instead of listening to us

it's always nice to have some input but really---it's how you perceive it.

[emilyg]

36. Go to CNN.

[jconner27]

9. It was a good speech

It was a good speech, the background little over the top with all those flags being behind him. Personally speaking people shouldn't hold what his pastor said against Obama because I doubt a man running for president would go "yeah he's right God damn America"

[DevonRex]

11. Oh my, yes it was that good.

You simply have to read it or listen to it yourself.

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. DU video link of the entire speech

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=107079&mesg_id=107079



Being a teacher, it is one for the books that should be analyzed in classes,
because each parts of it could be discussed and explored.

[Cali_Democrat]

19. I'll be sure to check it out when I get home. nt

[TheDonkey]

15. go to msnbc.com and watch the entire speech

probably on youtube as well.

[EFerrari]

17. Instead of trying to cover his own @ss, he opened the issue of race up.

And he did it very well -- he included everyone, trying to understand out loud what racial division means in America as we all try to keep our jobs and our homes and our healthcare and take care that our kids get better.

I don't want to mash it up but, try to see it if you can. He did a good job.

[tammywammy]

18. You should watch it or read it then make up your own mind

[C_U_L8R]

20. Don't take our word for it

have a listen and see for yourself.
It's long but it's worth it... pro or con
it's quite thought provoking

http://my.barackobama.com/hisownwords

[applegrove]

21. Cause he painted a picture of bias on both sides of the race issue. Then he brings

them together at the end under the banner of his candidacy.

[The_Casual_Observer]

24. If it was about anything other than race it would be seen as the greatest

"cover your ass" speech in history. However, because of the delicate nature of the subject it is being lauded as the Emancipation Proclamation part II.

[screembloodymurder]

49. You need to examine your soul.

Brother.

[book_worm]

26. It was a great speech and you should read it or watch it again on CSPAN and

decide for yourself.

[grantcart]

27. It was a very clever speech that basically showed that race relations

have stalemated into a type of "they said vs they said" stalemate that he wanted to move beyond by greater understanding. He pointed out that he was made up of both white and black America (and by transference so was America) and that he wasn't going to throw away people with who he disagreed with. He went on to very clearly legitimize the frustration of black Americans, especially those older ones who had personally experienced so much bitterness, but then also criticized it by saying it is based on an assumption that America in fact cannot ever get better that racisim was so endemic that it was a permanent fixture. His campaign would not be an easy fix (even calling it an 'imperfect camaign') but that we were faced with running on a treadmill of repeating all of the old fears and injustices or moving on.

[tavalon]

29. Yes

Simply put, it is the most stirring speech I have ever heard.

[Danieljay]

31. He spoke truth. Thats what was so good about it. From both sides of the issue. n/t

[frogmarch]

32. I wasn't expecting

to be impressed either way with Obama's speech - but I was, and favorably, in a big way.

Obama disagreed with Wright's controversial sermon, but at the same time, he didn't turn against Wright himself and showed great understanding as to what had led Wright to say what he did. Obama wasn't willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater, as the saying goes. He didn't throw Wright under the bus, regardless of how doing so might have helped Obama politically. I like that.

Obama's adoring his white, perhaps-somewhat-racist grandmother, who also adores him, was also powerful.

I don't regard Obama in the same way I did yesterday. Today I hold him in very high esteem.

[madmunchie]

35. He is a man that can inspire people to try to be better and to work with him

for the common good of all. This speech exemplifies why Obama is a true leader.

[aasleka]

38. Yes WE Can!!

[jlpohio69]

37. I am sure I will get flamed for this...

I agree that black folks have suffered greatly because of the color of their skin, and we all must come together to put an end to this suffering, but when I say all, I am including African Americans. I sometimes feel that blacks play the victim/race card instead of trying to make things better. There is only so much that white folks can do...blacks have to be willing to move forward also, but it seems living in the past and blaming whites for something that was done generations ago is easier to do than make an effort to move past it. I am not saying for one minute that discrimination still does not exist, but I feel like personal responsibility gets lost in discussions about racism.

[damonm]

42. Certified flame-free response...

Check out the speech - That is EXACTLY what Obama said, and why it is being received so warmly.

[jlpohio69]

45. Thank you for allowing me to express my opinion...

I will go watch his speech. Based on all of the reviews on DU, it sounds like it made quite an impact on many people. It hate that we (myself included) still get bogged down by someone's skin color, religion, ethnicity, sexuality...the list is endless. We are all on this planet for such a short period of time, why must we make it so difficult for each other...it breaks my heart at how we can treat a fellow human being.

[tishaLA]

44. Obama made that very point but in less loaded

(or should I say more sensitive) terms today.

The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright’s sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.

In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don’t feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience – as far as they’re concerned, no one’s handed them anything, they’ve built it from scratch. They’ve worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they’re told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.

Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren’t always expressed in polite company. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. 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.

[knixphan]

39. we ALL have to put our little histories behind us...

All our Vietnams, our tragedies and traumas concerning people of different skin colors.

All of it has to be back-burnered if we're gonna move forward.

That's part of what O was trying to ease us into.

Part of it is YOU GETTING PAST your stuff, and helping society.

ME GETTING PAST my stuff, and helping society.

US GETTING PAST our stuff.

Without finger pointing toward who may or may not have played whatever card, or offended us in the past.

'Leap of faith' time. Are we slaves to the past?

Leap.

[JoFerret]

41. It was a good speech

With luck it has moved the debate forward.

But there was something for everyone to swoon over,or question, or be skeptical about.

Very religiously based.

[patrice]

43. He showed the organic connections between Blacks and Whites.

He prooved to the people who are angry at him about JW that he, BO, is for them too. He didn't just say these things; he didn't just tell them "I am for you too", he Showed us in pictures from the fabric of his and our lives.

Here's a link to the speech in its entirety.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23687688/

[screembloodymurder]

47. I just watched it.

We have a choice ... Obama.

[XemaSab]

48. Here's a link to the whole thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU

[Barack_America]

50. How did you expect to understand something you haven't heard or read?

That's what I don't get. :shrug:

It's worth a listen. MSNBC has the best video of it.

[better tomorrow]

51. here it is for you to read at work.....just don't get caught!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/18/politics/main3947908.shtml

[elixir]

52. It was a speech that needed to be made by a candidate who is in trouble. Nothing more.

[BenDavid]

54. obama didn’t even address the stupidity of anyone black or white

believing in Wright’s silly conspiracy theories (CIA behind AIDS/crack, etc.). Believing this about one’s country is poisonous and Obama had an opportunity to sets some minds straight and he didn’t. If he can’t even take on the lunatic far left(kos-move-on) in our party, how is he supposed to “unify” anything?

I think Obama’s at the point where he believes his own hype. He’s been put on this earth to change America, to save America. Getting electing is the goal and by any means necessary (not in the Malcolm X/Rev. Wright sense). So he’ll evade and be slick. Adding a rhetorical shine and marketing it as a “New Politics” gives it a unique packaging, but it’s old-school far left Liberal politics.And folks we cannot win in November with this approach.

[daleo]

55. It was an excellent speech

And well worth reading. I think it is best to read it rather than comment on it.

[Cali_Democrat]

56. OK, this was my thread and I just wanted to let you guys know I just watched the speech

WOW!!! You guys weren't kidding. Kick ass speech!!!

:thumbsup:

[meow mix]

64. yup =) mission accomplished

worked out just fine

[JeffR]

67. Good for you for watching it.

And good for you for posting this.

[IndianaJones]

57. the part about his racist granny. nt.

[saltpoint]

58. Yep. It was that good.

[HuffleClaw]

60. the reaction by some is about as over the top as i've ever seen

it seems to be mostly obamaphiles all twitterpated by their messiah

[Big Blue Marble]

61. "Cynicism is a sorry kind of wisdom."

To quote Obama. All Americans who care about this country and care about all of its people
are moved by this speech. It spoke to the best we can be. Sorry you missed it.

[HuffleClaw]

65. so if someone wasn't impressed they DON'T care?

that is just downright insulting

[pnwmom]

62. Yes, it was really that good, unless you're a person who prefers

snappy sound bites or safe campaign slogans.

The only problem was, it may have been too good -- too intelligent, too nuanced, too understanding . . . to appeal to those who like their mental food to come in pre-digested packets.

[Roxy66]

63. You need to watch it..period. Then you'll know

[VotesForWomen]

66. put the same words in hillary's or mccain's mouth and O-ists would be shitting all over them.

that's all there is too it. the whole O frenzy is just a cult of personality; he didn't say anything a million other people haven't already said.

[FlaGranny]

68. I'm for Obama

(after long consideration), and I deeply resent being called an "O-ist." Are you a "Clintonista?" Anyone who listened to and was able to understand Obama's speech should feel a bit ashamed of such labeling of others. Name calling is just another form of diminishing someone, whether it be for the color of their skin, their religion (or lack thereof), or their ideas.

[lligrd]

70. LOL That Is Just It. Neither Hillary Nor McCain Are Capable

of such a speech. Nobody had to put the words in Obama's mouth, he wrote them himself.

Oh, and please post a link to even one of the millions that have already said the same thing. Thanks.

[cynatnite]

69. He connected with people on a difficult issue...

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me that was it. He spoke honestly about race in this country which few folks can do without heads exploding.