I confess. I'm Black and proud today. David Paterson yesterday, Obama today.

[HamdenRice]

Yesterday, during St. Patty's day, I ducked into a bar in the middle of the day to hear David Paterson's inauguration. The bar had perhaps a dozen patrons, all but two of them white, mostly it seemed construction workers, several by their accents, Irish, all watching the parade. Then the local station cut in to show David Paterson's swearing in as the first African American governor of New York, and the first blind governor of any state.

All of the men in the bar watched almost rapturous as Paterson spoke. They laughed at his jokes and even broke into applause. The beginning of Paterson's speech was a classic New York ethnic smorgasbord speech, introducing the former Irish governor, the former African American and Jewish mayors of New York City, the Italian American Attorney General, the Jewish woman Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals, and the Jewish Assembly majority leader, Sheldon Silver. Paterson ended by making a joke about his blindness and Silver, the punchline of which was Silver telling him that he didn't want Paterson to turn the State Senate "into a Jewish wedding" (hard to explain; it had to do with the blind Paterson mistakenly using his gavel to smash a glass of water.)

When the juke box came on, the partrons shushed the bar maid to turn it off so they could hear the rest of the speech. A number of them made remarks, like "this guy is awsome" or "what a memory"!

At the end of the speech the patrons seemed as pumped up about the new governor as if a home team were winning a game on television.

I was surprised, thrilled, and humbled by what at least part of our country has become.

Today, I listened to Barak Obama give the speech of his career. As an African American male of roughly his age, I understood what he was trying to say. It may not be pleasant to hear, but the reality is that there are black people who are angry at white people, and there are white people who are angry at black people. It's as though Obama decided in the last few days that rather than do what the political wisdom says to do in such "scandals," he would simply tell the truth -- the truths that have been building up on both sides, but that in polite company we rarely talk about, and in politics we pretend don't exist.

Two great speeches in two days. I confess. I'm very proud today of both Paterson and Obama, but I'm also very proud of my country.

[bicentennial_baby]

1. ...

:hug:

[better tomorrow]

2. I'm glad for you on Obama, but.....

apparantly you haven't heard the scandal around Patterson. He is supposed to hold his news conference on his and his wife's affairs later today.....not too much to be proud of with him in the end.

Patterson...you ain't no Obama.....

[EFerrari]

7. What an amazing statement. The Patersons went through a bad time

and came through it. And, they're handling this very well. What a contrast to so many other politicans.

[npincus]

10. Bullcrap! He AND his wife did nothing wrong; BOTH admitted to having affairs

suring a point when their marriage went sour. But they worked it out, were hosnest with oneanother and are together now. I don't call that a "scandal", I called that their personal business. As much as Bill CLnton's wandering ways were none of the RW's business.

[w13rd0]

11. Those who are attempting to make hay with Patterson...

...come the hell on. Their marriage was in shambles and they were, for all practical purposes, seperated. They both engaged in other relationships during that time, and then later reconciled. Would you rather they had done like Republicans and had affairs while trying to seem like the happy married couple, then gotten divorced when no one was looking?

[better tomorrow]

3. sorry

double post...

[Bread and Circus]

4. I am proud to kick and recommend this post.

[Nedsdag]

5. As an African American, I'm proud as well.

Two class individuals.

You go, guys!

[bridgit]

6. we heard some of Paterson's inaug, he seems like one of the good guys

[better tomorrow]

12. but I lost respect in him this morning

Anyone who cheats outside of marriage is not a role model in my opinion. He isn't any worse than Spitzer when it comes to that.....he should have came out with that before now.......

[bridgit]

17. i think the day approaches rapidly when it is understood by many if not all...

that they are humanity's feet that are made of clay. No more prophetic poetries, that's just the way it is

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. Sounds awfully shallow.

:shrug:

[eleny]

8. It's been a good couple of days

Obama's speech of this morning has made my week.

[jackson_dem]

9. Paterson's speech was great

I liked his joke about "I know a little about finding my way through the dark." His life story is very inspirational and he has a chance to get things done in New York. The only concern I have for him is that he has only two years until the next election and if the economy stays in the doldrums he may be vulnerable. He is off to a great start, though!

It was wise for him to also get the story about his affairs out before he took office.

[dailykoff]

14. He had a good joke about prostitutes.

Somebody asked him if he'd ever spent time with prostitutes and he said "only the lobbyists."

:rofl:

[better tomorrow]

19. so, were the lobbyists his trysts? Or, did he lie about spending time with prostitutes because

anyone who has a tryst with a married man is a prostitute in my opinion. :rofl:

[jackson_dem]

20. haha! I missed that. I only caught part of his speech

:rofl:

[jackson_dem]

21. haha! I missed that. I only caught part of his speech

:rofl:

[npincus]

13. I'm white and Obama made me proud to be in the same politcal party.

America CAN produce greatness... I had lost all hope after 8 years of B*sh / GOP reign.

[babylonsister]

15. I listened to both speeches, as well.

As a white, middle-aged woman, they were both fantastic. That was the first time I had heard Paterson speak (I'm a NYer who lives in TX) and he seemed to me to be smart and really very funny. I hope everyone in NY appreciates him, and I could care less about his past sexual history that he and his wife have reconciled.
As for Obama today, he left me speechless and covered with goosebumps. Now that was a speech! He covered it all; it's already being lauded as one for the ages, and that's from some pretty cynical people.
We so need someone to believe in, to lift us all up. Obama continues to earn my faith and confidence. :toast:

[applegrove]

16. I'm white, Canadian and proud today of the USA. Great speech Obama.

Though I still want Hillary to win you are showing us some great stuff.

[HamdenRice]

22. One more thing: Rudy Giuliani was noticeably absent

All the pols were there. Forgot to mention Hillary who Paterson called out and who got a big round of applause.

One patron lamented that none of the pols was able to make the St. Patty's day parade.

After the speech, the tv cut back to the parade and the first image was Giuliani marching in the parade, alone among NY state politicos. He was the only one who didn't want to be present at this historic event.

Few people outside NYC know just what a self-proclaimed racist Ghouliani is. He once bragged that he hadn't shaken the hands of even one black politician in his first term of office -- and that, he thought, was a great accomplishment.

So of course he wouldn't go to Albany for the swearing in.

[better tomorrow]

23. Rudy was probably at the hotel with Patterson's girlfriend....

and, wasn't it a hoot that CNN switched to a break just when he was introducing Hillary? I thought CNN liked her....

[NorthernSpy]

24. oh, give it a rest...

Unlike Spitzer, Patterson didn't break any laws. That's the point.

[Upfront]

25. I am proud of you

for bringing us this report.

[Mme. Defarge]

26. K&R!

From a 60-year-old white lady. Haven't heard either speech yet, but your account of what happened in the bar has moved me to tears. Maybe there IS hope.

We shall overcome.