Obama just gave one of the greatest speeches in American history ...

[Botany]

.... yesterday in a dignified and professional way. He wove in
facts about complex subjects, emotions than can get the better of
all of us, and we all say things that others might find objectionable
but we all need to find the higher ground so as to help all of America.
Senator Obama took what could have been a negative for his
campaign and used it to shine a light on "the wounds in our souls"
and how we must all start the healing by looking past the bluster
and manufactured outrage and really get after the real problems and
not ones that a whipped up by people with agendas.

That speech will go down with MLK's "I have a dream," Lincoln's
"Gettysburg Address," FDR's "We have nothing to fear but fear
it's self," Ike's prophetic warning about the "Military / Industrial
Complex," and George Washington's "Farewell to his Troops" of
that you can be sure. And yet less than 24 hours after these
words ended his talk:

"But it is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the two-hundred and twenty one years since a band of patriots signed that document in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins."

the nay sayers are out there cutting his speech down. Even here on DU "look
at these polls," "he didn't go far enough," and "sure it was a good speech but
he can't win in the fall." Now I expect that kind of junk from the right wing
but when a once in a lifetime "gem" is given us the right thing might be is
to say thank you and just maybe see that that the person who gave us that
gift might be the person to lead our country.

[ginnyinWI]

1. And I think he's just getting warmed up.

We have a potential president here who can be a real uniter--not like the phony one we got last time!

[Botany]

2. The way he would not throw the Rev. under the bus ....

.... even though that would have helped him said more
about the man then thousand words could have. The
right way is never the easy way.

[kansasblue]

3. Reminds me of Lincoln at Gettysburg.

Speech was poorly received at the time. It may be one of those speeches that need time to soak it.

I thought it was great. So did some of my Republican friends.

[Botany]

4. For me it reads even better.

For Barack to take a negative and make it a positive
and to use "it" to try to help all of us was amazing.

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. It was a very good speech.

But I wouldn't get carried away.

He has an easy act to follow. GWB is no JFK.

We're hungry for leaders who inspire anything other than pity/contempt/embarassment.