“…Not this time!” - Obama talks about race
Can we look at race in a more constructive way?
There’s a certain quality to some people. The first time I heard Jesse Jackson speak, I was wishing he’d shut up before he got to his third sentence, and he hadn’t even finished thanking the people who organized the event.
But Barack Obama is at the other end of that scale. I’ve been following his career since Paul Simon (the Illinois senator, not the pop singer) sent a letter of support for him. I saw him maneuver through the Illinois legislature without getting devoured by that machine. I saw his cool handling of that raving maniac, Alan Keyes. I’ve seen him say to crowds exactly what they did not want to hear, while deftly finding the thread of higher nature in his audience. He doesn’t rattle easily, Barack Obama, and when he takes the oath of office, he’ll actually know what he’s talking about when he pledges to “...preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” He will never dismiss our constitution as “just a .. piece of paper.”
A couple weeks ago his pastor said some inflammatory things about race. Now this should hardly be news; Republican candidates routinely have long relationships with preachers who believe certifiably nutty and destructive things, while Wright’s remarks contain more than a grain of uncomfortable truth. But those few seconds of video have been reified from the life of a preacher we don’t even know, and trumpeted 24 hours a day on cable news and right-wing blogs as if they were the secret agenda of Obama himself.
On Tuesday Obama delivered his famous speech on race. For too long race has just been a card one could play for political gain, a lever to pry out reason from discussion leaving only divisive emotions, a minefield across which white Americans, no matter how good their intentions, could see relationships explode from the slightest misstep. Barack was having none of that; he spoke about race with stunning completeness and painful honesty, saying for the first time things I have wanted to hear someone say but until now nobody had the guts or the credibility.
I cannot improve on Jon Stewart’s perfect description: “At 11:00 am on a Tuesday, a prominent politician spoke to the American people about race, as though they were adults”.
Notes:
- Campaign site: Full text of speech
- Chicago Tribune: The Obama I know: “Terrific listener goes wherever reason takes him”. Outstanding editorial from one of Obama’s former colleagues at the University of Chicago Law School
- Joe Irvin has insightful commentary about Obama and the voter around the speech
- The discussion at Stupid Evil Bastard is, as always, not to be missed
- Winston at Nobody Asked says;
...He eloquently and effectively delivers with the same style as Dr. Martin Luther King, a passionate style that captivates an audience with deliberate, methodical rhythm and repetition. The effect is indeed powerful and convincing. Not all leaders have this ability, but all truly great leaders are masters of oratory. They use their talents to persuade and motivate people to dream, to hope, to achieve. Barack Obama is such a leader…
“At 11:00 am on a Tuesday, a prominent politician spoke to the American people about race, as though they were adults”.
And there’s the rub and the funny. As though.
These the same adults that supported the war in Iraq. The same adults that can’t find Iraq on a map. The same adults that conflate healthcare and social security. The same adults that re-elected Bush in 2004. The same adults that are 85% religious but would rather bomb than love their neighbor.
I’m thinking that “talking to them as adults” may be a good comically ironic line. If they deserve (or gain benefit) to be talked to as adults is to be seen.
But I agree that Obama scored points.
Posted by Ted on 03/21/08 at 09:02 AMWell, not to hear the right-wing punditry. Then again, he could have been surrounded by angels and have a dove descending from the heavens to his head, and the right-wing punditry would bemoan his playing “the religion card.”
A correction, DOF—Rev. Wright has been spouting off for many years. It only got pulled out as a campaign card a few weeks back. Indeed, look up “Obama Wright” on Google and you’ll find a lot of talking heads talking about it back last fall, and some of the video goes back to at least 9/11—where, not unlike Falwell and Robertson, he attributed the attack to America’s malfeasance (though he blamed very different misdeeds).
That said, I thought Obama did excellently in his speech—if nothing else, he pointed out that even those we care for can say things we disagree with without being banished from our lives into the outer darkness. It’s not all-or-nothing or a false with-us-against-us dichotomy.
Posted by *** Dave on 03/22/08 at 03:16 PM
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