A conservative's take on the Obama speech
Longtime prominent right wing pundit and writer Andrew Sullivan on the Obama speech:
Alas, I cannot give a more considered response right now as I have to get on the road. But I do want to say that this searing, nuanced, gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian speech is the most honest speech on race in America in my adult lifetime. It is a speech we have all been waiting for for a generation. Its ability to embrace both the legitimate fears and resentments of whites and the understandable anger and dashed hopes of many blacks was, in my view, unique in recent American history.
And it was a reflection of faith - deep, hopeful, transcending faith in the promises of the Gospels. And it was about America - its unique promise, its historic purpose, and our duty to take up the burden to perfect this union - today, in our time, in our way.
I have never felt more convinced that this man's candidacy - not this man, his candidacy - and what he can bring us to achieve - is an historic opportunity. This was a testing; and he did not merely pass it by uttering safe bromides. He addressed the intimate, painful love he has for an imperfect and sometimes embittered man. And how that love enables him to see that man's faults and pain as well as his promise. This is what my faith is about. It is what the Gospels are about. This is a candidate who does not merely speak as a Christian. He acts like a Christian.
Bill Clinton once said that everything bad in America can be rectified by what is good in America. He was right - and Obama takes that to a new level. And does it with the deepest darkest wound in this country's history.
I love this country. I don't remember loving it or hoping more from it than today.
posted by The Inside Dope @ 3/19/2008
7 comments
7 Comments:
Wow...just, wow.
In the meantime, Bill O'Reilly in his "Talking Points Memo" gave an equivocal thumbs-up to Sen. Obama's speech, calling many of his statements "excellent" and declaring him "a positive force in America," yet stil expressing cavils about Obama's public relationship with Rev. Wright.
Rush Limbaugh, meanwhile, took pains to ramble that Obama's speech was little but a mongering toward class warfare, "forced" white guilt, and a candidacy built on race. Good ol' Rush - you can always depend on him for pretzel logic.
Ann Coulter, naturally, was too obsessed with Obama's middle name to listen to anything he had to say.
O'Reilly is the best, and most objective, guy on TV. His comments are right-on.
Obama's speech was good, but there is certainly reason to doubt and be concerned about his (long-term) relationship with Pastor Wright, how this relationship has affected his wife (and her comment) and what this relationship says about him and his thinking.
Obama is most definately a dynamic personality with great upside potential - however, with issues like this (and his lack of experience), there is also substantial downside potential.
The fact you think the biggest PROVEN liar and bombastic demogugue blowhard on the airwaves is just great disqualifies you from any rational discussion.
If you think O'Reilly represents intelligent discussion, then you might as well be getting your political information from a poodle.
Sorry. Thanks for playing.
Now that was a very intelligent reply.
Anon 9:59
Thanks. Glad you think so.
And if you're who I suspect, you should try it yourself sometime.
It would be a first, but heck, ya gotta start somewhere.
Dope, be easy on Tiger Woods. He's been practicing and playing a lot of golf lately. I'm sure the only news he gets is from watching some TV during his downtime.
Actually, I'm getting very tired of this Rev. Wright thing. What the hell, I don't always agree with my churh, the Vatican, or my priest. But, I'm still a Catholic and I respect my priest and call him my minister.
I'm tired of this race thing being played over and over. Both sides are doing it. It's time all this shit stops. Both candidates need to tell me what their plans are for the economy, health care, and the military. Tell me what their true exit strategy is for Iraq. Hillary tell me how being First Lady makes you any more experienced to be POTUS than Obama.
I think there are way too many news sources, pundits, bloggers, tip sheets, etc. that lead these "debates" over what was said, who said it, what it means, why someone did what he/she did, ad infinitum.
I guess I now know why I've quite reading anything about politics - although I still enjoy coming here to read some fairly good comments (and also some ridiculous ones).
BH,
Spoken like the rational person you are.
I too find something... icky...about the whole think, and that's beyond the issue itself.
I think it's just pretty ugly, a bit stupid, and to watch the talking heads on cable and elsewhere, it's clear that they're really trying, almost desperately, to make something out of not much.
I think we all know the facts, although as in my post, I'd bet almost no one actually has read any of Wrights entire sermons to put his inflamatory statements in context.
I think most people realize that they wouldn't feel obligated to march up to their priest or minister or whatever and read them out and quit the church every time they heard them say something they didn't agree with.
To rail and whine and act so rightous that you could try to say Obama is really horrible simply because he didn't immediately quit his church is silly. I think most people realize that, unless they don't want to.
And when they start sniffing about how Obama "exposed" his children to it, as if it's almost child abuse.... please.
As usual, we can't seem to be able to have a half-way intelligent discussion of anything during election seasons.
It's enough to make you despair and get discouraged.
Obama laid the table for a frank and honest discussion of the issues surrounding the big flap.
He treated it like a rational adult, and had the courage to approach it honestly and openly.
What did the Republicans and the religious right and the other usual suspects do?
Why they immediately twisted it every way but loose, dug up little tiny bits of this and that and tried to mix it all together to pretend Obama hates whites, is a terrible parent, threw his own grandmother under the bus, is a rank liar and ..... yes, a terrible racist.
It's enough to give any thinking person a big headache and make them reach for a drink.
Until average people like yourself and others start piping up and both recognizing when this sort of thing is happening and calling it for the BS it is, they'll keep doing it.
I mean,theres's reason for hope.
Even Chris Wallace of FOX news got so sick of the hours and hours of Obama bashing on their stupid morning show that he chastised the moronic hosts to their face on air.
And they continued to do so so mindlessly and stupidly that even their own CO-HOST got up and walked off the set!
When you have Fox employees getting sick of the blatant bullshit, you know that maybe things have gone too far.
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