I totally agree with Reason’s Jesse Walker. This is the core element of the speech.
From the link:
This morning Obama delivered a speech on the subject. It goes on endlessly, as his speeches often do, but it makes the essential, obvious point:
As imperfect as he may be, [Wright] has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions — the good and the bad — of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.
I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother — a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.
These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.
I guess you either understand this instinctively or you don’t. And then, of course, there are the people who understand it but will continue to pretend they don’t, the better to smear Obama as a secret jihadist, Weatherman, or Farrakhanite.
[...] More reactions to Obama’s race speech Filed under: Politics — Tags: Daily Kos, Little Green Footballs, Obama, Obsidian Wings, race speech, the Corner — davidkirkpatrick @ 2:58 pm You can find my part one here and part three here. [...]
Pingback by More reactions to Obama’s race speech « David Kirkpatrick — March 20, 2008 @ 5:20 am
[...] Head here for more reactions from the blogosphere and my part three take here. [...]
Pingback by Obama’s race speech « David Kirkpatrick — March 20, 2008 @ 5:25 am
Respectfully, Senator Obama’s speech on Race could be a watershed moment in American history. As much as I would like to share you’re faith in the man as a great icon and embodiment of each of our individual dreams for the nation, I cannot. For with this speech he admits to a lie in the Senator’s previous denial of ever having heard Pastor Wright’s vitrol. He has not changed the subject, tragically.
He could not choose his grandmother, just as he could not choose his uncle. A pastor we can choose.
I would be happy to join in and get on board the love train, but everytime I leaned in that direction, he has borne out the Second Affinity, and fails the “smell test.”
Again, with respect, I take him at his word on his affirmations, those that are direct. I simply don’t think that Liberation Theology, wrapped up with a bow and called something else, should be a guiding World View for a president of the United States.
Nevertheless, I am content to let the people decide, and there are months left for fair-minded people to change the minds of people like me. Good luck with that.
Comment by Joel Raupe — March 20, 2008 @ 7:42 am