obama's speech. will it help

[YRABNNRM]

Yeah. He was supposed to be finished at least twice now, wasn't he?

He was also supposed to have had this wrapped up at least twice now.

I love how Republicans love to constantly use that to diss Obama rather than recognize the huge, passionate support that Hillary Clinton has. Most Democrats I've talked to have said that they like both of them; the closeness of the race reflects their strengths as much as their weaknesses.

I wasn't trying to "diss" Obama (who I support for future reference). I was just pointing out the flip-side of the argument.

I also do not underestimate Hillary's support; in fact, I do believe that somehow she will get her hands on this nomination.

[JSojourner]

Jimmy Carter's speech writer, Tip O Neil's chief of staff, up Kerry's butt the entire 2004 campaign..........yep, pretty sure he's a liberal.  Never heard him referred to as anything but.

One of the most dogged Clinton critics of the late 90's...continues to be a Clinton basher today...has been highly critical of Kerry before and after the election.

He's a Democrat, no doubt.  But Olbermann's a liberal.  Rachel Maddow is a liberal.  Matthews is a centrist. If he IS a liberal, he's the fairest liberal I've ever seen on TV the way he kisses the ass of most conservative commentators on his show.  

[Lief 🗽]

Jimmy Carter's speech writer, Tip O Neil's chief of staff, up Kerry's butt the entire 2004 campaign..........yep, pretty sure he's a liberal.  Never heard him referred to as anything but.

Two time Bush supporter. Huge supporter of the Iraq War (up until recently when he realized that the public no longer agreed with him). Virulently anti-Bill Clinton.

If that's a liberal, then I don't want to be one.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

The speech helps, in that it gets Wright off the TV for the next few news cycles, and that once the MSM covers something, they don't go back to it unless there is something new

Obama had to give a race speech. Im sorry that some of you didn't get to see the first viable black candidate tell the black community to "stop actin all black" but he wasn't going to do that.

Obama is having the worst 3 weeks of coverage in the campaign, Clinton looks acendant in PA, and McCain is being unchallenged... and yet he still leads McCain in matchups and still polls tied with Hillary in the primary.

Anyone who thinks Obama is done should have remembered the 1200 other times he was "finished" and get some perspective

He will be the nominee, he will trash McCain, he will be the next president.

I don't believe that he is finished. He will continue to have his base of blacks and white liberals no matter what happens. Those who feel he's completely done are crazy. He'll win the nomination.

Obama has lived a charmed life with the media. This is only the beginning. I can assure you he won't trash McCain in the general election.

It's also disgusting that you think that acting black means spewing vile racial and anti-American crap like Rev. Wright was engaging in. If we are just going to have to deal with behavior like that, then I do hope he gets trashed in the general.

I AM an Obama supporter.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there who are not so enlightened, and will never understand this wonderful speech for what it is, and as a result, I don't think Obama's campaign will withstand this, at least not in November, even if he ekes out the nomination.

and, name calling.  you call Obama a liar, even though your point is totally messed up and I call you on it, yet I'm name calling.  Seriously, you make me ill.

I'm sorry you take personal offense when someone criticizes Obama. I bet you've had one hell of a week.

Keep up the attitude that people who aren't supporting Obama are just too stupid to understand him. That will fly really well in the race against McCain. I guess you are just preparing for November's disappointment. We dumb Americans will elect John McCain rather than the enlightening Barack Obama.

People like you who believe Obama critics are just unintelligent racists make me ill, sir.

[Wiz in Wis]

The speech helps, in that it gets Wright off the TV for the next few news cycles, and that once the MSM covers something, they don't go back to it unless there is something new

Obama had to give a race speech. Im sorry that some of you didn't get to see the first viable black candidate tell the black community to "stop actin all black" but he wasn't going to do that.

Obama is having the worst 3 weeks of coverage in the campaign, Clinton looks acendant in PA, and McCain is being unchallenged... and yet he still leads McCain in matchups and still polls tied with Hillary in the primary.

Anyone who thinks Obama is done should have remembered the 1200 other times he was "finished" and get some perspective

He will be the nominee, he will trash McCain, he will be the next president.

I don't believe that he is finished. He will continue to have his base of blacks and white liberals no matter what happens. Those who feel he's completely done are crazy. He'll win the nomination.

Obama has lived a charmed life with the media. This is only the beginning. I can assure you he won't trash McCain in the general election.

It's also disgusting that you think that acting black means spewing vile racial and anti-American crap like Rev. Wright was engaging in. If we are just going to have to deal with behavior like that, then I do hope he gets trashed in the general.

I'm not defending Wright, but responding to the multiple calls on this board for Obama to "act like Bill Cosby." Sure, Cosby has a point, but so too do those who rightly mention that the ills of the black community are, in some part, caused by white racism. Living in Milwaukee, one of the most segregated cities in America, I hear all the time how blacks are responsible for thier own problems, as whites pick up their lives and move to Waukesha, and then in the state legislature strip the MPS of funding, cut money for busses, and rail against crime and unemployment.

There is overt racism, and then there is the racism of saying "its not my problem" Most of white americans are not overt racists, but quite a few think blacks are entirely to blame for their problems. Thats just as wrong as Wright saying that blacks bear no responsibility. Most of the social problems we have today are hangovers from the overt racism of the past. Obama has to confront that legacy in both communities.

But republicans, for the most part, don't give a hoot. They think that unless they personally lynched someone, the have never acted even remotely racist. Which is BS

[Aizen]

Jimmy Carter's speech writer, Tip O Neil's chief of staff, up Kerry's butt the entire 2004 campaign..........yep, pretty sure he's a liberal.  Never heard him referred to as anything but.

Then who do you consider "moderate"? O'Reilly? lol.

[JSojourner]

Most of the major news anchors are showing it as a plus for Obama. With the exception of Lou Dobbs(So full of himself) Pat Buchanan, Fox News...Ya know, the regulars.

Dan Abrams was extremely anti-Obama tonight.  At least, I thought so.

[Lincoln Republican]

Walter, AKA Hillary's Number 1 fan, yes, the speech helped, the greatest speech since the I Have A Dream speech.

[Person Man]

RCP looks good for Obama.

[bullmoose88]

Most of the major news anchors are showing it as a plus for Obama. With the exception of Lou Dobbs(So full of himself) Pat Buchanan, Fox News...Ya know, the regulars.

Dan Abrams was extremely anti-Obama tonight.  At least, I thought so.

I've always thought Abrams was pro-clinton.  Shrug.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Alright - if I were Obama... or on his staff this is how I would have approached it (keeping the tone of the campaign).

The past week has been difficult. Pastor Wright is someone whom I have a great deal of affection for, someone my family has confided in, and this campaign trusts. But firstly he's a friend. Like everyone I have friends who do and say things that I disagree with. But I can't dismiss a friend for political expediency. The commments from those videos played over and over again, do not and never will represent any element of what this campaign or I stand for.

We are all Americans first. My ethnic background does neither qualify, nor disqualify me from seeking this great office, the same is true Senator Clinton. We run because we believe we have the plans and vision to drive this country away from fear and division and toward hope and unity.

But we cannot ignore race as a potent symbol of political struggle over the last 50 years, and social stuggle from the beginning. African-americans continue to struggle to stand-tall as equal partners in the enterprise of America. But victims we must no longer be. Americans of all races and religions are suffering under the tremendous threat our economy is under. African-Americans have suffered great persecution, but what do we make of ourselves, if we act as if we believe that persecution was justified. With hard-work and determination, any American can make a great life in this country. We have institutionalised poverty, and that is something that we must address, from the mountains of West Virginia, to the South Chicago projects. There are race specific issues, and I will do all I can, but I want to lift up people of all races and religions. But that cannot happen without a united desire and a united effort.

Something like that - humanise the Wright issue, neutralise the race issue as a broader inclusive one - speaking out to working-class white voters scared s**tless about the economy.

[Verily]

That sounds pretty much like a paraphrase of the speech to me.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

There are subtle differences.

[Iosif is a COTHO]

By the way, the great irony is that it was Wright who gave Obama a major electoral boost, since he 'converted' Obama from atheism, which would have wrecked any chance he had of becoming President.


Though the other question there is how much Obama actually converted himself, and joined the church to be respected by his local community.