Wednesday, March 19, 2008
(8:01 AM) | Rob Breymaier:
Obawesome
So, I'm already on record in the comments as praising Obama's speech. But, I'm just so impressed, or actually excited, about it that I thought I'd post on it as well.For someone who works on civil rights every day. Who works everyday to overcome residential segregation and equalize opportunity. Who sees the need to address race and racism and racialized issues and all other things racial and privilege-oriented in America. For someone like me, I finally got to see a candidate be outspoken and get lots of coverage on the issues I care about.
Anyone mining the Weblog for past comments would find that I initially supported John Edwards for President because I thought he would best address racial inequality in America. So, I'm not an Obama maniac. When Edwards dropped out, I switched to supporting Obama. But, I still wondered if he would or could effectively address my core issue when choosing a candidate -- racial inequality.
This speech confirms to me that Obama is the single-best candidate to move America toward a less racially-charged society. It was at the same time simple and reasoned. It was both philosophical and practical. And, all the while, it was intelligent in a manner that honored and respected Americans' ability to grasp complex issues.
What's more, Obama's speech was as Presidential as any speech I've ever heard. Certainly he showed that he can handle tough situations in this case. He didn't take the easy road and throw Jeremiah Wright overboard. He didn't take the stubborn road and say that Wright is just misunderstood. He didn't take the opportunist/jingoist road and go on about how he loves America. He took the reasonable road and acknowledged that race is a complex issue while at the same time providing simple, universal examples to show how we all have inconsistencies despite our best efforts.
And, so I coin new Obama lingo by calling the speech Obawesome.
