The New Republic's Jonathan Chait admires the intellectual components of Obama's speech:
It's very unusual for a politician to give a speech that works at such a high intellectual level. At every turn he resisted simplifications and added nuance.Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum calls the speech "very much classic Obama." While Clinton supporter Taylor Marsh says the speech has turned Obama into what he most wanted to avoid becoming - an ethnic candidate:
Senator Obama gave a speech today that is larger than politics, but it in no way ends his political challenges. The national wound of race Barack didn't want to touch is now reopened nationally and in the spotlight again. While his campaign wants to move on, the country will not, because everyone will be talking about race, through the invitation of Obama's speech today. A powerful political candidate has now become what he's been trying to avoid, a civil rights symbol, however reluctantly he takes on the role.
Some conservative blogs are indifferent to the speech, but more see Obama's speech as failing to repudiate Rev. Wright.
Powerline's Paul Hinderaker:
It will not do to say that Wright is "part of America." Lots of deplorable people are part of America, including white racists. Political candidates are not required to embody every strand of America, much less the most noxious hate-filled ones.
Sometimes proponent of self-doubt Andrew Sullivan leaves restraint by the wayside in favor of his Obamamania, and declares:
I love this country. I don't remember loving it or hoping more from it than today.
Meanwhile, Stephen Bainbridge says Obama gave a good personal speech, but not a good presidential one:
I don’t deny that changing churches is very hard, having done so myself. But presidents are called upon to make hard decisions, some of which may be personally painful, all the time. Hence, while Obama’s loyalty to Pastor Wright may seem honorable at the personal level (although I disagree with it even there), it is troubling at the presidential level.
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Comments
It was a stupendous speech, even more interesting to read as a transcript, I found. I recommend that all here go back and read the transcript in a quiet moment in the next couple of day.
And it was right for Obama to talk about race. To have the elephant stand in the porcelain shop for 14 months now and to have everyone act as if there is no elephant is just plain old dumb.
The right will find a way to damn the man anyway, so let him just be who he is, and you will be amazed at how many americans will resonate with this speech. It was truly amazing, may end up being a pivotal moment in american political history.
Posted by: bonncaruso
| March 18, 2008 6:20 PM
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