Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly.
He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
except for that little dog whistle thingy to the jews….why did that have to be in there?
i think the post speech anti obama comments on taylor marsh and no quarter are disgusting….as disgusting as a lot of the anti clinton stuff i have seen on dk.
so if we are going to the convention without a nominee what happens after the first vote when neither gets what they need to win?
“I read the various posts here on “The Corner,” mostly pretty ho-hum or critical about Obama’s speech. Then I figured I’d better read the text (I tried to find a video of it, but couldn’t). I’ve just finished. Has any other major American politician ever made a speech on race that comes even close to this one? As far as I’m concerned, it is just plain flat out brilliant–rhetorically, but also in capturing a lot of nuance about race in America. It is so far above the standard we’re used to from our pols…. But you know me. Starry-eyed Obama groupie.”
James Fallows“The Atlantic Monthly”
– a counterpart to John Kennedy
I didn’t mean to stay up so late to see this speech — have to get up in a few hours for a hinterland trip — but I am glad I did.
(Update: while considering just staying up until the hinterland trek, I will correct the preceding sentence. It was a moment that Obama made great through the seriousness, intelligence, eloquence, and courage of what he said. I don’t recall another speech about race with as little pandering or posturing or shying from awkward points, and as much honest attempt to explain and connect, as this one.)
I didn’t have time to watch so I read the transcript thinking that would be faster. About half-way thru I teared up so badly I had to wipe my eyes and blow my nose. Every other paragraph after that, I had to repeat the process. I probably could have listened to the video in much less time than it took me to weep thru reading it.
Please, can we have this future? Can people stop blaming each other and work together on our real problems.
Sadly, for all his talk on the need for healthcare (including the whole Ashley part), he’s not pro universal single payer.
on March 18, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Both Obama’s and Clinton’s plans are nearly identical and both suffer from reliance of private health insurance instead of a single-payer government plan.
And what a plan looks like in the Spring of ’08 isn’t what’s going to be on the floor of the House and Senate in January ’09. Depending on how many Democrats get swept into office in the fall, and how liberal they are, any health care legislation will pass through a lot of hands before anything is passed.
You might as well wave around H. Clinton’s health plan for 1993. If it doesn’t pass it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.
i thought it was a great speech
except for that little dog whistle thingy to the jews….why did that have to be in there?
i think the post speech anti obama comments on taylor marsh and no quarter are disgusting….as disgusting as a lot of the anti clinton stuff i have seen on dk.
so if we are going to the convention without a nominee what happens after the first vote when neither gets what they need to win?
Reactions from certain quarters not so disposed to give Dems kudos:
…proving once again why The World Wants Obama.
I didn’t have time to watch so I read the transcript thinking that would be faster. About half-way thru I teared up so badly I had to wipe my eyes and blow my nose. Every other paragraph after that, I had to repeat the process. I probably could have listened to the video in much less time than it took me to weep thru reading it.
Please, can we have this future? Can people stop blaming each other and work together on our real problems.
“I’m here because of Ashley”
Not at all different from my own experience
THAT is the soundbite from this speech.
THAT is the historical moment that should/will endure
Hopefully the polls & the cash register over at Obama’s site will reflect peoples’ approval.
This guy gives good speech.
Sadly, for all his talk on the need for healthcare (including the whole Ashley part), he’s not pro universal single payer.
Both Obama’s and Clinton’s plans are nearly identical and both suffer from reliance of private health insurance instead of a single-payer government plan.
And what a plan looks like in the Spring of ’08 isn’t what’s going to be on the floor of the House and Senate in January ’09. Depending on how many Democrats get swept into office in the fall, and how liberal they are, any health care legislation will pass through a lot of hands before anything is passed.
You might as well wave around H. Clinton’s health plan for 1993. If it doesn’t pass it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.
Glad you liked the speech, though.