The Greatest Speech of My Lifetime.
I am going to repost it via YouTube when it becomes available, but last night I watched perhaps the greatest political speech of my life. Barack Obama delivered a masterpiece about America’s promise, and how he would restore it after 8 years of abject failure by George W. Bush and the Republican Party.
It was a full-throated defense of progressive principles, devoid of mushy “centrist” crap. It didn’t avoid the tough social issues like abortion, guns, or gay marriage. It wasn’t apologetic. Unlike Bill Clinton’s and Biden’s, it didn’t unnecessarily praise John McCain. It drew sharp distinctions between Democrats and Republicans. It came from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.
How do you know the speech was damn good? Because he got Pat Buchanan to gush over it?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Fru4dZLGA[/youtube]
I completely agree. It was the greatest political speech that I have ever heard or seen. I say political b/c it differs from his prior inspirational speeches in the respect of validly attacking the McBush while also providing specific policy examples. Also, to be able to watch so many great speeches by Al Gore, Bill Richardson, and then normal working class americans: “We need a country that cares more about Barney Smith than Smith Barney.” (paraphrase as I don’t remember the exact quote.) Also I loved this quote from an ordinary american (Once again paraphrased): “Edison said that the definition of insanity is doing the same action over and over the same way and expecting different results. I say that if you follow McCain and he will provide the same leadership as Bush and you expect a different result then you are insane.” An absolutely great night that I am not even sure McBush’s VP pick will overcome. However, I do salute the McCain camp for not announcing the pick last night and the congratulatory message that they sent via commercial. That is the McCain that would make this election truly monumental (aka two candidates truly worthy of the office.) but unfortunately it seems to be just a head fake as he still validates his other sleazy messages.
Andrew Sullivan sums it up beautifully…
“It was a deeply substantive speech, full of policy detail, full of people other than the candidate, centered overwhelmingly on domestic economic anxiety. It was a liberal speech, more unabashedly, unashamedly liberal than any Democratic acceptance speech since the great era of American liberalism. But it made the case for that liberalism – in the context of the decline of the American dream, and the rise of cynicism and the collapse of cultural unity. His ability to portray that liberalism as a patriotic, unifying, ennobling tradition makes him the most lethal and remarkable Democratic figure since John F Kennedy.
What he didn’t do was give an airy, abstract, dreamy confection of rhetoric. The McCain campaign set Obama up as a celebrity airhead, a Paris Hilton of wealth and elitism. And he let them portray him that way, and let them over-reach, and let them punch him again and again … and then he turned around and destroyed them. If the Rove Republicans thought they were playing with a patsy, they just got a reality check.
He took every assault on him and turned them around. He showed not just that he understood the experience of many middle class Americans, but that he understood how the Republicans have succeeded in smearing him. And he didn’t shrink from the personal charges; he rebutted them. Whoever else this was, it was not Adlai Stevenson. It was not Jimmy Carter. And it was less afraid and less calculating than Bill Clinton.
Above all, he took on national security – face on, full-throttle, enraged, as we should all be, at how disastrously American power has been handled these past eight years. He owned this issue in a way that no Democrat has owned it since Kennedy. That’s a transformative event. To my mind, it is vital that both parties get to own the war on Jihadist terror and that we escape this awful Rove-Morris trap that poisons the discourse into narrow and petty partisan abuse of patriotism. Obama did this tonight. We are in his debt.”
Friends…I have to say…the speech was incredible, without being HALLMARK….very well executed…pointed…provocative….and personal.
Bask in these words this weekend….they are auditory Prozac….and I don’t mean that in a sarcastic way believe it or not (by the way is snark=sarcastic…don’t know this blogging language).
But then…be good open-minded liberals and let’s look at Contestant #2
By the way what is Keith’s last name on MSNBC? Geez, his voice sounded so familiar, but I could not place his face…and never heard his full name. And can anyone find or remember the comment about the AP reporter he mentioned? Barrymore? He called him out across the airwaves…and I just want to hear the whole report “Barrymore” filed that was so antagonistic to warrant a network guy’s rebuke?
Keith Olberman?
Joanne–
Thank you for your kind words. As for being openminded to McCain, I am sorry but my mind is made up. I will listen next week to what the GOP has to say for themselves, but there is no chance in this world that I will be voting for them.
To do so would reward them for their malfeasance during the last eight years. They deserve punishment, no reward.
I know this is harsh, but Republicans always preach responsibility and accountability. Well, stop preaching it and live it. Republicans are responsible for the horrible state of affairs we are in, and they must be held accountable for it. That means you lose the White House. It is simple as that.
As for the definition of snark, it is the combination of sacrcasm and a joke.
Such an excellent speech! And while Sullivan and others are providing excellent detailed analysis, one of the things that seems overlooked is that Obama was speaking to everyone last night. He wasn’t constrained by speaking to tons of Dems in a giant room — it seems that opening up the venue let him get back to asking everybody for their vote. Simply impressive. And in my email this AM — two of my Republican co-workers were not only impressed but are rethinking their vote. What else can you ask for?
On another note, my Great Aunt Mary (who I got a computer for so she could keep track of Obama) has summoned me to the house to teach her how to text message. Apparently she thinks that is a prerequisite to becoming an Obama campaign volunteer.
LOL
I’d say the Dems (ALL Dems) are fired up and ready to go!
I’d say the Dems (ALL Dems) are fired up and ready to go!
Except for Dom, but apparently she’s not really a Democrat.
DelDem—THANK YOU for the civil discourse!! Please remember the local “horrible state of affairs”, and act accordingly. I do hope you are not a straight ticket voter….we have so much power locally.
As far as “punishing” Republicans….I ask mercy for some of the “children”, who haven’t been malfeasant, or abhorrent in execution of duty. I count on you..as a liberal..to evaluate the local landscape, and not just water the bushes….but transplant either new or sustainable plantings to the front yard. You may not agree with the White House….but PLEASE consider very carefully the greenhouse here at home us local gardeners have so much control. And lastly remember….it wasn’t fun making the whole class stay in from recess when it was just Donviti or Jason acting out again!!!! Have a good day…
“The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland, but don’t tell me we can’t uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals.”
Typical of Obama. He has a disconnect with reality. AK’s, semi-auto look-a-likes or “true” AK47’s aren’t being used in crimes throughout this country. They never have and the facts bear this out. When he says “keep them out of the hands of criminals” what he means is “reinstate the “Assault Weapons Ban” so people like me can’t buy them.
You can hunt just fine with an AK or AR, and many people do. Never mind that despite what Obama thinks (and says on his website) the 2nd Amendment has nothing to do with hunting.
If there’s gang violence you’ve got to deal with the gangs. Passing an Assault Weapon Ban won’t do a damn thing (except piss of a TON of Americans) Even Bill Clinton (see 94′ AWB) knows that banning them has no impact whatsoever on crime. You’d think Obama would learn from history, but he doesn’t. He just wants to try the same old shit that didn’t work before and won’t work now.
That was the greatest speech I’ve ever seen. What I loved about it was that he made the case for the liberal view of foreign policy. He was up there defending our ideas about foreign policy and our patriotism. Now I understand why he let McCain carry on with his “celebrity” nonsense. He was letting McCain flail around, thinking he had a winning issue and then putting the crush on him. So masterful!
Yeah… he gave McCain enough rope…
Great speech. When I heard Pat Buchanan gushing I knew that there was something there to touch the heart every patriotic American regardless of party.
Oh puuuuulllllllease.You obviously haven’t seen many speeches or you are about as politically savvy as a teenager. The title of this ridiculous gushing post makes both likely. When you come down from your sugar high you should take a nap so you can eventually wake up to reality. Osama has nothing to back up any of his pop fluff rock star speechifying. I know George Bush has dumbed you all down as far as standards for politicians but really you are getting out of hand with this deification of Barry boy. What is it with liberals being suckers for flashy propaganda and saccharin moments. It’s all about how you “feel” and what you “think” rather than action or proof. Emotional manipulation and style over substance are your trademarks. It is one thing to be passionate. But this is just mass hysteria. Thankfully the rest of the country isn’t a mile high like you pablum suckers in here.
Wow CO. Thanks for proving that our “feelings” and “thoughts” our totally correct about nutjobs like yourself. You offer only the ability to critcize a speech that is regarded by political pundits (who happen to know more about politics in thier left nostril than you obviously)both the left and the right as historic and incredible. You are right that the rest of the country isn’t completely passionate about the ideas but then again we have 20% of the country that is insane and still backs Bush. Bet you are one of them.
Also, has anyone seen Mccain’s VP pick. Congratulations on choosing a women for a position of power. Might have to revise that stance on equal pay for equal work now but that is just a flip-flop. Also, I truly appreciate that with this choice any chance at an experience argument flies right out the window and down the toilet.
Ok, so I’m going to be in the minority here…
I wasn’t enamored at all by the speech last night.
I’ll begin with the small stuff and then get to the bigger issues I had with the speech. First off, I found it UTTERLY DISTRACTING, that every other time he switched teleprompters, he stumbled over his words. I find it far less distracting when someone has to look down at papers or notes or when they pause to collect themselves, but when you trip over words because you are reading instead of talking, it is just far too distracting.
My next issue with the speech was the actual substance. His message was supposed to be full of Hope for the American people, but why did I get the distinct feeling that, while addressing the Democratic NATIONAL Convention, Mr. Obama was speaking to voters in key states like Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Michigan?
Hmmm…why would I think that?
“This country is more decent than one where a woman in OHIO, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.”
“This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he’s worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China…”
“A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made.”
Seriously, this is the one chance you have to address ALL of America, and let us know what you intend to DO about the problems we are facing, and in this voters opinion, you completely blew it. Sure, brushed over issues for us, but there was no plan!
“If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don’t, you’ll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves.”
Ok, but how?
“Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.”
Ok, but how?
I concede, he does talk a bit about his energy policy which is great, but how do we pay for all of these things? Health Care, Education, Social Security, War, and Investing in alternative energies (which I agree is a must) all cost TONS of money, and now on top of adding all that cost, you want to trim taxes? Which is it going to be, taxes or programs? We need to be economically viable before we can commit to things we can’t pay for. Oh, wait, George Bush did that with a war and look where that got us!
Listen, don’t get me wrong, I sincerely believe he wants to change many of the wrong doings in Washington. I believe he is sincere when he says he cares for the American people. But hey, so do I, so do you all, and so do our neighbors. The difference is we are not running for the highest office in America, he is. It is his DUTY to present us with a coherent plan, not just the same old stories we hear over and over and over again.
Also, let me be straight, I am NOT voting for Mr. McCain, but I was still undecided if I would vote for Mr. Obama and he did nothing to persuade me either way last night. I feel that characterizing this as “The Greatest Speech Of My Lifetime” is a little much.
Fire Away!
I thought it was an A. He did a fine job. I actually thought that I heard him give a better speech, but it fulfilled its purpose.
Well, he certainly has the Mussolini podium pout down pat!