(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3584393.ece)
Barack Obama's speech last tuesday in Philadelphia was reminicent of a man tierd of the usual political stirring and innuendo, and a man whose words relayed how desperate he was was to return the focus back onto his campaign, and brush aside once and for all the media speculation surrounding the controversial link between him and his former pastors "anti-american" sermons.
At the core his speech were two vital issues which surround this presidential election more than any of its predecessor's - race and equality, possibly because America has never had a presidential candidate who is the "son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas,"(Obama's opening speech) or speaks which such seemingly genuine conviction and passion. Not since the days of Bill Clinton has the world seen an American candidate who could easily woo a crowd of voters with mere words.
Don't get me wrong, i havn't made up my mind on which democratic i will keep my fingers and toes crossed for on election days (being pro republican simply being out of the question-we do not need another Bush administration in the White House), but i cannot help but be in awe of Obama.
He addressed the issue of race after the incendiary remarks made by his former pastor Rev Jeremiah Wright. The next day almost every newspaper and news site was caught up in praise for him and his "flat-out brillent speech" as it is being hailed. After watching it on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUn4ohZUGs0) i understood why. The importance behind the speech however is my interest here. The main reason why he did is is fairly obvious - he had to address the issue before his campaign took on any more water. Obama's strategy of dealing with his race identity is one of the most, if not the most important pillar of his entire campaign, and Rev Wright threatened it. Afterall,
- Whites make up 73.9
- Black or African American 12.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native 0.8%
- Asians 4.4%
- Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 0.14%
- Hispanic or Latino origin 14.8%
- Other race 6.3%
- Two or more races 2.0% (Source: US Census Bureau, 2006 (figures add up to more than 100 per cent because Hispanic is classified as origin, not race).
To say that Rev Wrights' remarks that:
"who cares about what a poor, black man has to face everday in a country and a culture controlled by a rich white people.....it just came to me in the past few weeks why so many folks are hating on Barack Obama. He doesn't fit the model. He aint white, he ain't rich, and he ain't privellaged. Hillary fits the mould..Europeans fit the mould, rich white men fit the mould. Hillary never had a cab whizz past her and not pick her up because her skin was the wrong colour, Hillary never had to worry about being pulled up in her car as a black man driving in the wrong ...Hillary was not a black boy raised in a single parent home Barack was. Barack knows what it means to be a black man living in a country and culture that is controlled by rich white people.....I am so glad i have a God who knows what it is to be a poor black man in a country and a culture controlled by and run by rich white people. Jesus taugh me how to love my enemies...and not be reduced to their level of hatred, bigatory and small mindness."
are damaging to Obamas campagin is an understatement. (You can watch it on YouTube for yourselves and judge whether or not he seems as hypocritical to you as he does to me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcOOSpvC2JI).
So you could probably see why Obama had to take control of the situation asap and turn a moment of great political importance into another landmark slide amongst supporters. He talks about the pitfalls in black and white mentality, and his love of the pastor but disagreeing with him on a crucial point - something which puts him in favour with the modern American - America can change! In true genius fashion he uses that point to sweep aside the intial issue of controversial racial remarks claiming that "race" is just a distraction and that for this election voters should see past it and not make the same mistake in his election.
The beauty of this speech is that its passionate and cleverly side steps the initial issue by making all those outraged feel guilty of having them in the first place. I think im right in saying that his speech will go down in presidential race history as one of the best speeches made. There was no theatricals or over exagerated or enthusiastic facial expresssionas or hand movements, just mere words empowered by one mans belief. However, whether he wrote this himself or it was the creative genius of his speechwriters remains uncertain. Nevertheless, Obama's tuesday speech is another victory over Clinton.
Some of you might be interested in Daniel Finklstein's guide to opinion on the web.
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