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Cliff's Notes for Obama's Race Speech
March 18, 2008 2:04 PM
My the full dot-com write-up is HERE.
Or, if you prefer, here are some excerpts, organized as a narrative.
1. How we got here to this speech today
"On one end of the spectrum, we’ve heard the implication that my candidacy is somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it’s based solely on the desire of wild and wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap. On the other end, we’ve heard my former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation; and that rightly offend white and black alike."
2. Wright is Wrong (and I'm Not Anti-Israel)
"But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren’t simply controversial. They weren’t simply a religious leader’s effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country – a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam."
3. Yes, I've Heard Some Controversial Stuff in the Pews
"For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely."
4. But Disowning Him Would Be Like Disowning the Black Church Itself…or My Grandma
"The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and biases that make up the black experience in America. And this helps explain, perhaps, my relationship with Reverend Wright. As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions – the good and the bad – of the community that he has served diligently for so many years. I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community.
"I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed her by on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. These people are part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love."
5. We Need to Talk About The "Racial Stalemate We’ve Been Stuck in for Years"
"Race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America – to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality."
6. Why Wright and Blacks Are Angry
"For the men and women of Reverend Wright’s generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician’s own failings. And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition."
7. Why Whites Are Angry
"A similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don’t feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience – as far as they’re concerned, no one handed them anything, they’ve built it from scratch. They worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. //when they hear an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they’re told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time. Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren’t always expressed in polite company. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition."
8. I = America
"I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. //I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible. //it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts – that out of many, we are truly one."
9. America Can Change
"The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It’s that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress had been made; as if this country – a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black (APPLAUSE) Latino and Asian, rich, poor, young, old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen – is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope – the audacity to hope – for what we can and must achieve tomorrow."
10. What Blacks Can Do to Fix This Mess
"For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances – for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means also taking full responsibility for own lives
11. What Whites Can Do to Fix This Mess
"In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past – that these things are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds."
12. Stop Covering the Wright Controversy and Talk About Race and My Platform Instead
"We can play Reverend Wright’s sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she’s playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies. We can do that.
"But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we’ll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change. That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, 'Not this time.'...This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn’t look like you might take your job; it’s that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit."
- jpt
March 18, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (172)
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Every politician and religious figure that puts themselves above others falls.
Posted by: mimi5 | Mar 18, 2008 4:40:30 PM
As an African American woman it wasn't enough for me. Oh his words are pretty, very well scripted. I was told today by my peers that I am too hard on Obama. I should demonstrate forgiveness. I am not perfect. No, I'm not! But, I also am not running for the position of President of the United States either. The highest position in the NATION representing ALL AMERICANS! Not just the ones you choose to represent. He should be scrutinized, raked over the coals, and whatever else it takes to fill that position. The position he is applying for is not an easy one, and he better suck it up if he plans to fill it. Because if he gets elected you can guarantee it will get a whole lot harder than this. Not just from America but around the world. Don't think the Whole world is watching and making it's own conclusions. What are we going to do than run to his defense, tell the world STOP IT he's Obama our first black president don't be so hard on him. HE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE for what his pastor. His pastor is the herder of the sheep the congregation. I grew up in a Christian household regardless of whatever the pastor was doing. Mama always said Pastor said this, Pastor said that. So don't tell me not to hold him accountable! HE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE WHOLE NATION if he should happen to fill the presidential position. Yeah and they all lie but, he himself presents this I'm the new change coming. I don't see it!
Posted by: Mgck59 | Mar 18, 2008 4:40:07 PM
What was his side of the story? I didn't get answers about why he is so close to this man. Okay maybe 30 years ago his preachings were different but its not like Obama didn't see the change. He still calls the man uncle, he still had him baptize his child and he still financially supported the church in which this pastor spewed his hate. He never explained why he kept this relationship with this man, as an American and a registered voter thats what I wanted to know. I didn't want to hear what he disagrees with, I wanted to hear what this man preaches now that he does agree with.
Posted by: just an average joe | Mar 18, 2008 4:39:15 PM
Martin DeLorean,
Great speech! Very powerful!
While he denounced Rev.Wrights anti-American sermons. I still have questions.
How may men, women and children were in attendence and unlike Obama believe every word. I still feel Rev. Wright's semons were dangerous and anyone who sit though them has to believe some of what he's saying.
I know I would never sit and listen to these anti-American, Hate, Conspiracy sermons. God Forbid never would I want my Children or Grandchildren to hear such HATE.
Today he claimed he was in attendence at some of these sermons. Were his children also in attendence and if so how do you explain to you children some of the terrible things that GODS MINISTER has just said. I find so much of this very troubling.
I wonder what kind of a President Obama would be if for 20 years he said nothing sat back and listened. Yet now he speaks out about all the wrongs in politics.
Posted by: concerned | Mar 18, 2008 4:36:19 PM
I dont think the President or any politian can EVER solve racism in this country. I dont think they could even make a dent. They have way too many political allies etc to keep an eye out on. Politics, by design is even dirtier than racism!
The ONLY viable thing politians can do is to ensure the laws we have stay intact, and possible set some new ones.
I know we will have a better chance with Hillary, especially with our current economy. If the economy gets worse, racisim will get worse. I know she has a much better grasp on the economy.
Racism will not be solved in our lifetime. But I do believe that Religious leaders, teachers and even so much Hollywood products (movies/tv) can enlighten us and relieve the racial tension. This is one of those "Time will heal all wounds" kind of thing!
Posted by: Uniter not a Divider | Mar 18, 2008 4:31:23 PM
Dogsoldier:
Some examples of poor American foriegn policy? OK, you brought it up. Let's start with the U.S. funding the rebels in Afghanistan to fight the Russian occupation. How much money and weapons did the U.S. dump into funding and even training a "radical" group, whose leader, coincidentally, ended up being the leader of the group that caused 9-11? And when the Taliban took over, where was the U.S. then? We just left them high and dry. This is not Saudi Arabia, but events that occured there did have a major influence in shaping Arab opinions of America. I could go on with example after example, but I will give you a chance to concede the point gracefully.
Posted by: Geekmoid | Mar 18, 2008 4:27:41 PM
geewil, who can disown his mother, his father, his brother, his sister, his uncle, etc. Having a crazy uncle home has never disqualified somebody to be president. OBAMA08
Posted by: BKMC | Mar 18, 2008 4:27:14 PM
Obama’s association with Wright, who officiated his wedding, baptized his children and served as his spiritual adviser, is developing a potential damaging credibility problem for his campaign of hope and change. The direct political effects of the relationship remain unclear, but some telling clues showed Obama had a pastor problem.
Posted by: Lexi | Mar 18, 2008 4:24:56 PM
Past: After listening to Rev. Wright's sermons it is you conclusion that it is Clinton supporters who are devisive. Maybe you did not hear the same sermons that I heard. Then again are you going to beleive me or your lying eyes?
Posted by: russell | Mar 18, 2008 4:23:10 PM
Obama did not address the “judgment and character” issues that he’s running on.
Posted by: Lexi | Mar 18, 2008 4:22:12 PM
In Obama's 20 years at his church he hasn't changed the "tone". How is he going to change the tone in Washington?
Posted by: mimi5 | Mar 18, 2008 4:20:24 PM
I believe to various degrees We ALL have racist qualities. Obama is great at pointing out what the problems are in his speach....but he didnt mention that he had any of these qualities. And as always he tells us what the problems are in this country. I didnt learn anything I didnt already know. (except for his grandmother).
He has supported a racist (wright) spirtually, personally and finacially all these years! WHOM as of Friday HE DENIED that he ever heard any of this stuff until he started to run for President. Now today ...OH YEAH he knew.
As far as comparing seperating himself from Wright is the same as seperating from his grandmother.....To me that is sad. His grandmother raised him under great duress to herself, and her love knew no bounds. Yet he sees the two as the same.
All very sad.
Posted by: mickeyfan | Mar 18, 2008 4:19:56 PM
Nice speech --- I'll go as far to say very good speech
But Obama still hasn't won me back to his side. He will not get this Democrat's vote in November if he is the Nomination.
I really don't know what Obama can say or do to 'win' my support back. I am not really sure if he can do anything to tell you the truth.
I just don't trust him.
Posted by: chobie | Mar 18, 2008 4:17:28 PM
Obama says he cannot "disown" Wright. So be it. Obama is admitting he is unfit to be President.
Posted by: geevill | Mar 18, 2008 4:16:25 PM
Alison-
Of course Obama wrote the book himself but it was inspired by his ANTI-AMERICAN racial spiritual mentor pastor Rev. Wright.
Posted by: Lexi | Mar 18, 2008 4:15:13 PM
On face value a nice speech.
But as someone who opposes Obama, I still do.
Typical Obama, he himself is ABOVE IT ALL! He mentioned EVERYBODY ELSES racist qualities, except himself.
But being the nice guy he is, he did out his White grandmother as a racist! She raised him and loved him and he just (figuratively) threw her under the bus for political considerations.
Posted by: hurricanefan | Mar 18, 2008 4:15:10 PM
If people are looking for truth, or even journalist accuracy, find a copy of Obama's speech. It's all over the internet and it's quite different than the soundbites offered by Political Punch. It is exactly the opposite of most of these postings - it is an attempt at honesty, empathy and reconciliation. Political Punch has a political agenda - and it is not to help elect Barack Obama.
He might not make it to the Presidency - which given the press bias, the lobby-which-cannot-be-mentioned-by-name, and the ruthless tactics of the Clintons, is likely. But it was a powerful and hopeful speech and I find it remarkable that Political Punch portrayed the speech as divisive and racist. Read the speech. The entire thing.
Posted by: Mara | Mar 18, 2008 4:14:28 PM
Geekmoid-Perhaps you can name the "bad American policy" that caused Saudi Arabians to kill themselves on 9/11. What bad American policy did America do to Saudi Arabia?
Posted by: Dogsoldier | Mar 18, 2008 4:13:41 PM
Basically, all I got out of it is that it is everyone elses fault that they think the preacher is an anti-American racist. It is not the preacher's fault that he is an anti-American racist. And even more important, it is not Obama's fault that he bought into this preacher.
It is just silly to me that Obama claims he never knew of this venom spewed from the mouth of that ignorant fool.
I dont think the preacher's comments reflect upon Obama's personal beliefs, but I do believe he lies about not knowing the preachers reputation. ("I did not hear racist comments from that preacher.")
Politics as usual. So much for change.
Posted by: Wright or right? | Mar 18, 2008 4:13:25 PM
For the love of God Obama is not dividing this country, you ignorant Clinton people are just listen to yourselves! You are so blind but you choose not to see which is the shame in itself! Instead of continuing this negative commentary, why don't you get off your lazy behinds and do something positive that really makes a difference! Oops, I am sooo sorry, I forgot you support Hillary, you know nothing of positivity. If anything, you are the divisive force of America! But don't forget, she will need Obama supports to win in a general election!
Posted by: Past | Mar 18, 2008 4:12:40 PM
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