Charles Murray: “I can’t vote for him. He is an honest-to-God lefty.”
What exactly has the right done since Reagan that’s been so great? Was it multiplying the national debt 5X + since Carter left office? National Review actually gave Clinton credit for balancing the budget.
I grew up Evangelical Republican. When I started university in ’92, Bush the 1st made it so I had to be in my mid-twenties to receive any real financial aid. I was lower middle-class and that was one of my first wake-up calls.
In the 80s and since, I’ve seen Republicans mimic Rambo, not Jesus. All this macho BS,to a great extent in my mind, has gotten us into Iraq. And what about the right’s legacy now that we’re in Iraq? Iraq is their baby.
It’s time that Democrats like Hillary stop trying to be Republicans. It’s time to start treating Americans like adults instead of pandering to fear and stupidity.
I applaud you David because you’re one of the few Evangelical folks I’ve seen wake up. Pretty much all the suburban Evangelicals I know still think Bush is the next best thing to Jesus and that’s pretty sad.

I agree that it was a fine speech- the kind that reminds you that rhetoric was once an honored art and why. I am concerned, though, that the meaning of the speech is being overdone. It has been unusual for politicians to speak intelligently, intellectually and thoughtfully to us and Obama deserves a lot of credit for doing so, but I think the discussion has lacked the same thoughtfulness. The message that the speech was shallow, unpatriotic or manipulative strike me as idiot spite. But honestly, David, the ask was for reconsideration of his candidacy not for policy, not even really for sacrifice. So it was a campaign speech, a terrific one and promising, but not specifically leadership and not transformative the way a great speech is.
I’m glad we have a politician willing to speak to us thoughtfully and I think to engage him at that level we should talk about his speech as good, not great.

Brian Horan has a good point. It’s pretty revealing that Murray is still fighting battles over the 1960s, and doesn’t want to pay attention to what’s going on right now. It’s unclear to me what Murray is talking about, anyway– a Democratic president in the 1990s helped decrease crime, and changed welfare.
Obama hit on the right’s approach to race in his speech: “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. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends. Talk show hosts and conservative commentators built entire careers unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism.”

Elvis, I have to agree with you. The resentment whupped up by radio talk show hosts certainly has kept us in one place for at least the last 16 or 17 years. Conversations and dialogs are not allowed to happen in that context. People remember the parts of the 60′s and 70′s tht increase their resentment instead of the what actually happened. Welfare reform – as it is called – has been a cruel disaster – at many levels. Had child care and childcare training, health care, real job training been part of the deal – it might have worked well. It did not. It was punishment for being single moms and poor – and Lord knows – we like to punish people for our perception of their wrongdoing . I still recall the time I heard some of these resentments expressed out loud by three men (the only thing they lacked were white hoods). They had not seen me there as I shopped for baseball cards with my son. I was so angry at the nasty conversation they were having around the recently flooded area of town where African Americans primarily lived, that I could hardly speak. But – speak I did – the the horror of my children. I am not proud of what I said – it deepened their resentment and could have put us in danger if their actions matched their talk. I have wondered since, what I could have said that would have been less angry and would have made a difference. We have to learn to talk first – through the anger, the resentment, the victim perceptions. I’m not that good.

Indeed, David, it is, as you have said, “one of the finest political speeches in memory.”
One has to go back 56 years in political history for an oration that matches it in skill and audacity: the “Checkers Speech” in 1952 by then California Senator and Republican Party VP nominee Richard M. Nixon.
Like Nixon in 1952, Senator Obama was forced by a political crisis to answer tangible and specific answers about his judgement and character. What is remarkable about Obama’s speech on Tuesday is how he managed to bamboozle the chattering classes in this country by changing the subject and lecturing us about race relations. What suckers! The swooning reaction by the professional commentariat calls into question their reliablity as reporters and analysts.
It doesn’t matter, however, if the pundits and other elites were fooled. Come November, the voters will in landslide numbers send the young Obama packing back to the south side of Chicago. We want nothing of this arrogant and leftist wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I pray, though, that his maternal grandmother will forgive him.

Funny, Rod Dreher gave Obama a qualified thumbs-up precisely for giving a “Checkers” speech without (all of) the cynicism …

Larry Parker: So …. what’s your point?

Obama is going to be a great President. David you are speaking to a lot of dull ears. There are many of Americans on all sides who do not want to hear the truth,because the truth would be closer to Christ way of thinking. There are alot of money to be made on right and left-wing radio,TV net works. The wider the dived, the money to be made. The communist party of the 50′s-60′s tried unsuccessful to divide America,but the right wing media has done that in a few short years. The rely on the fear and bigotry of others. No president has had favor of all America,but Obama can be inspite o f the right media. He is going to win. Those who had not voted for him before,might not vote for him in the general,but there enough strong will Americans are are tired of being hungery,fore -closures,outsources of jobs,crowded home and apartments,and their kid not allowed to go to college is not going allow right rehetoric to keep them in that condition. Omba has my conserative vote.

A great speech and a great man. He has my vote without conviction. Go Obama!

A few quotes
Peggy Noonan: “Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It is unrealistic and kind of cowardly, because it means you don’t have to try.” – so there Pat Buchanan -
Martin Luther King, Jr. “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” – Sean Hannity this might mean you.
Finally, for us all:
Edward R. Murrow: “everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices – just recognize them.”
Fred Rogers:
“There’s so much more to everyone you will ever meet than will ever meet your eye.”

I truly believe if sound minded intelligent Americans can sit down and talk about the racial divide without accusing each other of the wrong doing to them, there is enough blame to go around,they can be successful in making head way. The key thing is to talk openly and fair. I have seen some people on the TVnetworks making excuses,and using hand me down rehotoric to make their points,but all of these pre-conceive ideas,and thoughts are only going to return the tide. Let us pray that God will use those who know Him,to improve relationship in this “Christian Nation”. The GOP,and the right-wing media is not God or of God.

I’m still wondering about the following (you can see my background on the first post on this thread):
Charles Murray as quoted in David’s post: “I can’t vote for him. He is an honest-to-God lefty.”
What exactly has the right done since Reagan that’s been so great? Was it multiplying the national debt 5X + since Carter left office? (National Review actually gave Clinton credit for balancing the budget.)
I don’t think our media is liberal. I think it’s commercial and it panders to the lowest common denominators: sex, hate, shame, etc. Just check out FOX news.
Republicans have gotten the deregulation they kicked and screamed for. Taxpayers, more or less through channels, have just bailed out one huge freakin’ bank.
Our dollar is headed for further decline because of perennial GOP budget deficits. (*Just to boot, we’re gonna pay $3TRILLION for a Republican war we never should have gotten into.)
Come on, let’s hear some Republican justification already!

Brian, I’ll try to answer: There exists a number of people including me who think Barack Obama is a good candidate, that Bush is a catastrophe, that the Republican party isn’t worth rescuing but also that government is not an effective instrument for solving most problems, that regulations typically do more harm than good and that trade is good, necessary and has to be part of any national strategy for prosperity from now on as does comprehensive immigration reform. I like Obama very much but I am concerned that we know so little about his plans and that he seems so comfortable with the idea that government can fix a big portion of people’s concerns. I won’t repeat Murray that “I can’t vote for him,” in fact I did in the primary but I expect that I’ll vote for John McCain in November. I am keeping an open mind but I feel certain that the last 8 years have not been a test of conservative leadership and that the previous 8 were not a test of liberalism. What I take away from the last 16 years is that centrism coupled with competence works a lot better than phony faith-based foolishness.

WATCH one abortion and think of Obama as the unlucky unborn victim of the D & C. Or, better yet, watch a porn flick and put the face of your mother on whatever woman is being done to in the porn flick. Then, think how many “Hollywood” types have literally backed Obama with money, with voice and with vote (with conviction). Liberals don’t look so good in the light.

When I think of all the ‘conservatives’ who have paid for those abortions (abortions are more likely to occur in red states than blue, and in ‘conservative’ religious households than liberal) and the number of church going men with an addiction to porn…Conservatives don’t look so good in the light either.
Talking the talk and walking the walk are two different things.

WATCH one abortion….
Why not think of Adolf Hitler or Charles Manson or Mohammed Atta? You guys are so selective.

Donny, I agree completely. It’s better to watch a porn flick than an abortion.