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Ringing the Bell: What Obama's Speech Says »
Posted by: not2needy 1 year, 8 months agoRace, Thomas Jefferson said, is "a firebell in the night." You can't unring a bell, which is one of the reasons so many commentators thought Barack Obama was cooked in January when Hillary Clinton's surrogates introduced race into the campaign.
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not2needy
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I am a Christian, Wife, Mother of one son, Liberal, and retired social worker. I enjoy my computer, gardening, reading, cooking and ...
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Comments: 504
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not2needy
March 19, 2008, 12:48 a.m.FTA:
Those analysts were wrong; Obama didn't become the "black candidate" then. And I hope they're wrong again when they say that as long as Obama is talking about race instead of the economy and health care, he's losing.
For the bravest thing Obama did in his historic speech at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia was to ring the bell louder. He chose to focus on an uncomfortable topic that most Americans would rather leave unspoken. He offered an honest and gutsy tour of the complexities of our wounded national psyche, even explaining that his own beloved white grandmother engaged in racial stereotypes. And he articulated a big part of what his supporters liked about him in the first place: the chance to take us into a better racial future.
It rather appears, that Hillary and the righties are attempting to keep Obama from addressing the issues by keeping him defending his race and religion. No wonder they all say he is saying nothing! What a real crock.
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ETproductions
March 19, 2008, 1:17 a.m.Are we really ready as a nation to deal with something more than a 30 second sound byte? Are we able to understand a nuanced message? I certainly hope we are. Because if we are not, we are not ready even yet to form that "more perfect union" the Preamble to the Constitution mentions.
It's not up to political parties. It's not up to any individual politician. If it is ever to happen, it is up to "We the people."
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SwampFox-82ndComment has been removed: Retracted by user
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scott4261
March 19, 2008, 5:40 a.m.Yesterday, I made the mistake of entering the lions den with the usual suspects here:
http://politics.propeller.com/story/2008/03/18/...
Barack Obama will be on ABC's GMA this morning...and YOU HAD BETTER BELIEVE the EXACT SAME PEOPLE would say that Obama has not explained himself enough...or he has not denounced Jeremiah Wright sufficiently...or whatever...
The truth is: these people had already MADE UP THEIR MINDS that they don't like Obama, anyway. If he were Jesus walking on water, the same people would not be satisfied.
And THAT is the truth!
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scott4261
March 19, 2008, 5:41 a.m.I must say, I was nearly brought to tears at a couple of places in this speech. And now I am even more committed to Barack Obama's candidacy for the presidency.
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AntiNeoCon
March 19, 2008, 8:20 a.m.I was wondering how Obama would deal with the Conservative attack machine, looks like he is undergoing baptism. It will be a good experience for him, hopefully he won't let it get to him that bad. Hillary will be better able to fend them off due to her years of being attacked by the right wing...her experience will count.
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jumpmaster
March 19, 2008, 10:47 a.m.If you have ever served on a jury, you know that the most important thing is to determine if you actually believe the witnesses. They can say whatever they want to say. Even though they may be under oath, you still have to make your own decision on whether or not you believe them.
This is the same thing. You have to listen to the evidence, the twenty year relationship with Rev. Wright, the 34 minute speech, etc. and determine whether or not you believe what Obama says is the truth or whether it is politics as usual.
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jumpmaster
March 19, 2008, 10:54 a.m.I thought AIDS originated in Africa. Maybe it was a conspriracy by the African countries to eliminate the black population.
One rediculous conspiracy theory deserves another, I guess.
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Bkumm
March 19, 2008, 11:35 a.m.Here we are again today with yet another thread that should be about the submission posted flailing away into pointlessness about whether or not you believe or disbelieve Senator Obama.
If you believe him, good for you. If you don't, I guess that's fine too.
However, I'll say this one more time before I go into the actual submission. Until someone can show me either written or oral evidence that Senator Obama supports and believes the political rhetoric of Rev. Wright, then this is simply guilt by association.
Now then, Senator Obama's speech was powerful and enlightening. We know now that Senator Obama can see both sides of the chasm that seperates Whites and Blacks. He understands that it is the past injustices AND the current lack of responsibility in the Black community that is to blame. He also recognizes that White resentment is real and that many Whites don't understand why they should pay for something which they did not do.
He sees a chance to change that.
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mackiemesserComment has been removed: Retracted by user
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Klarissa
March 19, 2008, 12:25 p.m.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ar...
King drew a different lesson from the oppression he experienced: "I've seen too much hate to want to hate myself; hate is too great a burden to bear. I've seen it on the faces of too many sheriffs of the South. . . . Hate distorts the personality. . . . The man who hates can't think straight; the man who hates can't reason right; the man who hates can't see right; the man who hates can't walk right."
Barack Obama is not a man who hates -- but he chose to walk with a man who does.
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drtjyen
March 19, 2008, 1 p.m.It was a good speech, but I am too cynical to buy into the sincerity of it all. Its all about getting the votes. By the way, Obama ignores other ethnic minorities who subject to discrimination by both whites and blacks. As usual, blacks are singled out when we discuss race in this country. Why is that ? Because they are the ones who raise holy hell, as in the case of Rev. Wright. Why were Hispanics, Asians, American Indians not included in the speech ? Our votes count less than Blacks and Whites that's why. What a surprise that Rev. Wright gets away with the things he says.
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AlphaGnosisComment has been removed: Hard Banned
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Wolfie2007
March 19, 2008, 1:33 p.m.Barak Hussein Obama's speech was supposed to address Rev Wrighs' hateful speech. It was supposed to explain why or how after a 20 year relationship with this man, who hates America, he could continue to call him a friend and continue to attend his church. What we got instead is Obama speech about racism. He even called his grandma a racist. Obama never answered the why and how he stayed with Wright, who hates and damns America, but called the the rest of us racists. So who's using the race card now?
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Locky12Comment has been removed: Spammer, Abusive
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ML2007Comment has been removed: Retracted by user
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automan909
March 19, 2008, 5:25 p.m.If Obama is so innocent of all these racial connections then why does he have a link to the BLACK PANTHER PARTY on his website? HUH? He is a liar and I don't trust him with America.
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mamasan
March 19, 2008, 6:06 p.m.I guess it has been brought up that what the white "men of god"
have said and continue to say is far and away many times more hateful and racist than what he said.
Pat Robertson calls for the death of people.
He is happy when others are hit by misfortune.
He is best friends with Bush & co.
why is he still on the air?
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automan909
March 19, 2008, 5:36 p.m.On Friday Obama said he never was in the pews during the hate sermons. Yesterday he said he WAS there when the hate sermons were going on. He is obviously a liar. Now I come to find out that he has a link to the BLACK PANTHER PARTY on his website.
I know for sure now that this liar is not who I want running America. Thank God that he is self destructing.
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Will1313
March 19, 2008, 9:30 a.m.During the course of the 2008 campaign, Wright's beliefs and past remarks have become closely scrutinized. Critics have accused Wright's Black liberation theology of promoting black separatism. [10] Wright has rejected this notion by saying that "The African-centered point of view does not assume superiority, nor does it assume separatism. It assumes Africans speaking for themselves as subjects in history, not objects in history."[11]
seems from the above.. that Rev Wright just wants to be equal.... it is after all what the country was founded on..
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cwebefree
March 19, 2008, 3:52 p.m.TO question his timing?
Strikes me like he timed it just like Reggie Jackson used to time his swing.
And Vida Blue his pitch.
When they played for Oakland, of course.
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cwebefree
March 19, 2008, 4 p.m.SotM-
You question his timing?
After Kerry's inept bungling of the Swift Boat Fascists?
Partner,
He timed it like Reggie Jackson used to time his swing,
like Vida Blue used to time his pitch.
He hit it out'da the park.
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doggammitComment has been removed: Retracted by user
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