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Obama's First Real Applause Line Is About Economy, Health Care
Obama is now giving his speech. An odd but telling moment: After he hits a whole series of high rhetorical notes about slavery, American history, and our nation's common purpose, the first line that gets a serious round of applause is this one...
The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we’ve never really worked through – a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.
Yet another reminder of how paramount bread-and-butter concerns are to your average Dem primary voter.
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Kurtz's late update was a little premature.
March 18, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
"It's the economy, stupid."
That's why I believe in the end, all this Wright nonsense won't matter.
People care more about having food on their plate than what a retired pastor said.
March 18, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
It may also be an indication of how this speech may not put out the Wright fire. White America doesn't want to hear anything about slavery and race - and I'm not speaking for myself here, I found his speech one of the best I've ever read.
March 18, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
The way I see it, those members of "White America" would never have voted for him anyway. I'm convinced anyone with a modicum of tolerance has the chance of being convinced by this speech.
March 18, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kurtz's comment was totally premature.
This speech was very moving and courageous and delivered with grace. Wow.
March 18, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
What Kurtz comment?
March 18, 2008 11:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Economic strife also fuels social stresses. If we don't get more people moved up into the middle class, racism will just keep reblooming like a rancid perennial.
But, here it is again -- it's the economy, stupid (by stupid I mean all those who keep harping on the Wright issue).
March 18, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think the applause was about the economy. I think the applause was about 'well, duh, this is what we should be talking about'.
March 18, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
"It may also be an indication of how this speech may not put out the Wright fire. "
No, it's an indication that our economy is in a meltdown. It is grim out there.
March 18, 2008 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Come on, people. Step back from the horse-race analysis for a moment and appreciate that this is the finest statement on race by a political figure in at least a generation.
March 18, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
The speech covered most of what is important for me. I wish the rest of the country felt this way.
March 18, 2008 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Yet another reminder of how paramount bread-and-butter concerns are to your average Dem primary voter." This comment is pure bias. Just as likely, his first comments just did not strike a chord.
March 18, 2008 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
NOt watching. What was Kurtz's comment? Do I even want to know?
I admire him for trying to make these points. But I'm not optimistic about the effect.
March 18, 2008 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Y'all might consider if the audience was told in advance not to applaud and cheer throughout as is usual with an Obama speech. I am sure Axelroad etc understood than anything resembling an Obama rally would not do the job. This speech did it.
March 18, 2008 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Millions of Democrats were dimissive of Willie Horton as well. On its face, that story may be seen as a crime issue, but was really racist in its essence. It absolutely destroyed Dukakis.
And I don't know why someone would call me "stupid" for "harping" on Wright, seeing as how this goes straight to the heart of todays speech, why it was even being given in the first place.
Sex and race have the tendency to stick because it is simple. Stories like Rezko are complicated, thus more easily dismissed. God damn America...not so much. A super majority of Americans are at least somewhat regular church goers. Its easy for them to imagine themselves attending such sermons and to question Obama's assertions that he was unaware of the nature of Wright and the church. That same super majority think of their church communities as fundamentally defining them as people; what kind of church you go to defines you.
When you combine this with the whole issue of racial angst, which is extremely annoying to most white Americans, you, politically, have a major, major problem on your hands. The ugly truth of the matter is that we live in an extremely racist country. It is a terrible, awful fact.
I just want to win in Nov. 2008 and it looks like Obama has a good chance at being our nominee. I, for one, am not satisfied with this speech. I thought it was a fantastic speech, one of the best I've ever read. However, I think everytime Obama says one kind thing about Wright it is to his own detriment. He can condemn, reject, denounce and make headway in distancing himself from Wright, but once he utters one kind word about the man all that headway is erased.
I just wish this damn primary were over!
March 18, 2008 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
A super majority of Americans are at least somewhat regular church goers.
Since when is 40% a "supermajority"? That's the number of Americans who attend church regularly. And I don't know how many people feel that their church attendance 'defines them' as people. More then likely, they agree with some of the stuff, and disagree with other parts of what's said, especially about politics.
March 18, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
A very important speech, one that hopefully allows us all to think about why we are so angry,all of us, & actually may start a much needed discussion.
In the meantime, can we get back to the issues & get this primary over with & leave the hatred & bitterness behind. This is still the most important election of most of our lifetimes.
March 18, 2008 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
BO is over. The speeches that matter were already given---by his mentor. That is what people on the fence and the leaders of the party are going to remember. I have not spoken to one single person who believes that BO never heard his Reverend Wright speak his hateful speech toward other Americans.
March 18, 2008 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I happen to think the audience just wasn't sure if they could or should applaud at all, and then when someone finally broke that barrier all of the applause that they'd wanted to give for the first part of the speech flooded out.
Certainly some credence should be given to the fact that it occurred when he was speaking about the economy, but not so much as this post seems to give it.
March 18, 2008 1:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Long term Barack’s biggest threat isn't just Wrights speeches it's the narrative the GOP is working on that he's not patriotic and that he's one of the hate America first crowd. Barack really needs to add more of the traditional American themes to his campaign. He needs more American flags and he should play America the Beautiful at every stop to defuse some of this theme.
If you listen to some of Barack's speeches you are filled with a sense of pride in American but unfortunately most Americans will vote in November without having listened to one of his speeches.
March 18, 2008 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hi Delmoi,
I'm not sure what poll you are talking about, but I was just in a meeting with a candidate two months ago in which we presented a poll showing that about 25% say they attend church every Sunday and another 35% say they attend church at least 10 times a year. Notice above that I said a super-majority say they attend church *"somewhat"* regularly. I consider 60% a super-majority.
We were trying to convince the candidate, who had stopped going to church years ago, to definitely start again.
March 18, 2008 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have a different reason for the delayed applause. I think -- and I watched the speech live like many of you -- that the audience (specifically invited to the event by the Obama campaign) may have been instructed to hold their applause. There was one shot I saw later from one of the broadcast networks with people -- one man in particular sitting forward with hands clasped tightly... not in defiance, but as if he didn't hold on tightly to himself, he would lose control and clap, cheer, shout.
By the time the speech got to this first applause line I think people could no longer restrain their feelings and once that "applause dam" was broken, it kept coming.
March 18, 2008 9:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I was listening to the speech, the first applause line felt startling. The way I understood it, everybody was absolutely riveted up to that point in what was one of the most masterful and engaging speeches I (and we) have ever heard. The "economics" part was almost conventional by comparison. It was like, "He's done it; we can exhale now." I want this guy to be our president deeper than almost any political feeling I've ever had in my 47 years since I was in third grade and was rooting for Bobby Kennedy.
March 18, 2008 11:19 PM | Reply | Permalink