My gods.

[sepdet]

That speech. Obama's speech. I wasn't going to tune in, but some posts elsewhere convinced me not to miss it.

I understand the political and oratorical moves Obama had to make, but beyond those... so much MEAT and CONTENT.

Mainly the one that's been driving me nuts all this time, that Al Quaeda is a network spread across 80 countries, and we're bogged down in Iraq so we CAN'T deal with terrorism in the way that's needed-- finish the job in Afghanistan, take out Bin Ladin once and for all, start cracking on terrorism networks around the globe, and prepare our military to be ready for threats ahead. Including Russia, if Putin gets weird.

And then he spent a lot of time talking about economic and domestic issues. A lot of which was more nuanced and specific, but McCain can no longer keep spinning it that somehow Obama wants to raise taxes:

"I will -- listen now -- I will cut taxes -- cut taxes -- for 95 percent of all working families, because, in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class."

Here's Patrick Buchanan gushing over Obama's speech. Did I just miss the Apocalypse?

For those who still somehow can't grok that this guy is Christian (despite his speaking style coming straight from a church pulpit), he ended the speech with a rousing "God bless you... God bless the United States of America." He quoted some apt scripture in a few places as well.

On an irrelevant but sweet note, I loved it when the Obama and Biden girls up on the stage at the end got bored and started chasing confetti and each other around and just... PLAYING. 45 years ago today was the "I have a dream" speech, and there-- at last-- MLK, was that what you had in mind?

And on the other side of all this, I fully expect Obama to be assassinated because I don't believe anyone can get up and speak so many sensible things so well without someone shooting him to silence him.


I hate politics. SO BADLY. I hate posting about politics. I hate arguing with people about politics. I hate disagreeing with friends about politics. But... wow.

Comments

[firerosearien.livejournal.com]

And on the other side of all this, I fully expect Obama to be assassinated because I don't believe anyone can get up and speak so many sensible things so well without someone shooting him to silence him.



Obama is Kennedy for my generation.

[sepdet.livejournal.com]

That was pretty much my thought while listening to this speech. "Here's Act I... I'm afraid I know what will happen in Act III."

It's awful to be so cynical of human nature that my mind runs that way the moment I feel a twinge of respect for a politician.

I called my Mom and told her to turn on the TV, because it's been a long time since we've gotten to listen to "a Kennedy" (she kept mis-hearing me until it got frustrating!), but she was too busy with a dominoes game.

[shrewreader.livejournal.com]

I've put out libations to Caesar against assassination. :)

In re apolcalypse: Well. I could have sworn I saw a white horse wandering by with either Methos or a skeletal looking guy or a really cute, black haired chick wearing an Ankh going down the street today, so maybe.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

That video is really something. Rachel Maddow just sits and stares at him, like she can't quite believe what she's hearing.

I was afraid I wouldn't be able to watch the speech because I was working last night, but then I discovered that the radio on my desk has pretty decent reception, at least for our local NPR station. So I listened to the whole thing, and was mightily impressed. It wasn't quite the speech of his life, but it was pretty darn good. And since Obama is such a fine orator, his "pretty darn good" is anyone else's "totally amazing".

[nmsunbear.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine had a party to watch the speech last night, but I pleaded needing to clean my house for a book club meeting tonight (true enough, though I didn't clean as much as I should have) - but the real reason I didn't go is because political discussions exhaust me almost before they've started, lately. And because I'm terrified I will get excited and my hopes will be dashed. Again.

I will watch the speech today, though.

[jeanniemac.livejournal.com]

I thought it was a good speech. I'm still not sure I'm going to vote for him but it was a good speech. I still want him to take a firmer stand on gay rights (ie separate is not equal, so therefore the it is unConstitutional to deny gays and lesbians the partnership rights that straight people have). If he's going to support domestic partnerships, fine. But he needs to make that domestic partnerships across the board; no more state sponsered "marriage".

[sepdet.livejournal.com]

All I can say is this. I don't agree with everything ever said by the Clintons, Gore, Obama, etc. But no leader is going to agree with me on every point I care about. The question is whether he/she weighs all the evidence with critical thinking and attempts, after some thought, to come to a fair-minded answer.

That's Obama's approach. I don't think it's McCain's.

See Obama's comments on the role of religion in America (http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/index.php) (note context: a religious assembly). He discussed some complex, highly personal and inflammatory issues with clarity. He hasn't arrived at identical conclusions to ours on every issue, but he has demonstrated a commitment towards making the best judgment he can. Obama also spoke with eloquent gratitude about someone challenging him and asking him to reconsider and justify something he hadn't fully thought out. . Whereas McCain simply stonewalls when someone challenges him on things he doesn't have an answer for, (http://time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1836909,00.html) despite his Straight Talk Express.

Every major speech in the DNC touched on gay rights, and Obama did as well, although he refused specifics since he's stuck in a cleft stick. But I am assured he's not going to support legislation that discriminates against gays. A so-called Protection of Marriage Amendment like the one that's probably going to get passed in California would get a big, fat veto from Obama if he were in the White House (and there is a possibility that the Republicans may make such an attempt). What would McCain do? Almost certainly go along with it.

Gay issues are important. But for me, there are even more important issues, ones which affect not only everyone in America, but the whole world. The world needs Americans to step up and do all we can to get someone in power who will not abuse that power, who will not increased the hostility and chaos in the world, who will not look into Putin's soul and judge him a great guy, and who will THINK.

We need someone who isn't determining world policy through "blink" gut-instinct decision-making, as Bush says he does. McCain apparently does as well. He's met Palin exactly once, and didn't vet his choice with any advisors whatsoever (there is a difference between being independent and being uninformed.) According to McCain, she is the most qualified Republican available to become president if something should happen to him. That was a blink decision.
Meanwhile, Palin is on live news saying she can't really talk about becoming VP until someone tells her what a VP does.

We need a president who thinks things through. Everything I've seen of Obama tells me he tries to. McCain? Not so much.

Then again, I've always said I'm essentially conservative, because for me, environment comes first, and ALL the other issues... no matter how worthy... are secondary. Because much as I believe in social justice, labor rights, education, fixing an economic system that subsidizes the rich, improving health care, equal pay for women and the right of gays to marry and support their families-- we have time to keep working on these issues, as long as we haven't gone extinct. If Obama doesn't quite see the light on gay issues...well, at worst, he'll leave us where we were under the Clintons, and we can keep working to change people's minds for the better. There are other things like climate change which cannot be fixed 40 years down the road if the U.S. government doesn't institute a sea change NOW.

I am not going to cut off my nose to spite my face by saying, "I disagree with Obama's reticence to tackle gay rights head-on, so I will dismiss everything else he's trying to accomplish!"

[aerynvale.livejournal.com]

I can only hope that the Secret Service has learned a few things about protecting people since those assissinations. I have a feeling they have, but here's to hoping.