What'd you think...

[Bassmama]

of Michelle Obama's speach at the convention?

[Amaurote]

I switched off towards the end, but there were two nice lines - one for Clinton, her biggest semi-spontaneous applause, with that bit about cracks in the glass ceiling, and the other about working block by block to uplift people. There was one immensely silly bit at the beginning invoking the American Dream at a time when social mobility in the English-speaking world is not only at an all-time low, it's actually in reverse, and has been since the mid-seventies - the point of the speech was to hint at the possibility of the great man healing this, so it seemed a bit daft to attempt to please the patriots with something suggesting the very opposite. Then again, this was "Love me, I love you" and all about the mawkish personal narrative - she's a good speaker, as you'd expect from a rich lawyer, and she's as telegenic as her husband.

I haven't been impressed with anything substantive the candidates have said so far, although Biden is a big player and I'm looking forward to seeing if he'll have a real voice in the White House if they win. Trouble is, as charismatic as Obama is, it's looking more and more as if race is going to dog his steps all the way to November, with complaints about his "inexperience" and "arrogance" masking white unease about a talented black man finally making it to the supreme seat. It doesn't matter how awful the Republicans are, there's always a 3 percentile gap - the real shame is that fear gags even the best Democratic candidates, and when you take a look at Obama's actual policies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Barack_Obama), the majority of them are commendable and surprisingly bold, if not exactly original.

[Bones]

As a speech I liked it. It was well written and well spoken. But also a little self serving. In the end I give it 8 out of 10.

[Reliquiae]

Like any of those politicians actually write their own material...

[Amaurote]

There's a good send-up of political speeches in the first season of The West Wing, where the speechwriters add the opening line, "As I look out upon this marvellous vista" to the President's address to an outdoor conference, only for it to rain and be rescheduled indoors to a closed-room meeting, whereupon he inadvertently delivers the line anyway.

You know, they say there's many a true word spoken in jest, and I think the following is more honest about the Republican legacy than anything Obama has said so far:


"You know, it was once said of the first George Bush that he was born on third base and thought he’d hit a triple,” Strickland said. “Well, with the 22 million new jobs and the budget surplus Bill Clinton left behind, George W. Bush came into office on third base, and then he stole second.”

[JakeD]

Hillary's speech was fantastic, I think that if she had given that one during her run at the primaries instead of kowtowing to the desires of that scumfuck Mark Penn, she would have been the nominee.

Bill's was pretty great as well, but I was very surprised with John Kerry's speech. Just a lot of fire and bombast that wasn't there during his 2004 run, which just goes to show how shitty the old guard of the DNC can be when it comes to serving up a candidate.

[Unforgiven]

I have yet to see any of them. I'll have to check youtube for them later, maybe.

[entipy]

I have yet to see any of them. I'll have to check youtube for them later, maybe.
Me, too.

[JakeD]

Obama's was pretty fucking fantastic. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26447607#26447607) I missed some of the end, but that was only due to a phone call from my 78 year-old stepgranddad from Texas calling me to ask if I was watching it and telling me that he doesn't understand how anyone couldn't vote for him after this.

[James]

I like Obama too, it really bothers me how much I do. I'm sure some new blood is exactly what your country needs right now, and he's about as close as you're going to get to that.
But it sure would be funny if he turned out to be the next dictator.
It wouldnt be the first time a democratic republic was turned into an empire by a popular and charismatic elected leader.

[JakeD]

But it sure would be funny if he turned out to be the next dictator.
It wouldnt be the first time a democratic republic was turned into an empire by a popular and charismatic elected leader.

Yes, because that's exactly what the gun nuts and white supremacists of this country would allow to happen.

[Bones]

It wouldnt be the first time a democratic republic was turned into an empire by a popular and charismatic elected leader.

Obama is the senator from Star Wars?

[Bassmama]

I missed part of Obama's speech, but think I got the majority of it. I no longer have any doubts! I think he's AWESOME & even my staunch republican almost 89 year old mom is voting for him.

Thanks, JakeD for the link.

[Amaurote]

I liked what I've seen, he neutralized McCain's personal qualities and focused on his economic elitism, which is what every centre-left candidate should do. He has star quality and momentum and an opportunity - he'll be learning the first two years if he makes it, but he may well have a Democratic Capitol Hill to work with him, which is incredible - but all this means nothing. Firstly, those three percentiles are all that separate him at high tide, and secondly, coded racism is already playing a big part on the doorstep - all those awful people citing "inexperience" as their reason for not voting for Obama when what they really mean is "uppity".

[JakeD]

coded racism is already playing a big part on the doorstep - all those awful people citing "inexperience" as their reason for not voting for Obama when what they really mean is "uppity".

Coded racism's been playing a big part ever since the primary, since it's what the GOP loves to do every time a nonwhite mentions their race. Same with sexism, etc. with respect to Hillary.

If he pulls off the election, I'm pretty sure it'll only get worse.