Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Obama's Speech   [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

Again, is a good one that will get super-delegates. But the contention that if you believe "We the People," you have to vote for Barack Obama, is, of course, untrue and even offensive. That a man named Barack Obama can run for president is a wonderful thing, yes, but it doesn't make him qualified to be president.

There's also this that bothers me: His loyalty to Wright seems to run a little too deep. As a friend e-mailed me during the speech: "I always thought what created a controversy was that statements made or positions held might be true, notwithstanding that they were unpopular and even bracing.  In that sense, Wright's statements that Obama heard were crank statements, not controversial statements, no matter how hard he tries to sugarcoat."

Then, near the end of the speech, he was doing it again: "The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society." That was never my problem, senator. My problem is he spoke as if he hates America, as if he believes there's something fundamentally wrong with the greatest nation on earth. You can talk about racism, senator. But what how do you think about America? Is it what we hear from Mrs. Obama and the Obamas' pastor? How imperfect do you believe our union to be? Coming away from his speech, I'm a little worried that Barack Obama believes America is great as long as she elects him president.

03/18 11:29 AMShare