Obama's speech- many are saying that it is one of the best in history

[Shakira]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp-v2tHaDo

Many are saying this speech will be one that will go down in the books of history- I know it's not that recent. I just wanted your input because I am writing about it for my class.If you can, can you tell me what this speech evokes out of you? Would you overlook the Pastors comments now? Would this win you endorsement if you were a fellow Democrat? Would this win your vote if you were an American? Please rememeber this is based on the speech alone

Warning: it is 1/2 hour long

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[SteveToms]

Can you give me the Coles Notes?

[Azure]

I think Lanny already posted the complete transcript in the other thread.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by SteveToms

Can you give me the Coles Notes?

Obama speaks........ long period of clapping.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by fotze

This guy was a chilling orator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgJQUXr2Ws

Creepy.

Huge difference. Obama speaks calmly, no patriotic jingoism, no anger, just a well thought out discourse on prejudice and human relationships and how the future can be better.
Obama's goal seems to be peace and prosperity, a far cry from Hitler's goal of conquest and revenge. Hitler found the Jews to blame. Obama says don't blame the other guy, we're all in this together at least that's the sentiment I got.

I agree, it 's good to be wary of fine speeches and their speakers but I try to use my brains and instincts to distinguish the posers from the real thing. As far as I can tell Obama is the real deal and if he can come up with well thought out answers like this to the Americans problems, they should be in good hands.

[MelBridgeman]

i need an Obama koolaid image....mmmm...

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

i need an Obama koolaid image....mmmm...

I don't taste any kool-aid in Obama's message. Drinking kool-aid is when you have to suspend common sense to swallow the message. Obama seems to be all about common sense.

[arsenal]

Both Hitler and Obama are great speakers. They are both charismatic, and able to grab the attention of those around them.
As a disclaimer, I am not saying Obama and Hitler are the same, or are preaching the same things. They are both great speakers. That's where the similarities stop.

[LouCypher]

This guy really gets what its all about, if he can stand by his words he wont be afraid to solve any problem in a way that takes the higher ground for everyone. As much as I understand politics I rarely pay much attention anymore however in this case this guy really has something worth listening to.

[Hack&Lube]

Obama has good speeches and is very idealistic and charismatic...how well will that carry over into reality or results?

[Daradon]

An absolutely great speech, and very heartening if he does believe it.

Unfortunatly, I'm sure he won't be able to do half of want he wants, just cause of the system.
The bureaucracy and the lobbyists. And of course, there is the pressure of bending and succumbing to pressure and money once your they're anyway, not being able to do what you want to do.

More and more, the prez of the US is just a figurehead. Corporations and bloated and divisive corporate organizations and think thanks behind you.

Dems winning is not going to turn this country around. And that's if they don't take each others legs out from under them and give the win to McCain anyway.

The writing is one the wall. Oh how I want to believe in Obama and what he says (and that's as a Canadian, not even as an American) I think it's too late.

The country is losing it's grasp on superpower(dom) and is doing stupid things to try and keep it, rather than work for it's country and the world.

The country is going bankrupt (a lot worse than financial indicators, in fact, in the last losses have had some top monetary minds starting to speak that about the US is far more broke than they seem or report), has no credibility with the world, and a population they are largely ignoring. The only thing they have left is their superior weapons. And well, we all know what happens when you're hanging onto power and that's the only thing you have left.

No, their type of government has lasted almost 250 years in gradual terms, and 100 in more concise terms. That's about the length of life one can expect of a governmental ideal or system. It's not going to get better without SWEEPING changes (on which no modern president could do) or by overthrowing it.

Obama can't do it. The people need to do it. And they're far to preoccupied with American Idol and The Hills. And that's the biggest indicator. General apathy and ignorance, getting worse by the day. They need to win the small fight (Obama vs Hilary) and ignore the larger battle (improving your country and your world).

We're going to see a lull in dangerous politics for 4 years, (less if Obama is assassinated, which he probably will be if he becomes the leader for change he truly thinks he can be) and then you are going to see real, affect your life, problems crop up.

But their are far too many in the US shadow government (a term used both by Bush and Cheney) and halls of power that don't really care about the world, and only want to see their view, family and power extended throughout history.

US is degenerating slowly into fascism (which I'm beginning to believe might be a general slide of all governments as they get bigger and more bloated). As they have more invested and feel the need to keep tighter control. As there are more people to pay off and greater concern for the wealth of the lawmakers.

The U.S. has already passed 6 of the 10 tests for a fascist state including: Secret Prisons, illegal observation off it's populace, ACCEPTED use, not just use of torture, a prison population that far outnumbers the percentages of other nations in it's standard of living bracket, increased military movement and missions, and more...

I wish I could find hope in this talk, this excitement. But if people were truly excited they wouldn't be waiting for a leader, they'd be changing things on their own. They'd rally behind a leader after their own actions, not to decide how they think.

They're not, they're watching The Hills.


Oh, and to answer your question:

It's an extremely motivating speech cause it reaches out to everyone, especially those he's currently embroilled with. It's not easy to reach out to those trying to do you harm. Other than that, i's really a lot of talk without examples using vague wards like 'change' and even more vague (because gramatically incorrect I believe?) 'more perfect union.'

If he wasn't so charasmatic or sincere (or a bit of both), it probably wouldn't fly.

But he speaks for dreams and hopes and wishes in a way most politicians don't, even though it's very easy to do so. It's really not what he's saying, but how he's saying it. You believe him when he says he wants change and will fight for it. He challenges the status quo in a way that is not as bipartisan as everyone else.

He highlights not only the bad of the current government, but the bad in the country, the bad in himself or those around him AND ASKS EVERYONE TO DO THEIR PART. He's not pitching quick fixes, but he's promising a vision.

And most importantly unity. Whether he feels it or not, and whether it will happen or not, he is promising unity.

He talks about struggles. In al his speeches he talks about is struggles and the nations struggles. And not just in this 'I met this single mother' sort of way (though he does that too) but in a way that addresses the overall problems and not just the symtoms.

What is truly refreshing about Obama is he admits a gray past, and that makes him more human. More easy to cheer for. I've often wondered what would happen in politicians (especially in image crazy U.S.) just tried being more human, admitting some mistakes and not trying to be above everyone else. Wouldn't it help I thought? What if Clinton mention he DID inhale, or he DID have an affair. Would it alienate a few? Sure. Might it have helped him overall. I really think so.

Voters want to see a bit of themselves in their leader, and Obama does this.

I hope those last few help, sorry for going on a tangent.

[Itse]

I think this video speaks volumes as to why Obama (and Clinton, and the whole democratic race) has already made a huge impact in the US:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9IldaegAB0

Obama and Clinton have made them believe that a woman or a coloured person could be the president, or that they actually can achieve things that others might see as impossible. So yeah, maybe we smile at them now for thinking that someone from the Bronx could become president. But 50 years ago few believed that a black man really could ever become president in the US. 100 years ago the idea of a female president would've been totally ridiculous. Maybe 50 years from now a kid from the Bronx has a chance.

Obama does personify the possibility of change.

One thing that I think we can already bet on is that if he does become president, there will be a backlash. So many people will have ridiculously high hopes of his chances of doing things. Many will be discouraged and think "see, nothing changed". But change doesn't happen fast. We just have to keep taking those steps into the right direction, and eventually we'll notice that hey, the world actually is better now.

President Obama is not the universal cure, but he can certainly show which way is the right way, and I'm pretty sure he could do things that really make a difference eventually.

He has already given me some hope that maybe politics isn't such a lost cause that I used to think it was. If a man like Obama can get so far and make such an impact around him, maybe other people more like him will be encouraged to take up politics, believing that it doesn't have to be all corruption and power games.

I might just try politics myself, all the way over here.

[EddyBeers]

Originally Posted by fotze

This guy was a chilling orator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgJQUXr2Ws

Creepy.

That guy reminds me more of the American right

[onetwo_threefour]

Originally Posted by Daradon

The U.S. has already passed 6 of the 10 tests for a fascist state including: Secret Prisons, illegal observation off it's populace, ACCEPTED use, not just use of torture, a prison population that far outnumbers the percentages of other nations in it's standard of living bracket, increased military movement and missions, and more...

You forgot a couple.... a complicit and complacent media that won't challenge any important policy assertions of the government, and a non-independent judiciary.

[sadora]

Originally Posted by onetwo_threefour

You forgot a couple.... a complicit and complacent media that won't challenge any important policy assertions of the government, and a non-independent judiciary.

as much as I hate the way media has become nothing more than entertainment, it has to be tough for journalists to speak up and challenge policies and issues because north american media is owned by a select group of corporations with their own political agendas. the worst part, is that when the independent media challenges these issues it is simply dismissed as something fringe that lacks any credibility.

[flamesfever]

Thanks Shakira for putting up the speech. I really hadn't done a lot of research on Obama but was really inspired by his message.

A couple of things to think about re your project:

1. He ends with the very thing he starts with i.e. the Declaration of Independence which I believe is the single most important document in creating one of the greatest societies on earth. It was created by men of vision, and I think maybe we may have another one in Obama.

2. His attempt to get whites to understand blacks and vice versa is a great step forward in removing some of the bigotry.

3. I think his loyalty and devotion to his pastor / friend shows his maturity and character.

4. He homes in all that is wrong with the present system e.g. big corporate interests and the lobbyism in Washington that skews the economics, the lack of faith and commitment in properly educatiing the minorities, etc.

just a few thoughts.

[Shakira]

Thanks everyone for your posts.I'm sorry for the unresponsiveness, just been really busy.I'llpost the entire speech when I have a chance.

[SeeGeeWhy]

The man is obviously intelligent, and it is really great to hear a conversation like that being started by someone who is running for president. Why I like Obama is because he seems like a vary fair person who listens as much as he speaks. I don't feel like he is trying to manipulate the population and is geniunely interested in taking the position of president because he wants to lead the country beyond some pretty severe problems, not for his own self interest.

Still, there was nothing in the speech that was posted that really gave me chills - why are people calling this perhaps the best speech ever delivered?

[Flashpoint]

It's a good speech. Obama delivers it exceptionally well. I wonder who wrote it? I'm sure he has input, but I doubt he has time for speech writing.

[arsenal]

If it is his last speech, then he wrote it himself. He spent 2 days writing it. There was a story about it on a political blog a while back.