MUDGE’s Musings
A defining moment in history? Please judge for yourself.
I had a difficult, tiring, news-free day today. Dragged myself home. Dealt with a clogged toilet. Ugh.
Thought I would “phone it in” as far as the blog was concerned.
Then, I encountered today’s speech, Barack Obama’s response to his pastor’s inflammatory sermons that have raised such a hullabaloo of late. Doesn’t seem to matter that McCain’s endorsements from Evangelical wingnuts are glossed over without comment.
The NYTimes was impressed, as you’ll see.
But, please click the “continue reading” link; I’ve posted the speech in full (YouTube version, thus in 4 parts).
Dare to invest the time, as I did. It will repay your 38 minutes.
Part 1/4
Part 2/4
Part 3/4
Part 4/4
Editorial
Mr. Obama’s Profile in Courage
Published: March 19, 2008
There are moments — increasingly rare in risk-abhorrent modern campaigns — when politicians are called upon to bare their fundamental beliefs. In the best of these moments, the speaker does not just salve the current political wound, but also illuminates larger, troubling issues that the nation is wrestling with.
Inaugural addresses by Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt come to mind, as does John F. Kennedy’s 1960 speech on religion, with its enduring vision of the separation between church and state. Senator Barack Obama, who has not faced such tests of character this year, faced one on Tuesday. It is hard to imagine how he could have handled it better.
Mr. Obama had to address race and religion, the two most toxic subjects in politics. He was as powerful and frank as Mitt Romney was weak and calculating earlier this year in his attempt to persuade the religious right that his Mormonism is Christian enough for them.
[Please click the link below for the complete article — but then please come on back!]
Mr. Obama’s Profile in Courage – New York Times
We can’t solve this nation’s problems in one day, one year, one or two presidential terms. But we have to start.
Maybe, just maybe, today, we did.
It’s it for now. Thanks,
–MUDGE
| Share this post : |  del.icio.us it! |
 digg it! |
 reddit! |
 technorati! |
 yahoo! |
Left-handed Complement 
[…] wasn’t just this nanocorner of the ‘Sphere© and the NYTimes editorial board who were impressed with Tuesday’s Philadelphia […]