Word: racially
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...indisputable that this was a serious speech about the incendiary topic of race in America. Obama was performing his high-wire act, trying to appear black enough for the African-American community and post-racial enough for white voters. That's as tough a task as exists in American politics, and one speech alone will never accomplish it. But if he is to win the nomination and the general election, he has to engage voters in this dialogue, and the sooner the better. He's started down that road, and he has to continue. Whether he likes...
...From Obama's perspective, it's much better to have this discussion now. In fact, the debate about race was inevitable at some point. I would argue that race isn't just another issue; it is THE issue of American history. He actually needs to have the racial debate continue until it exhausts the media and the electorate as a whole. If he has to confront racial division in October in a major way, he will lose the election. By October, he needs to have the media and voters say, "We've already finished with this subject. What about Iraq...
...extraordinary speech - not because of any rhetorical flourishes, but because it was honest, frank, measured in tone, inclusive and hopeful. I don't know whether it will be sufficient to stem a racial backlash against his candidacy, but he clearly demonstrated today his capacity to lead public opinion and not simply be a slave to it. Indeed, I would say he appeared wise beyond his years and genuinely presidential...
...stirring speech that reached back to the founding in Philadelphia but then also challenged everyone to continue to move forward in the future. It was truly a transcendent speech and a remarkable piece of oratory. Obama made a few excursions across the racial divide, to connect the concerns of black Americans with the needs of unemployed white men and underemployed white women. He also focused on the need for self-help, which was an indirect challenge to an earlier generation of welfare policies...
...message will resonate with white working class Pennsylvanians, especially white men who have proven one of the toughest political nuts for the Obama campaign to crack. That's a much bigger problem, and it will take time to sort out how this speech plays out against centuries of racial tensions that have been part of Pennsylvania politics. After all, there's one town - York - that surrendered to the South before the battle of Gettysburg, and the mayor of Hazelton has campaigned on immigration in a way that has carried racial overtones...