Saturday, February 16, 2008

And if it makes you have goosebumps, is that wrong?

PSoTD reacts to the pooh-poohing over Obama's speeches:

I have to say, I think the attacks on supporters of Obama as just loving great speeches is about as foolish of an effort as I can think of... People, pay attention:

I Have A Dream is a speech.
The Gettysburg Address is a speech.
The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself is a speech.

WE HONOR THOSE SPEECHES IN THIS COUNTRY. They demand reverence. They helped change a country. I find it absolutely ridiculous to somehow try to spin that being a great speaker is somehow a negative. I do find that having to fall back on that as some sort of attack point is a very large negative.

Remember we've been listening to a president who cannot make speeches, does not inspire nor illuminate, has not melded passion with language in any way.

Then we hear Obama. We suddenly recall why such speeches make us stand up and want to be part of the future, make us want to roll up our sleeves and unite in a common and worthy cause. Governments can be great. A lot of us felt this during Kennedy's time. We saw it in glimpses in other presidents, but Obama makes us remember.

And then we look at the fear and warmongering Bush and his rapidly shrinking cabal. We watch his odd strut as he approaches the podium and listen to threats and warnings. Bush's head bobs, his weird inflections, his misplaced chuckles all are out of tune.

We've seen what a good government can be and Bush's government isn't it and has never been. It has been built of division, hate, and fear. It is beginning to crack and turn to decay and dust.

No wonder Obama's speeches are wonderful. They are full of promise when we have been given NONE. They are galvanizing, allowing us to pitch in for a better future, rather than be told we should not worry our little heads about it and to go shopping.

It reminds us what might have been and yet still could be. America being great rather than hated. Doing good rather than killing and stealing. Making peace instead of making war.

More of it please!

2 comments:

hipparchia said...

goosebumps are good. i love his stirring speeches too.

the problem i have with his whole 'change' and 'hope' meme is that obama's actual policy prescriptions are rather centrist and even right-ish compared to what we old timey liberals remember from our dfh days. they just look progressive compared to reagan, bush, and bush.

ellroon said...

I think all Democrats have forcibly been slewed to the right and nobody qualifies as a true liberal anymore... Or even dares to.

One success story of the Republicans: tilting the entire country more to the right even though most people are more liberal than they believe they are.