Son of a Preacher Man

Welcome to the big leagues, Barack Obama. Sure, the speech rocked - why, Andrew Sullivan gave it all of the movie ad exclamation points it needed in a single sentence: "...searing, nuanced, gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian!" He forgot only "thrifty, brave, clean and reverent."

And it really was as straightforward and unvarnished a statement as most national politicians are capable of delivering (for contrast, see Romney in the matter of Mormonism, 2007). Yet, it also opened the door to the kind of familial pop psychology by the right that has plagued Bill and Hillary Clinton for two decades. Much of the sophomoric Corner was kibitzing about whether Obama was toast or not - if that's political toast, butter me up some pumpernickel - but Kathleen Parker soon got down to the real truth:

What may be most telling about Obama's predicament may be found in his reference to his white grandmother — her fear of black men on the streets and her stereotypical remarks about blacks.

Yes, that may be the most telling thing about the Senator's "predicament" - though many of us white middle-aged guys could be seen nodding their heads in shared experience. Thus committed, Parker blathered on:

He said he cringed, but I'm betting he did more than that. Those remarks had to cut deep. A young boy who looks different from his immediate family is going to have identity issues of much greater magnitude than your run-of-the-mill  "Who Am I?" questions all adolescents usually ask. His narrative of self-discovery and self-identification as an African American in Chicago begins there and the subtext is that his own source of emotional nourishment was polluted by a prejudice that was aimed indirectly at him. His grandmother — his surrogate mother at that point — rejected the black man he was becoming. The anger Obama heard in Rev. Wright's church may not have felt so alien after all.

Clever that. The angry rejected black man as presidential candidate. Always good for the polls. I wonder about Parker's own "Who Am I?" moment, what lacked in her own emotional nourishment. But what can you expect when you hang around the same back alley as John Derbyshire, who gave the short version of right-wing reaction:

Blame whitey, and raise high the red flag of socialism.

The best aspect of Obama's speech was its tone: quiet, dignified, ready for the long haul. Such stark contrast to the wild-eyed, full-on freak of some of his most ardent followers. In short - and to his credit - the Senator took it down a peg. Obama's speech, to my ears, wasn't quite the brilliant historic moment we'll no doubt hear about later tonight in MSNBC, but it did come with a distinct warning label for itchy Democrats : "no party will be destroyed in the making of this nomination."

UPDATE: I nominate Digby pal dday at Hullabaloo for best description of "how these things work in this endless campaign" - a masterly description of our bloggy sturm und drang:

I have a problem with these expected blog posts on expected speeches that the dynamics of 21st-century campaigns demand. This election has turned into some kind of bizarre series of rituals, like an season of Greek theater where everybody knows the plot and the audience is left to judge the work on the presentation. The parade of comment, counter-comment, conference call about comment, distancing from comment, and major speech incorporating remarks about comment is the real distraction in this campaign, diverting from a looming economic recession (a recession at BEST) and a tragic stalemate in Iraq. Rarely does anything good for the country come out of this exchange.

Furthermore, I'm sick and tired of this "action figure" conservatism where a bunch of stay-at-home bloggers decide for others what they should do in particular situations. "If I were Obama, I would have stood up during the sermon and fired a poison dart at Rev. Wright and talked about the need to cut the capital gains tax!" The imagined fantasies of these clowns resemble a Chuck Norris movie, when the realities involve far more Cheetos and nasal spray.

Comments

[bruce b.]

Tom, I thought it was quite an incredible speech for modern American politics. It was not a speech based on putting together one stupid buzzword after another. Rather, it was a coherent political argument, designed to LEAD and ENLIGHTEN. And he brilliantly cut through all the detritus about race and gender -- in a wonderfully fair way, including a kind reference to Ferraro -- to highlight how this sort of "wedge issue" has been used by the right wing to divide the people.

I consider this speech to be BETTER than the speeches he has given that everyone has raved about (excepting his Democratic convention speech). It was more specific, more substantive, more deeply rooted in his life and political experience.

[Tom W.]

I thought it was very good, but not brilliant - suspect it won't be thought of as a classic. I liked the tone (the ending was a cut and paste job from the stump speech stories sections). I watched some, and read it all. I'll admit I've tired of listening to Obama speak, particularly when he goes in that MLK mimicry - adopting an accent that's not normally his - ie "candidaceh" kinda gets under my skin.

Also, he did cut through a lot of the BS around race, but he was also trying to push the media about "going there" in the future.

[Dawnelle]

I think I'll be a brain surgeon.
Even though I've only done minor surgery
and my LIFE LONG mentor and Pastor says "SURGERY is evil and god damn surgery!!"

I still want the job. I want to unite all SURGEONS with all of those who'd rather suffer or die. My Mother was a surgeon. My Grandmother was a surgeon.

Those who blame the SURGEONS when surgery fails.
Yes they tried their best but it was NOT good enough. They failed. Why try again? Gd dAm the SURGEONS.

Just hire ME and I'll unite the SURGEONS with the herbalists, the SURGEONS with the Christian Scientists, the SURGEONS with Jeraldine because she's the WORST of ALL! WRight?

SHe recognized a disease. Called us on it and we all went WILD! GD damn SURGEONS.

(um yea)

or a better analogy - perhaps

When picking the team captain

you don't pick someone who has spent way too many Sunday's cheering AGAINST that same TEAM he's wanting to Captain.

that's all

I want the TOP cheerleader (no W pun intended) or TOP quarter back as Captain. Not the mascot from another team.

jmo.

[mw]

I watched it. A truly great speech. Right up there with his 2004 Convention keynote speech. When I watched the speech in 2004, I remember thinking - “This man will be president someday.” Watching his speech today, I found myself thinking - “He will be a great president - in 2017 - after four or eight years as VP.”

[tdraicer]

I disliked Obama's 2004 speech-indeed Obama has never made a speech that moved me in the slightest, and I'm afraid this was no exception. He admitted he lied about Wright (because he, well, lied) and then instead of taking responsbility for the "they are racist" smears against the Clintons, implicitly repeated them. (How did all those attacks on the Clintons just "bubble up?" Obama has no idea. Right.) It was the speech of a pol caught in a trap of his own making, trying to divert attention with high-minded rhetoric. I'm sorry to see so many fall for it, but them I'm sorry to see so many fall for Obama, period. As far as I'm concerned, under the charisma that touches me not, there is nothing at all. (But will I support the empty suit over McCain if it comes to that? Of course. But I'll be holding my nose.)

[Ralph]

The reason why it was a great speech was because it was the truth. Gasp. This is something that most politicians cannot deal with, especially conservative ones. Kathleen Parker has missed the point of what Obama was saying. Does she not realize that black people themselves can also be fearful of their own kind? I think Jesse Jackson admitted that once, that when he's heard footsteps behind him at night, he's more relaxed if that person is white rather than black. Sad fact. You see, people like Parker, and other conservatives love to fit everything into their world-view. Actually, the truth is much more complex. So, the idea that she can put Obama on the couch and pull out some hidden truth he's unwilling to admit is laughable. Hell, most of these conservative idiots have never even had black friends in their lives, let alone an intimate relationship with one. Wisdom on the race issue is not something you will get from listening to Rush Limbaugh -- what you need is knowledge and perspective. I am afraid those are both in short order in the blog world, and the mainstream media. I mean, come on, a bunch of white men sitting around critiquing Obama's speech is a joke.

[Linda]

Frankly, I think the whole speech was a very elaborate misdirection. Yes, it certainly had a lot of apt commentary about the state of race relations in America, no disagreement here. And yes, that is something that should have been in the political discourse a long time ago.

But it totally missed the whole point of giving the speech in the first place: diffusing the toxic bile of Jeremiah Wright. He didn't do it. Americans are still left asking why he would sit and listen to thousands of hate-mongering sermons by this man, why he didn't walk out and find a church he was more in agreement with, why he did nothing to speak out against the hatred this man spewed. Just giving a speech on race relations did nothing to diffuse this. Nor does it diffuse the many times his campaign has tied themselves up into pretzels trying to make the Clintons appear to be racists, something no one who has observed them over many years can believe.

Given that, I think his speech was a failure, no matter how much CNN and MSNBC continue to fawn over his every word. And I don't think the vast majority of Americans will miss that point, particularly when the overriding problems of so many right now are economic. I think Obama is past his high water mark. If he somehow squeeks out the nomination, enabled by the Democratic party leadership and disenfranchising MI/FL voters, he will crash and burn in the general. We will have missed our opportunity to turn this country around.

[Bluegrass Poet]

I didn't hear the speech; I read it. I thought it was a good speech. As text, I didn't think it was great prose, but I thought it was honest about race and honest about Wright and said some things that need to be said in this country about anger and exploitation.

On the other hand, it did not admit to any culpability about race-baiting or sexism. The speech was very passive voice about that. I suppose it's more than I could expect from a politician.

Race, however, is not the reason I'm not too enthusiastic about Obama. It's policy. So I'm unswayed. I don't think Hillary Clinton is racist nor do I think her campaign released these Wright tapes. They're for sale in the church after all. And as Avedon Carol pointed out, Hillary gets no advantage from playing the race card. Surely she's smart enough to see that.

By the way, hasn't Obama already thrown himself open to psychobabble with books like Dreams from my Father?

[Jack]

Aside from his ideas about the origin of AIDS, there's nothing particularly untrue in Rev. Wright's comments.

On the other hand, I don't really get Obama's assertion that "white racism" is not "endemic" in the US. Does he mean that it's pandemic instead? It certainly pervades the demos in some fashion.

[Mike P]

Tom,
He had almost none of the "preacher" cadence today at all. It was a somber address and he struck the right tone, as you mention.

I disagree with you about the impact of this...as several have noted elsewhere, show me the last time ANY of our politicians has been this forthright on...well, anything. The fact that this a speech on race in America makes it all the more stunning, IMO. I think he weaved a lot of things into the speech, in ways both personal and catholic and I, as an African-American, am thrilled to see another black male deliver this kind of heartfelt and intelligent speech. I don't expect everyone to agree with it, but I think he went to a lot of places others have feared to tread in the public arena.

[Ralph]

I can't believe that just because some of you are in love with Hillary, that you can't admit it was a great, and historic speech. Pathetic.

[Tom W.]

Mike - I did like the speech quite a lot. Didn't listen to most, but got enough to notice the low-key delivery, which I think suits him better. Some of that MLK-type cadence seems too much like made-for-TV movie acting (just to me - others dig it) and I admire the guy for giving the speech.

I still don't think it was a great speech - he kinda punted on the ending, and I don't think he totally buried the Wright thing.

[tdraicer]

>I can't believe that just because some of you are in love with Hillary, that you can't admit it was a great, and historic speech. Pathetic.

I'm not in love with Hillary (I was for Edwards) but I'll settle.

As for the speech being great, historic etc: that's crap. It may or may not get him past the Wright crisis as for as the Democratic nomination goes, but it isn't going to save him from savaging on the issue from th Goppers, and no one is going to remember it a year from now, much less 45 years from now. It was, as someone noted, an act of misdirection, nothing more.

[jack]

Tactically it was probably a good speech. Right words at the right time. But if you want to get picky, there's stuff that merits further conversation. Like what exactly is the difference between "white racism" no longer being endemic and the 'legacy of racism' still being so? Racism is still operative but there is no culpability for anyone? Is the "legacy of racism" the same thing as structural racism, or does he mean something different?

[Palomino]

Obama took his own grandmother--who raised him, and who is still living--and threw her under the bus. Talk about "do anything to get elected"! Ugly.

[Ralph]

Listen to the entire speech, Tom, without the Hillary glasses on.

[Doubting Thomas]

Hey, I've been pro-Clinton since Edwards dropped and have detested the Obama-mania as I don't like making gods out of politicians, but I liked the speech as well. I purposely tired to be a little open-minded when i read it. I couldn't think of a time in the last 30 years any politician talked so openly about the race issues in the country, so it was refreshing. I could nitpick, but I won't. Whether it will help him win over the non-Dems flocking to McCain, I don't know.

I do know that even us evil Clinton-supporters will vote for him if he gets the nomination. I expect his supporters will do the same if he doesn't get it and all this "us vs. them" in the Democratic primary will come to a close.

McCain is still the real enemy here. I'm reminding myself every day of that.

[bew]

Tom,

What did you mean by "no party will be destroyed in the making of this nomination." I've read his speech, and can't make the connection. What am I missing?

[bew]

Tom,

What did you mean by "no party will be destroyed in the making of this nomination." I've read his speech, and can't make the connection. What am I missing?

[judith]

"...like an season of Greek theater"

this is a brilliant line. Thanks for pointing it out!

JudithR

[jack]

Here's a knee-slapper from the Times coverage:

“The thing that would really help him is if Reverend Wright came out and apologized,” said Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative group that studies religious issues and public policy. One of Mr. Wright’s most criticized comments is his assertion that corrupt United States foreign policy brought about the Sept. 11 attacks; now he must retract that statement, said Mr. Cromartie, just as the Rev. Jerry Falwell apologized after he blamed the attacks in part on gay people and those who have performed abortions.

[Tom W.]

bew - sorry to be obtuse - I meant that he was calm and collected, a living rejection of some of the hysteria surrounding his louder supporters - who cry about "destroying the party" if the race were to last another second.

Ralph - it was a very good speech, perhaps the best of this political season - but it was neither brilliant nor historic, in my view. Nothing to do with Hillary. Historic speeches are generally not about one person's experience or political campaigns. Listen to it next week or next month and see if you feel the same way.

And yeah, he did throw his grandmother under the bus - I wondered about that, actually. Plus the cut-and-paste ending spoiled it. Liked the delivery, though.

[scottreads]

A lot of the reaction here I find very disappointing. I'm a former Edwards guy who's turned off by a lot of the really hateful stuff coming from Obama's supporters in the blogosphere, and I come here and to TalkLeft, Corrente, and Taylor Marsh for a little balance. But I'm hearing here the same kind of dynamic that Hillary gets when she tries, often successfully, to connect with people at a deeper human level - the other side's claque claiming she's faking, she's an ice queen, she's a robot, etc. Now we have a lot of pro-Hillary folks here stating he threw his grandmother "under the bus" when he did nothing of the kind and who are skewering him for not taking a rhetorical piss on his own minister after explictly denouncing his remarks! Jesus, this kind of crabbed, pinched, lip-pursed, lemon-sucking reaction is one I've come all too well to recognize from the Obamafans, but I thought y'all represented yourselves as being better than that. A little humanity and recognition from both sides that the opposition is not teh Devil wouldn't go amiss here.

[Mary]

If Obama was intellectually honest, he would have titled his "Dreams of my Father," "Dreams Nurtured by my Mother and Grandmother" instead.

But he isn't man enough to do that.

His mother divorced his father because she discovered he already had a wife and 2 children in Kenya before he came to America. But she didn't want to diminish Obama's "dream" of his father, so she never told him that, and told him instead, that his father went home to help his country become stronger.

At the age of 21, after Obama's father had been killed in a car accident (his fault---screaming drunk, after years as an alcoholic), Obama met his Kenyan relatives for the first time. They finally told him the truth about his arrogant, physically-abusive, alcoholic, polygamist/bigamist father who deserted him at 2 years old. Multiple wives, multiple children, multiple failures.

Like I said, "Dreams Nurtured by My White Mother and Grandmother" would not have helped him win votes in the AA community, but it would have been much more honest, and certainly, more Christian.

DEFINITELY, more authentic.

With all due respect.

[jack]

Perhaps he should have called it "Sins from My Father"?