Black America President
If I'm American, I'll vote for him.He is the first president (according to some Americans who commented on his speech) who addresses the fragile and touchy issue of race directly. In the midst of his presidential campaign even. At the time where he is the most fragile to attacks by the media and people who shuns the issue of race, he faced it, and addressed it in is reality - that the angers and resentment from the blacks and the whites are still unresolved. This is controversy, it's almost taboo. But he faced it, and talk to everyone as who they are - adults.
Inexperience Obama may be, it does seem that in the state of mess and chaos in American administration, what they need is a breath of fresh air, or a new creative mind whose fire and passion to build a better world is not yet extinguished by years in politics.
"Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naive as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy - particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own. "
Raw, unpretentious.
On a lighter note. Aforementioned The Daily Show of course covered this news. As serious as this speech is, Stewart and team managed to give it a humourous coverage. I think Stewart is impressed by Obama, if not supportive. But in accordance to his political satire show, he has to still poke fun at some parts of it. It's nicely done, I feel. (You can also view this clip as a summary of what Obama said, instead of the half an hour one above.)
*Disclaimer: I do not have a stand on the pastor's view, because I don't know the context. I'm more interested in Obama's responses to this tabooed issue.
Also, thereafter follows a mock interview with one of his comedic correspondent. The topic, aptly, is a dialogue between black man and white man (only Stewart is a Jew). This act brilliantly point out small instances of peeves amoung the races, which were taboo-ic nontheless if discussed in a serious forum. But such is the power of comedy - that in the name of comedy we can say things that we normally would be shot for. Check it out, it's brilliant.
"(Comparing to the current media environment)Back in the middle ages, the jester is perhaps the only one who can tell the truth without getting his head cut off." - Al Gore on The Daily Show