Responding to Obama

We’re still pooling reactions to Sen. Barack Obama’s speech on race yesterday.

Our first two responses come to us via Youth Radio Atlanta:

“Once again Senator Obama has turned to his excellent orator skills and his idealism of unity to respond to a major issue in the campaign. The issue of race is undoubtedly a distraction but no more so than the distraction of Senator Clinton’s cold demeanor or the misinterpreted statements of the former President Clinton. This entire election has been shrouded in distraction and this latest speech is no different, as evidence by the fact that his remarks were primarily on the state of the America’s racial divide opposed to the policies he intends to promote. I believe it is time for the two democratic presidential hopefuls to put their egos aside and do what is best for the party by combining forces into a single ticket that truly is the last great hope for the future of this country. Senator Obama can talk of unity but it is time he Senator Clinton begin to practice the unity of which they speak.”
–Wesley Myrick, 21 years old, Georgia State University

Next up, Miriam Archibong answers our questions from yesterday directly:

In your opinion was the Obama campaign in trouble this past week? Did he need to make this speech? The Obama campaign was in trouble last week. His speech was necessary to reaffirm his position on race relations in America, and to reassure the American public that he did not condone the racially divisive comments made by his pastor. Initially, I thought that the faith community should address this controversy. But, after hearing his speech, I knew that his speech was the best way to address the situation.

Do you think Obama has taken definitive control of the Rev. Wright “controversy” with this speech? Did you care about the controversy in the first place? Yes. In his speech, Senator Obama affirmed his relationship with Rev. Wright, yet he clearly stated that he did not condone his pastor’s racially divisive comments. As an African American, I did not find Rev. Wright’s comments offensive. In addition, I thought the opinions were Rev. Wright’s alone. I never thought that Senator Obama was responsible for the free speech utterances made by his pastor.

Did Obama do the right thing by making the speech or is he merely giving ground to his critics? Senator Obama did a very courageous and correct thing by making the speech. I was particularly struck by his confession that he did not disown his White grandmother when she made racially divisive statements. In his words, he “cringed” at the comments, but continued to love his grandmother. Senator Obama’s critics might observe that he did not take a strong enough stance against his pastor. However, when in U.S. History has a presidential candidate been called upon to defend a sermon given by his pastor?

Is this speech so good that Rev. Wright’s statements were a blessing in disguise for Obama? Yes. The controversy has already resulted in more Americans talking about the race relations in America. Senator Obama is demonstrating leadership by challenging Americans to move beyond the negative racial history of our past, and to look to a future where our country is united - despite our racial differences.

Most important: Has your opinion of Obama changed in the past couple of weeks? Your friends/parents? How? After Senator Obama’s speech, I felt that I knew him better. His sincerity and courage were very admirable. My mother said that his speech brought tears to her eyes. And, my grandmother wondered why there was so much controversy about his pastor’s sermon. She said she agreed that Blacks and Whites had different experiences. My grandmother wondered what was wrong with saying that from the pulpit? For my family and friends, their support for Obama has grown stronger as the result of his ability and willingness to take a direct and honest stance in his response to this controversy.

–Miriam Archibong, 20 years old, Spelman College

Here at YR HQ, Commentator “King” Anyi breaks down his reaction to the speech:

When I was in middle school, we had to memorize Martin Luther King’s legendary “I Have a Dream” Speech. By the time I was born, Dr. King’s speech was 20 years old and by the time it was 30, the world changed dramatically, in some ways better, and in a lot of ways, for the worse. When repeated over and over every January and applied to today’s social climate, the speech inspired dreams of my own…through sleep. Fantastic dreams of me fighting along side Optimus Prime and Lion-O…My sound slumber has been interrupted by the sound of Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, addressing race in America in response to some racial hits his campaign has taken recently.

Check out his full reaction at Youth Radio.Org.

And finally, Jenny Chon from the comments yesterday:

I think you are asking the wrong questions. What if we looked at what Barack Obama is actually saying in this speech and pull that apart. not ask the horse-race questions…

You know what, Jenny, you’re right. We should be drilling down into what the man said. Still, the first question on everyone’s mind yesterday was “How does this play in Peoria?” Unlike other writer’s on here I’m tasked with the duty of giving as little of my own opinion as possible, and felt that to ask about the content of the speech might be viewed as a tacit endorsement of its political value.

Either way, now that the subject is breached:

• What do you think of the content of what Obama has said?
• Has he painted an accurate picture of race relations in America?
• What kind of person does the speech reveal him to be?
• A lot of pundits, on “both sides of the aisle” have said that this speech goes far beyond what were used to from our politicians– did it? How?

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