Nov 062008
For once, I'm going to set aside all my critical faculties, all my cynicism, all my scepticism, and instead present to you the full Obama acceptance speech.
Why?
Because it's inspirational, that's why. Because I want to believe there's hope for the world, and this man makes me think there might perhaps be a tiny flicker of optimism.
Because I think this man means what he says.
That's why.
37 Responses to “Barack Obama Acceptance Speech”
Comments (37)
I can't watch it. Every time I do, I cry. …and I'm still at work and I don't think it would behoove me to blubber on my PC.
But part of me is scared, Bock. I'm scared some ignorant redneck-as opposed to an enlightened one such as myself ;)-is going to come along and try the unthinkable.
I can't bring myself to worry about it yet, I'm still on the honeymoon.
He is a great speaker.I watched this speech yesterday and also found myself believing him. He's got one hell of a job in front of him and I I hope he can turn his inspirationational words into deeds.
Nothing wrong with being a redneck, but I share your worry, even though I don't believe the threat will come from knuckle-draggers.
If anything, the greatest danger lies closest to home.
The Secret Service better be on top of their game.
Inspirational is the only word for it. Watching the speech makes the hair stand on the back of my neck. If he can continue to inspire for the full term maybe there's hope for the planet.
Wouldn't you follow him into the jaws of death with that kind of speech.
He can talk the talk and he's set the bar very high for himself. I hope he can deliver. Let's wait & see.
Incidentally, one of the political figures he admires is G H Bush.
Obama doesn’t broadcast moral disgust when talking about terror groups, but he said that in some ways he’d be tougher than the Bush administration. He said he would do more to arm the Lebanese military and would be tougher on North Korea. “This is not an argument between Democrats and Republicans,†he concluded. “It’s an argument between ideology and foreign policy realism. I have enormous sympathy for the foreign policy of George H. W. Bush. I don’t have a lot of complaints about their handling of Desert Storm. I don’t have a lot of complaints with their handling of the fall of the Berlin Wall.â€
Full article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/opinion/16brooks.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Just replying to your comment, and this post was as good as any :) I honestly think The Daily Show writers are bricking themselves. As Stewart himself has said, it'd be hard to top these guys.
I felt inspired watching the speech live. I felt hopeful when I saw the crowds in front of the White House celebrating the imminent eviction of it's current resident.
I felt even more inspired and hopeful when I found out that my 25 year old daughter, who has generally been disinterested in politics up to this point in her life, made the effort to go from her apartment in Chicago to Grant Park and to be a part of the crowd celebrating the moment. She told me it was an incredidible mix of people but it lacked the incredible mix of unhappy feelings that usually occur in any group gathering.
At any Christmas party some one will usually be disappointed.
At any rock concert much of the crowd is stoned or inebriated.
At any war protest march usually everyone is pissed off.
My daughter told me that everyone felt inspired, happy, and hopeful. I am glad she was able to be a part of it, and I'm even gladder she is now choosing to pay attention to what is happening in her country.
Bock, that's exactly what I said to someone today. For the first time I'm listening to a politician and it's hitting the belief button instead of the bullshit button. I can't help myself.
Una had a great piece on it:
"And now: Obama can never live up to the hype, to the expectations. But in some ways, that doesn't matter. Because for one magical night, people of all races believed in their America, they could see that this man was their president, and that for once and for all, America might be able to redeem itself in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of its own people. Unless he starts turning water into wine, Obama will not live up to the challenges the people who have voted him in have set, but for that night in New York, hope was majestic. The American dream, which has recently been so clouded in war and ignorance felt achievable again. So no matter what happens, we'll always have Times Square."
Bock – Whatever comes after this election is a bonus – the mere fact that it happened is enough – but I think there is more to come.
We danced in the rain outside the White House in the wee hours of Wednesday.The Secret Service just smiled at us and who could blame them.It's been a long time since they had happy people on Pennsylvania Ave.
Thousands of us laughed,danced,hugged and cried as we chanted O-Ba-Ma! O-Ba-Ma! and turned it into a song of Liberation.
For the first time in my life I felt like I truly belonged somewhere.It was a defining moment in my life to be part of that crowd.To be an American amongst Americans awash in a sea of joy.
We freed ourselves that night.
Yes We Did!
He needs to restore respect for the US Constitution above all else. Getting rid of the Patriot Act would be a very positive sign.
Sucker.
Yes the PATRIOT Act, Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan, Homeland Security, the Federal Reserve, reopening the 9/11 investigation. Obama has a chance to change a whole lot in just one term.
I'm not sure who or what gimmeaminute's response is related to but aside from that thank god at last the cows are moving off the front lawn of the White House and back to Texas where they never should have strayed from in the first place. I was intrigued by how dishevelled and Ceaucescu-like (in a broken, creased suit way) Bush looked the next day when he gave his little congrat speech. And I sincerely hope Palin gets eaten by a moose before 2012 – at least her daughter won't have to get married now. ;-)
King's Bard — I would. Yes.
Stail Aduaidh — The way things have gone lately, I'd settle for doing away with ideology.
Fergal — Wait. They're bound to provide satire material. Rahm Emmanuel is a cartoon character in himself.
Mr Terwilliger — That's what everyone reports. Devin said the same thing.
Green — The belief button. That's it. We'll find out in due course what way the button is wired but for now, let's just take it for what it is.
Stephen — I think you're right about that. Nothing has really happened yet.
Devin — You should talk to Terwilliger.
Gimme — A lifetime's experience distilled into one single spit of despair. Impressive. A beacon of gloom to a world drowning in hope. I expect Jesse Jackson will read this and realise what a fool he made of himself.
M'sieur le Craic — Hard to know where you'd start with that lot.
Rockmother — Unfortunately, he didn't get the full Ceaucescu treatment.
Sam called him Stellar after his winning the nomination. Stellar. Stellar, which for me, comes nearest to describing this man. My daughter called me a wuss yesterday for blabbering again at a clip in the news. She’s 14 and said it’s a pity cause “they’re going to kill him daâ€. She’s 14.
But it’s also Jessie Jackson crying or the that wide eyed trancy stare from the those two white girls which the camera repeatedly pans back to, it’s the others in crowd too, breaking down and crying, but mostly it’s his exquisite selection and delivery of a message. He is truly unique.
Can you imagine Obama in the Limerick hurling team dressing room. We might even beat Carlow or Mayo. We might even win the Christy Ring cup….
Yes we might
Isn’t there is a line in the Bob the Builder song which goes “ Yes we can “…..
Has Barack plagiarised BOB? Say it ain’t so Bock. ( what a front row, Bob the B, Bock and Barack )
Gutted I am.
I know, I know, but I’m wrecking my own buzz too.
"Yes there is" S&C.
If Obama ever finds himself in the Limerick Hurling team dressing room, he can learn more about in-fighting in 15 minutes than an intensive month of CIA briefings on Afghanistan could ever do.
Yes he can.
Just thinking, if he took up Biffo's offer to open a pub or play in a 45 drive for half a sheep in Moneygall, would Obama pick up on the local parlance and start saying "so it is" for no reason at the end of every sentence?
All world leaders should spend time in that Limerick hurling dressing room Hoof, but only the good ones would survive like Richie and Barack who, played junior with Ahane, a nifty corner back, pulled hard, fair and fast but was often caught out questioning the injustice with the referee though.
He's typical Ahane then. Well known fact his first words were "Ahh Ref!"
Thought he'd leave out a "the spuds are boiling" shout the other night. Maybe he's saving it for the Inauguration.
Or maybe, in (yet) another inspirational moment he might shout out to all Merikans, "Mary cut your toenails you're tearing all the sheets"
Bock is lurking …., I sense his menace.
Lads.
Lads.
Please.
Hey Bock, God Bless America. Nice piece, just dropped in to say hello. Mist
Have u noticed the repetition of the "Yes we can" is like a mesmeric Buddhist chant. I wonder……
remember tony blair gave us great promise after a decade of tory power.
he believed what he said
then danced with the devil.
I am of the same structuralist philosophical bent as Enda Kenny, in the sense that if you talk about something enough it might just happen, for Enda it is a snap election (ha ha) so can we all shut the fuck up about assassination already?
Guys, I hate to be the one to throw a spanner in the works but here goes.
The ones who really run things never stand for election or if perchance they do, they make sure to fix things so that the game goes their own way.
Remember Florida? All them contentious chads?
They never go out of power. Their agenda is always the same: totalitarianism. In the last few decades, they've managed to tighten their control and enhance their dominance and that's not going to change.
Obama is just the latest of their stooges. He makes a nice counterpoint to the rabid Bush with his twisted, wry, excuse for a smile. An Hegallian dialectic is being played out in front of our eyes.
The synthesis will come when everything we think we have has been taken from us.
Tyranny is being normalised.
Obama is a slick talker and I'm sure he'll do a good job as apologist for the power-hungry bastards who hate life and liberty and are busy jerking his strings.
Obama knows what he's doing and what his role is.
He talks about change but we don't know what he means. He rarely spells it out.
How does 100 hours of "voluntary" community for third level students sound?
50 hours for secondary schoolchildren?
Local militias that are as well trained & equipped as the US army?
These are part of Obama's plan.
Sounds like some shagging, new Cultural Revolution to me.
Call it autocracy with a human face.
Hope I'm wrong about this.
magnificent.
Any chance we could have just one weekend of hope before we return to the unremitting gloom?
Yes?
No?
Any chance at all?
I'm in agreement Bock, I kinda like having a sliver of hope in my life, and I don't have to worry about Elton John shopwing up in my town, so I might even be hopeful clear until mid-week.
@ Stail
A few points.
Most seconday kids already perform some community service in order to graduate.Usually takes the form of visiting nursing home residents,volunteering a few hours in hospitals or mentoring/tutoring middle or elementary school kids.
I see no harm in this or making third level students do a bit of the same.
As for the local militias.We already have them in the National Guard which fall under (and this is a point of great importance) the control of the individual states and territories and not Federal control.If the president needs to borrow F-16's from the Virginia Air Guard for some reason he has to ask the governer.
Besides I kind of like the idea of a well armed community based citizen-soldier concept.Might give those of a totalitarian persuasion pause for thought if they knew they would meet resistance at every step.
-stail
You're right, but I suppose people want the chance to dream that it could be otherwise before being forced to admit that the world has been suckered in, one more time.
Stail — I see nothing wrong with students doing community work. In fact, I'd extend the concept tp cover all kids. It might do some of them in this country a bit of good if they had to take responsibility for something.
There's nothing new about the notion of a local militia. In fact, that was the reason for the 2nd Amendment guaranteeing the right to bear arms. It came from a distrust of central government.
It all depends how that militia is used. In France, during the occupation, it was the militia who hunted the resistance as "terrorists". During the American war of independance, it was the militias that initially lead the fight against the british.
Peronally I'd be wary of joining one though, lest they do like they did with National Guard, and ship them off to war.
The point is that they Obama doesn't have some plan to set up local militias. They already exist and they're called the National Guard.
have been away for a few days so have just watched this – wow – thank you for posting that, bock.
what a speaker.