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Now is the time to move forward |
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Monday, 01 September 2008 |
 For forty-two minutes on Thursday night Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama gave an acceptance speech, the kind of which is hardly ever seen or heard in this or any country. For forty- two minutes Barack Obama held 80 thousand people in a football field in Denver Colorado spell bound with his profound words. For forty-two minutes he clearly described how he is going to change America and restore the American dream. When he ended his speech, the usual television talking heads were at a loss for words.
Keith Olbermann of MSNBC said, “How can I find anything to criticize?” Chris Matthews said, “I’ve been criticized for saying he inspires me… to hell with my critics.” One of CNN’s commentators said he adequately rebuffed every criticism thrown at him by his Republican opponents. Yes he did! Yes he did!
One of the greatest criticisms against Obama was that he wasn’t ready to be Commander-in-Chief of this country, but he made it clear in no uncertain terms that he was ready to lead the US in this capacity, and said if John McCain wants to have a debate about his qualifications and his preparedness to be Commander-in-Chief, then that’s a debate he was willing to have. He went right to the heart of McCain’s strength. He told the audience that he would not be waging unnecessary wars, but would protect American’s interests, rebuild America’s respect around the world, and repeated that he would end the war in Iraq responsibly.
Obama said he will be a president who will face the threats of the future and not repeat the failures of the past. The Republicans, he said, have squandered the legacy of great Democratic presidents like Franklyn D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, and that it’s time the legacy is restored. One of the greatest lines and a turning point in the speech, eliciting loud applause from the packed stadium and audiences beamed from Times Square in New York and other cities, was when he said that McCain loved to say that he would follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, “but he won’t even follow him to the cave where he lives.”
Most post-speech commentators thought that Obama dealt adequately with the Commander-in-Chief criticism made by McCain. As a matter of fact, Obama was so forthright in his speech, sounded so tough, that he defined McCain as the riskier candidate, not the other way around.
Obama gave his speech with a serious, no nonsense attitude. The attitude of a man that is not willing to be messed with by his opponents. A man not intimidated by the negatives that are being thrown against him. A man, contrary to what is assumed, who will be willing to fight back, and fight back hard.
And, just as one was wondering why had he not mention Martin Luther King on this 45th anniversary of his great speech at the Washington Mall, Obama made reference to the great message of unity in that speech. He spoke, to loud applause, of the great promise of that speech for all Americans to rise up and become one America. A promise made by the great preacher and civil rights leader that must now continue to move us forward, not backwards. “America we cannot turn back. We cannot turn back America. Now is the time to move forward,” Obama said.
Obama again inspired America and that like Obama has often said, and Martin Luther King said 45 years ago, the old divisions of race, politics and class will fall away as change takes place.
Most of those interviewed after the speech said they were left speechless at the command, power and compassion of Obama’s speech. As one delegate from Iowa, where Obama’s victorious run for the presidency began, said, “Now the elections have started. let’s see if John McCain can best this.”
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