11:00 I know I said it--but the fact that Barack's family is so multiracial is just starting to hit me. You know blackness can be blinding, for so long that's what I saw. Not saying it wasn't important. But there's just so much more at work there.
10:56 Goddamn. Owned. And all that other good shit. Dude he killed. That didn't even feel half as long as folks said it would be. In the words of Wu--shackling the masses with drastic rap tactics.
10:54 Was wondering when he'd get to MLK. Also, best comment of the night from AJ:
"It's about you." Holy shit. I'm in love!
Is that gay?
10:49 Props on the Gay/Lesbian deal. What he's doing here is exposing the inhumanity of strict ideology. He's fixing his opponents in one place, while he dances and jabs.
10:46 Man he's in the zone. I actually fear for McCain having to give a speech at the end of the GOP convention. And now he takes it to him directly, "I've got news for you John McCain. We all put our country first."
10:42 "John McCain likes to say he'll follow Gates of Hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives." Delivered with feeling. He's bringing the battle-axe tonight. Not the dagger.
10:39 I like the individual responsibility going from the environment to the kids. At least the Negroes didn't bear the brunt of it tonight. McCain has no answer for that line. Once he concedes individual responsibility, I think it gets hard to argue that the government should do nothing. That's why that "You're on your own" riff was great.
On another note, damn, I wish he would pick up that "Candidate McCain" joint that Kerry used the other night.
10:37 I'm the only one in the world bored by policy in political speeches. I know. But I hate it. It's not like you can''t see dude's platform.
10:31 That "On your own" riff was great. He's hammering McCain.
10:25 Great line--"It's not that John McCain doesn't care. It's that he doesn't get it."
10:23 "A nation of whiners." Biggest. Gaffe. Ever. What an idiot. The Dems are gonna just hammer McCain with that right to November.
10:22 Ugh, enough of the perfunctory praise for McCain serving. We get it. Nice pivot though. He turns right around and smacks him with the Katana Of Doom.
10:17 Man look at that rainbow portrait of a family. The other thing is, I never thought it would happen this way. Barack is like black--no question--and then, like, so much more.
10:14 And there it is. Official history. Obama accepts the nomination. Incredible. Never, ever saw this coming before 2004. After Powell declined, it looked like a "Next Lifetime" deal.
10:11 Nice intro--"City Of Blinding Lights." And I think I caught a look at Steve Atwater's name in the Broncos Ring of Honor. Man get dude into the HOF now. Remember him blasting the Nigerian Nightmare?
10:07 Film is cooly understated. I wish they had have gotten in the part where he told the dude on the floor of the Illinois legislature, "I'm gonna kick your ass!"
10:03 Heh, how do you know Barack is a black man? He just said he was more shaped by his father's absence than his presence. Kinda tragic that it goes down like that even when the cat is from Kenya.
10:01 I'm sorry. It sucks that Bill isn't there. Is Hillary in the house? Also, wasn't it dope yesterday when he said that Hillary had "rocked the house."
9:57 Dick Durbin comes out. Damn he must feel like a prophet.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
Holy shit that's a lot of people.
Is it me, or is the narrator the same guy who does every PBS documentary in the history of PBS documentaries?
John McCain is a very bad man who'd make a very bad president.
Sorry Ross Douthat, but McCain is simply too dumb and too old to be president.
Any presidential candidate who'd say that his opponent would "rather lose a war than lose an election" is a scoundrel. McCain is beneath contempt for questioning Obama's patriotism.
If there's a God in Heaven, Obama will give McCain the humiliating defeat he richly deserves.
Go Obama/Biden!!!!
Ask and ye shall recieve:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncWETBUel2s
now back to history...
CORRECTION 10:11 - The song title is "City of Blinding Lights" by U2 not "City of Shining Lights". It is a great song.
In contrast, John McCain will appear on stage to accept the Republican nomination with ABBA blasting over the sound system.
Thanks JK! I love that song.
Home-fucking-run.
'10:42 "John McCain likes to say he'll follow Gates of Hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives." Delivered with feeling. He's bringing the battle-axe tonight. Not the dagger.'
He's going for a mortal strike
"It's about you." Holy shit. I'm in love!
Is that gay?
Thanks for the shout, TNC!
Man he's in the zone. I actually fear for McCain having to give a speech at the end of the GOP convention.
word, man that convention is going to look like a funeral or a geratol ad once McCain starts his speech.
and its not gay...I just got wood
That was some serious King-Fu, now he needs to apply all the times!
Fear the Wrath of the Obama Five sides Fist!
Yes, We Can!
Awesome. He was inspiring AND tough.
I like the fact the he basically turned to McCain and "come get some." Finally!
what is this bullshit country music?
it's like going to an orioles game in baltimore - a city that is more than 60 percent black - and hearing john denver cry out, "thank god i'm a country boy" during the 7th inning stretch.
i thought black music ruled the world...?
'cept when a black candidate is running for the highest office in all the land.
no aretha? no stevie?
Awesome, just awesome. Though, I'm having Olympic flashbacks with the fireworks... :)
out of the park.
I thought the stuff on the economy was less than compelling, and how is he going to get us oil independent on $150 billion over ten years? But he ended strong. I think he's been buoyed by the moment, and his anger seemed real, appropriate, and somehow yet even measured. There was a good crescendo about this speech, and he made it a moment. Its not his best delivery, but it will be historic.
The fumble on 'inextricably' messed up what would otherwise be an amazing soundbyte.
It was an amazingly fluid and well metered speech for someone who had to discuss so many issues.
He brought race and gender into the mix without being overbearing and kept the focus on economy and america.
Very, very well written.
As to the theatrics and the venue...it was amazingly well chosen and worked out well both acoustically and visually.
People are going to be playing the visuals on this for a long, long time.
Juan may have not been impressed, Bill Kristol looked in genuine awe...
...cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria...
He had me til abortion...that and the gay/lesbian middling one-liners in his special "hot button issues" section of his speech was a real let down in an otherwise tremendous speech.
Also, Bill was hyper-criticized for being at the 2000 convention by the media - they accused him of hogging the limelight - Media Matters has the record.
Narrator - David Strathairn, I think?
Yep, he pwned the own bit. Nice work, Barry. Now America, please don't fuck this one up.
If things keep going at this rate, McCain's going to be hiding out in one of his seven caves and refusing to speak in public anymore. Magnificent speech, great spectacle, and God clearly ain't a Republican, because IT DIDN'T RAIN A DROP!
Fumbling "inextricably" was the karmic balance to sinking that three in Iraq.
I really like the McCain doesn't get it meme. In all honesty, it's really hard to question McCain's legacy of service, and I really don't think he realizes how bad his policies are. He's an out of touch old man. I know the whole election has been about the 20th century vs. 21st century, but the way Barack hammered it home tonight was great.
As for the country music: A) they're in Colorado, and B) when you've got the white intelligentsia and black folks behind you, you've got to start worrying about those folks that listen to country music.
Gag. Brian Williams just waxed sentimental about Tim Russert.
I'm a gay man, and the same-sex shout out didn't feel forced or hokey to me at all.
I've been exactly at the point he described - sitting in the waiting room in a Baptist hospital in Texas while my partner was getting emergency treatment for a sudden pulmonary embolism, and having no idea if I would even get to see him.
You never want to be in that spot. The inhumanity of those would deny *anyone* that out of misguided religiosity is one of the most hateful things I can imagine.
very good performance with several extremely strong parts, and a magnificient peroration. i think this was my favorite political point:
"But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism"
wonderful. it appears to be a declaration of the high road, but it pins mccain to the positions that mccain himself attempts to winkingly deny with his maverick commericals and thus makes mccain look bad, even if he never attacks obama. very, very slick
"10:22 Ugh, enough of the perfunctory praise for McCain serving. We get it. Nice pivot though. He turns right around and smacks him with the Katana Of Doom."
I think Al Gore gave a brilliant observation saying that McCain has been browbeat by his party into serving their best interests. It doesn't denigrate from McCain's service, yet points out a character weakness and implies that McCain allowed it for the opportunity to be president.
Jay,
Do you hold it against Obama that he won't just come out and endorse gay marriage? Just curious. I long have. But at the same time, I understand the politics of it.
Dude owned it tonight. Brought it, and played them. I saw the grace of God extended to America tonight --- and yes, I know he is not the Messiah -- thank you very much, but the choice has been laid bare tonight: more of the same and choose McCain. If you care the least about the poor, the afflicted and "the least of these" you will vote for Obama. I don't care a lick what the white evangelicals and Rick Warren and the Karl Rove spinners say -- brother man brought it tonight, and the choice is yours. I am unapologetically Black, unashamedly Christian and yes, you get the leadership you deserve.
The next 4 months can't go by fast enough ...
I don't think the policy stuff is just lame. In this case, it was damaging . . .
His policy stuff sounded stale, retreads of old liberal policies--hardly a new politics.
I think this speech did not advance his cause.
A few good jabs at McCain, but no magic.
Great speech, but I didn't like the sound of this line: "But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes." Isn't that what Kerry's (very effective) Senator McCain vs. Candidate McCain thing was doing? And the same with Gore's observation (mentioned above by Hicks)? Especially if he picks Romney, that could be one of the most effective lines of attack: McCain & Romney each used to have some independence and reasonable ideas, but they gave it up to run for President and have fully embraced Bush & the Republican ideology that's failed us (with plenty of examples).
Nice to see Obama show some teeth. He killed his opponents with an ice cream blade. Thats' the type of guy that gets elected president.
I don't think the policy stuff is just lame. In this case, it was damaging . . .
His policy stuff sounded stale, retreads of old liberal policies--hardly a new politics.
I think this speech did not advance his cause.
A few good jabs at McCain, but no magic.
------------------------------------
"Old" Liberal policies?? Personal Responsibilities? Hard Work? Less Child born out of Wedlock? Stronger military?
I full agree with strong objectives criticism, but your critical faculties are non-operational!
Hilarity from an e-mailer to The Corner:
Don’t you think that in the aftermath of an angry, nasty speech that took more than a few cheap shots at John McCain, that the McCain congratulatory ad seems to be a moment of genius? Obama took the low road, while McCain took the high road?
Hey Ta-Nehisi, have you watched Tavis yet tonight? Drs. Julianne Malveaux and Cornell West just unloaded on Barack for not talking about Dr. King enough. Basically dismissed the whole speech for not saying the words: "Dr. Martin Luther King."
I'd like to know what you think. I hate to even think it, but was that jealousy? Pride? Is it something about the talented tenth wanting their props? It sure seems like Barack knows what he's doing, so I'm not going to jump to any conclusions. The name was conspicuously absent, and the journey to this historic moment was not especially built up. Basically, this did sound like a "post-racial" political speech, and ironically a lot of folks might not like that kind of "post-racial" (especially if it means you have to downplay the people that came before you).
I'll leave it there, but it was an interesting moment. I'll continue to think about it, but please let us know what you think after you check it out.
Ta-Nehisi,
From my lesbian perspective, I don't hold Obama's marriage stance against him - yet. He is in favor of repealing DOMA, so I think his heart is in the right place.
He also mentions gays and lesbians in his speeches and calls people out for discriminating against them. I can't tell you how happy I was that he mentioned us tonight, in a speech that will go down in history.
However, if he has a Senate with a lot of Democrats and doesn't push hard and within his first couple of years to actually repeal DOMA, end Don't Ask-Don't Tell and spend some political capital on gay marriage, I will hold it against him come 2012.
I'm going to be pretty pissed if they don't repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell within the first year and a half of an Obama administration. It's a stupid policy that's costing us good soldiers, and should be something that's easy to approach from a bi-partisan angle.
Antonie "H.",
Honestly, I was watching this speech with a test swing voter (my mother), and the reaction of that focus group of one was telling.
She fell asleep.
No. Magic.
Berlin was better.
I do hope to restore my critical faculties in the near term, as I did not realize that hard work and personal responsibility were new ideas to liberals. Thank you for the education.
His bio video, on the other hand, was excellent.
I thought the end of his speech was weak and what was up with the corny music?
To borrow, "sample" and paraphrase from Michelle...
today I am truly proud of my country, like almost never before.
I'm an American. Not black, not white, not Christian or Muslim or Jewish...just an American.
And a proud one.
I hope Obama is 44.
Agreed, Ali. "Inextricably" seemed to break his groove a bit. And he looked a bit upset about it after the speech. Which speaks to the expectations that everyone has of Obama, including Obama himself. Our actual, current president can barely piece together coherent sentences, but Obama pushes himself to such oratorical heights every time he steps up to the podium that when he flubs a word that Dubya couldn't possibly pronounce (or possibly even understand) he seems disappointed by his inability to deliver the perfect speech, to create that perfect, uplifting moment.
Or maybe I'm reading too much into his body language. But, for a guy accepting the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in a football stadium full of adoring supporters, he wasn't smiling all that much after his speech. Maybe he was shooting for gravitas, but I think that he could have enjoyed the moment a bit more than he appeared to.
@Scott
I got the same sense of Obama's body language after his speech. Originally I thought that perhaps Obama had purposely dialed down his rhetoric in tonight's speech, but after seeing him kind sulking behind the podium I think he may have just had an off night. Or maybe he wanted to play "Black Steel in the Hour Chaos" after his speech and was overruled by his handlers.
More staggering cluelessness from National Review readers:
And Obama doesn't have a record to lend heft to those generalities. McCain does. Which means he can pick apart this speech 8 ways from Sunday. The McCain campaign will pick out the 4 or 5 issues their polling finds most important (and I think we can all guess what those are) and talk specifics on those issues in his speech...
McCain can simply walk to the front of the stage in St. Paul, sit on the edge, and have a detailed, personal conversation with the American people about the central issues of this campaign...
I should note that the biggest issue Obama left uncovered is government spending. When I lay my head to the pillow tonight, I will dream that John Kasich takes the stage with McCain tomorrow in Dayton. If that happens, you can close the books on the presidential race and start looking at whether the coattails will bring us one of the two houses.
Hey, sorry to double dip, but I just rewatched the last 10 minutes of the speech and noticed what Barack was doing. He was concentrating on the people gathered on the Washington Mall--not the historic speaker.
This is actually right in step with his campaign's message. He recognizes that he has tapped into something that was already there. In a sense, that was the case with Dr. King as well. All the church groups, women's groups, and students were inspired by Dr. King, but it was them that comprised the movement that turned the tide.
Even more notably, Barack focused on a less discussed point of Dr. King's speech: that we must move forward as one and never turn back. Dr. West's problem was that the speech was "running from history." This is an interesting conundrum, and it does seem to be one that is at the core of Barack's candidacy to be the first black president. It will be interesting to see how African American history treats this issue after Barack becomes president!
"10:17 Man look at that rainbow portrait of a family. The other thing is, I never thought it would happen this way. Barack is like black--no question--and then, like, so much more."
Interesting that Sen. Obama is receiving the criticism for not making an overt mention of Dr. King.
I was surprised too but realized halfway through that this speech was directed at conservative independents & GOPers who regret voting for Bush twice. There was enough attack to appeal to Dems but overall, I think it was a very targeted speech deliverd with great care to expand his base, to open the tent. The song at the end just underlined the point.
Pat Buchannan even praised the speech.
I guess Mr. Coates you were very correct. He is black but more. This was an attempt at an EveryAmerican in the 21st Century speech. I think it was a success. We shall see.
Jay,
Do you hold it against Obama that he won't just come out and endorse gay marriage? Just curious. I long have. But at the same time, I understand the politics of it.
My full answer to that question would be fairly long, but my short answer is "No, or at least, not yet," combined with not letting the Perfect be the enemy of the Good.
I have two main trains of thought that run in tandem on the subject.
The first is that we are in the unfortunate position of having a religious term "marriage" and a legal term "marriage." When people advocate for same-sex marriage, we're advocating for the legal term. However, those who would deny us defend based on the religious term. So the entire debate would be so much easier if *everyone* went down to City Hall and got a "Certificate of Union" or some other legalistic, boring non-charged phrase.
The second is that, to me personally, it is the rights and responsibilities that I want, and I don't really care what it is called. I know that is a position that isn't extremely popular in same-sex marriage advocacy. And I further know, and understand intellectually, the arguments about civil unions and domestic partnerships falling into a "separate but equal" trap.
I could probably write another several pages on the topic, but I think I'll stop, since I've got to get to bed, and I don't know what the character limit is on comments.
I definitely agree about being bored by the policy in the speech, but it's only because I've been paying close attention for over a year. I wasn't surprised or excited by what he was saying as much as how he chose to express himself.
Re the constant praise for McCain:
"We honor his service."
"Brutus is an honorable man."
It's actually kind of brilliant.
'10:42 "John McCain likes to say he'll follow Gates of Hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives." Delivered with feeling. He's bringing the battle-axe tonight. Not the dagger.'
He's going for a mortal strike
He rolled a 20 and then confirmed the critical.
Scott and Hill Rat,
I think you guys are reading too much into his body language. The guy needed to project gravitas and toughness after undergoing a month long character assassination. There were times he smiled radiantly. As for old liberal policies, listen to speeches by Walter Mondale, Hubert Humprrey and compare them to Bill Clinton and Obama's speeches you'll see the differences among 20th century liberalism, centrism and the 21st.
Obama was criticizing McCain for not proposing invading Pakistan like Obama did? Obama has rode a wave of ass-kissing to this nomination. He's the only candidate I can think of whose debate gaffes were spun as insightful policy proposals.
@Micheline
Perhaps; but someone who is trying to project gravitas is at the podium, standing up straight, shoulders back, with his chin tilted slightly upwards. It looked to me, even if just for a moment, that Obama spent a moment behind the podium pacing back and forth with his shoulders slightly slumped.
"Do you hold it against Obama that he won't just come out and endorse gay marriage? Just curious. I long have. But at the same time, I understand the politics of it."
I don't hold it against him because I care a lot more about what he says and does after the election that before, because "I'm going to be pretty pissed if they don't repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell within the first year and a half of an Obama administration. "
At tis point he is holding a pillow down over the old man.
Yo the prah-diggity-dijjy was in full effect last night! I was like all, That's tiiigghhht! Man I don't what that dude was sayin', but I'm sure it was SUMthin'. Hope, change...change, I hope. Those suckas at Fox News, they just like the crackaz they represent in Kansas and all that. Man, forget that old white dude, let's not be racial, lets just vote for Obama y'all!
For a second there I thought I was on the wrong website. This is one of the worse "pieces" written for The Atlantic.