Oh Bama! “The belief in things not seen.”

The National Review.Com ^ | 7-28-04 | Rich Lowry

[hope]

Boston, Mass — Barack Obama's keynote speech at the Democratic Convention here has gotten a rapturous critical reception, justifiably so. Here are a few more follow up points about it:

NATIONAL UNITY. His litany in which he made the simple phrase "there's a United States of America" a rallying cry of unity and togetherness was simple and powerful. Most of the unity rhetoric this week has had a false ring, especially coming from people who have done more than their share to divide the country. Obama's call seemed more deeply felt and was more resonant, wrapped in patriotism: "We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America." Subliminal message: We are not the party of Dukakis — we like pledging allegiance.

HAWKISH NOTES. He made this week's best, most trenchant criticism of the Iraq war, saying we should "never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect the world." The criticism reflects a hawkish attitude: We need more troops. It invokes the opinion of the world but also with a hawkish tinge: The world should respect us, because when we confront an enemy we do it right.

"AN AWESOME GOD." The emotional high point of the speech may have been his declaration that "We worship an awesome God in the Blue States." He thus rebutted the notion that the Democrats are the secular party, and did it in authentic, unashamed language. The theme of faith was woven throughout the speech, from near the very beginning when Obama talked of "a faith in the simple dreams of [America's] people, the insistence on small miracles." This is language that Democrats often can't muster, and it gives added oomph to two other key themes from the speech.

"MY BROTHER'S KEEPER." Democratic social programs often seem mushy or purposeless or pandering. Obama connected them with one of the deepest of all ethical imperatives — to love our neighbors as ourselves: "It's that fundamental belief — I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper — that makes this country work." This is a liberalism with some emotional depth, and a meaning much more profound than the dollar signs next to line-items in a federal budget.

"THE AUDACITY OF HOPE!" We've heard a lot of talk of how important it is for the Democrats to be optimistic. But the optimism of forced smiles and focus-grouped phrases can be a wan thing indeed. Obama's optimism was expressed in the language of faith. When he talked of "the audacity of hope!" he was reaching for something inside the breast of every religious believer, and connecting with the audacious hope that has fueled heroic American projects, from the nation's very founding to the civil rights movement.

For all of these reasons, by the end, when Obama said "the people will rise up in November," and "this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come," it seemed more than garden-variety political rhetoric. Because it was.

	http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200407281612.asp

[Dragonspirit]

*yawn*

So much hype, from a bored media eager to echo DNC talking points.

That speech was rather generic, and let's be honest - the ONLY reason he is getting this acclaim is because of his race. Think the Dems would hype a man who hasn't even won a senate seat so much otherwise?

[jwalburg]

Democrats: We love our neighbors as ourselves, the ones we don't abort, that is.

[marron]

I was impressed with his speech. It was sadly wasted on a candidate like Kerry, but a party of men like Bama would be a party in good hands. A party of men like Bama would be a party worthy of the White House.

Unfortunately, Bama is a distinct minority in the present day Democratic Party. A man who actually believes in God is sadly out of place over there. But if he can call out the moral remnant that remains in the party, if there still is such a remnant, maybe that party can still be redeemed. I fear he will be forced to adapt himself to his party, in which case he and his party are lost. And we are lost if we follow them.

I'm sure I don't agree with him on practical solutions, not for nothing is he a Democrat. But a Democrat Party with a moral center, wouldn't that be a concept?

[Paul Atreides]

The emotional high point of the speech may have been his declaration that "We worship an awesome God in the Blue States."

Have you ever noticed that straight white males are the only ones of the Dim party not allowed to make such statements?

[VOA]

" "AN AWESOME GOD." The emotional high point of the speech may have been his declaration
that "We worship an awesome God in the Blue States." "

But Obama doesn't agree with Jesus Christ's exclusive claim to being the conduit to G-d.
See my post #143 at this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1179467/posts?q=1&&page=101

[SunnySide]

Democrats: We love our neighbors as ourselves, the ones we don't abort, that is.

and a house in the Hamptons, don't forget the house in the Hamptons. You haven't arrived unless you have a house in the Hamptons.

LOL

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Problem is, being your brother's keeper is very anti-liberty.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

They only love immoral neighbors.

[aruanan]

For all of these reasons, by the end, when Obama said "the people will rise up in November," and "this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come," it seemed more than garden-variety political rhetoric.

Right, and they'll re-elect GW Bush.

[anniegetyourgun]

How will the Dems juxtapose this guy's one America speech against Edwards and his two Americas?

[jwalburg]

With more than one maid.

[bpjam]

Obama basically ripped off the speech that W gave in 2000 at RNC Convention. I don't recall the left having an orgasm over it then.

There was not a single thing in his speech which virtually anybody disagreed with, which basically means that he didn't say anything.

Does anybody know what his speech was about? I doubt it. And a week from now, the only thing people will remember is that he was a good speaker. Hitler was a great speaker also, but nobody can remember what he said. Can anybody can style over substance?

[anniegetyourgun]

Then Obama serves a different Jesus and embraces a different gospel. A God of his own making...and he calls his god awesome?

[bayourod]

Obama may be the Democrat's version of Alan Keyes.

It don't make no difference how well he sings and dances speaks, the powers that be aren't going to let him off the plantation.

Hillary can't risk a black VP in four years. Besides, they already have the black vote, bought thru brother Jesse. (Jesse don't know what to think about this new kitten. His meow don't sound right.)

[cyborg]

That's a bunch of BS coming out of Obama's secular humanist mouth.

[Trust but Verify]

You are exactly right. White liberals will never vote for a black man for President, or even the Senate. Never.

[DaiHuy]

"We worship an awesome God in the Blue States."

I live in the Red States, and we to worship and awesome God.

My God is an awsome God he reigns from Heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, my God is an awesome God.

[DaiHuy]

Sorry this should have been posted with my other comment.

I can almost see Obama becoming a Pubbie in the future, or maybe at least another Zell Miller.

[tobyhill]

Some stations are pulling out old tapes because this year's DNC is so boring. Twana Brawley's daddy is still riding that donkey to nowhere!

[BenLurkin]

Look, lefties are not and never will be "patriots" no matter how much they posture.

[NCPAC]

"There was not a single thing in his speech which virtually anybody disagreed with,which basically means that he didn't say anything."

Bingo. Obama epitomizes the term "empty suit": All rhetorical flash with no depth.

[hope]

His speech does not echo his party's ideas..Makes you wonder about it's authenticity.

[X-FID]

Unfortunately, Bama is a distinct minority in the present day Democratic Party. A man who actually believes in God is sadly out of place over there.

Don't believe the tripe!

[rwfromkansas]

This is the National Review...

[rwfromkansas]

Tell that to Jesus. "I am the way, the truth, and the life..."

"the truth will set you free..."

Since helping your neighbors is a truth of God, it seems to me that that is the very epitome of freedom sir.

Of course, Obama was using these lines for gain...he doesn't actually believe them.

[Theresawithanh]

Right. If he's elected to the office he's running for, they'll just bring him out for "speechifying". The only Blacks that get anywhere with the dems seem to be the race-baiters like JJ and Al.

[Iam1ru1-2]

"But a Democrat Party with a moral center, wouldn't that be a concept?"

It's not a concept, it's an oxymoron......more moron than oxy however!

[twgiles]

The intellectuals of the younger generations, of which Obama is a member, are more dedicated to truth and less to rhetoric than their forefathers, on average. Obama and Harold Ford are less likely to agree with total nonsense than Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer. Anderson Cooper and Bill Hemmer are less naive and partisan than Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite. Even Ben Affleck is less shrill and nonsensical than Richard Dreyfuss and Barbra Streisand.

In the information age, bad information is shunned by those who know millions are watching and fact-checking. With any luck, the rhetoric will die down with the old guard.

[Iam1ru1-2]

The "blue states" do worship an "ah, some god". Under Klinton, these states were called the "blew states". It only became "blue" when the stained dress appeared."

[atomicpossum]

Obama is now the shiny new toy. Once you've played with it, the novelty fades.

Once he gets to Capitol Hill, he'll be told to fall in line.

(Remember Cuomo's 'speech' and how it signalled his greatness???)

[mewper]

You're right. There was nothing in his speech that can be disagreed with -- which, as my husband says, is typical of a Democrat's style. But he delivered it with an evident idealism and with such a passion that makes you think he will really do what he can to make these things come true.

In that, he was effective. He might be able to swing some undecided voters to their side. MIGHT. Because it's still hard to connect his passion and idealism to John Kerry. It's not effecive enough to cover Kerry's "vagueness" -- or should I say "fakeness"?

[French-American Republican]

"You are exactly right. White liberals will never vote for a black man for President, or even the Senate. Never."

I don't know if you're being sarcastic, but if you're not then I disagree. I think there's a collective white guilt in the US about blacks. Just look at how some CONSERVATIVES (!!) here on this board are softening up to him in this thread! Think they'd do that if Kerry or Edwards invoked God in their speeches?

By the way, there's nothing in his platform http://issues2000.org/Senate/Barack_Obama.htm that sounds potentially Republican. The speech is just shameless pandering to the center-right crowd.

[Warrior Nurse]

You know the Democrats call black conservatives house Negroes for the party. But we already know that white liberals will not vote for black liberals. There are enough black people in Chicago to vote for Obama while the other two white Democrats split the white vote. This is how Harold Washington got elected mayor. This guy is dangerous he is getting money from George Soros and that makes him a socialist or quasi communist.

[Steven W.]

The thing I noticed about Obama's speech was that he left out "endowed their creator" from his quote of the Declaration of Independence.

[Doctor Stochastic]

That's what I heard at work today. Lots about Obama and what a wonderful speaker and human being he is.

[Rakkasan1]

I thought it was:
love the world,hate your neighbor.

[WorkingClassFilth]

"We worship an awesome God in the Blue States."

Molech? Ishtar? Dagon?

[jwalburg]

I think you're right there. Much easier to love a vague, amorphous ideal than the woman down the street who only shops at Costco and buys large jars of mayonnaise.

[L.N. Smithee]

Obama may be the Democrat's version of Alan Keyes.

Which is why it's a shame that Keyes -- as a social conservative -- can't get any air time.

[bayourod]

"Which is why it's a shame that Keyes -- as a social conservative -- can't get any air time. "

Keyes stayed in the primary long after it was obvious that he had no chance of winning. Instead of being a team player he sought to advance his own interests at the expense of the team. He has no ground to complain that the team isn't giving him feature billing.

[GSlob]

"a Democrat Party with a moral center, wouldn't that be a concept?"
Such a thing is logically contradictory, hence impossible. Moral center, if somehow implanted into a political party, would immediately become fake or get rejected. If not, the party would atrophy, wither away and die.
The relation of morality and politics was best explained by Machiavelli and Guicciardini. The shortest summation is that they are qualitatively different and do not have anything to do with one another, unless for piety shows (Obama's performance is an example here).

[bayourod]

I think I see your problem, you don't even have a clue as to the importance of the immigrant laborers in our economy. You probably think they only mow lawns.

Haven't you ever wondered what those 11 million undocumented workers were doing? Haven't you wondered why every industry association in the nation wants immigration reform to allow more guest workers?

You and your family are blessed to be living in the greatest economy in the history of mankind and you want to kill the goose that lays this golden egg.

Union brainwashing?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Not when it's coerced by government. That's anti-liberty. If you want to help your neighbor then good for you. If you want to rob me so you can help your neighbor then you're anti-liberty. Get it?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I didn't mean to be curt with the "get it." I know you're smart and you get it as well as I do. I just meant to ask do you get my context. Sometimes typed words can come across wrong -- you know, without the inflections and stuff.

Obviously you are correct in a Biblical context. That's not what I meant or what he meant.

[dennisw]

He's another Democrat phony who will vote the RAT party line and vote against George Bush's judicial selections. I have no use for this slickster. And he isn't very Black. He was raised by his white mother and never saw his Kenyan father until he was 10.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Walter Williams says it far better than I do:

An argument against legalized theft should not be construed as an argument against helping one's fellow man in need. Charity is a noble instinct; theft, legal or illegal, is despicable. Or, put another way: Reaching into one's own pocket to assist his fellow man is noble and worthy of praise. Reaching into another person's pocket to assist one's fellow man is despicable and worthy of condemnation.

For the Christians among us, socialism and the welfare state must be seen as sinful. When God gave Moses the commandment "Thou shalt not steal," I'm sure He didn't mean thou shalt not steal unless there's a majority vote. And I'm sure that if you asked God if it's OK just being a recipient of stolen property, He would deem that a sin as well.

[GSlob]

"Not when it's coerced by government."
Not when it is coerced by anyone. Period. And by all means one should resist being sent on guilt trips. If they want to send me on a guilt trip, THEY will have to pay for tickets (both ways) and for decent accommodations.

[ExSoldier]

"My God is an awsome God he reigns from Heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, my God is an awesome God."

The Late Rich Mullins?

[rwfromkansas]

Oh. I did not understand you were referring to govt. coercion.

You are correct that the Hillary/Obama "we're all in this together" via redistribution of wealth is cetainly NOT Biblical.

The conservative vision, people helping people, is.

Thanks for the clarification.