While I find Obama's speech to be well written and delivered as well as agreeing with a good deal of it, I still feel it's a bit hollow considering his campaign's own use of race in the past to further his own candidacy. It seems that Obama's race, beliefs, and upbringing are off limits to everyone but Obama himself. It's as though he is the only one who can address those things when it helps to further his own goals; and when anyone else does it, it's racism. He can stand before a black church in Alabama and claim that he was conceived because of the 'Bloody Sunday March' during the Civil Rights movement; but to point out that he was three when it happened, you're either a racist or too ignorant to realize that he was speaking metaphorically.

At the end of the day, this speech just proves to me that Obama is another politician. He's just really damn good at it. The PT Barnum of Washington. He understands how to tap into people's emotions and has the charisma to captivate an audience.

whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules.
It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness.
This is true both in politics and on the internet."

Our Friendly Neighborhood Ray-man said: "no, the doctor's right. besides, he has seniority."