Tuesday, March 18, 2008

When two hunters go after the same prey, they usually end up shooting each other in the back. And we don't want to shoot each other in the back.

I haven't commented much lately on the Presidential race. It used to be pretty much all I wrote about here.

There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that I'm just as sick of the whole thing as the rest of you are. I've spent almost my entire life as a political junkie and I still can't wait for this to end.

Then there's my firm conviction that the whole thing will sort itself out on it's own. That conviction is waning the longer this drags out, btw.

That being said; I'd like to make two quick observations.

Obama's speech today on the Wright flap and race was Lincolnesque. I do not use that description lightly. Here's a snippet- Here's the whole damn speech--



Text of the whole thing can be found at the NYT website.

The other is a short, semantic observation. If you check the dictionary the antonym of the word "hope" is not "pragmatism."

Some people seem to have lost sight of that simple reality.

14 comments:

Randal Graves said...

I think I've gone nearly a week without posting anything political, which is quite nice. I'm sure I will at some point, but man, I can't wait until this damn thing is over, one way or the other.

Don Snabulus said...

I am doing a bunch of data transfers, so I watched the speech all the way through.

There are a lot of things to learn in that speech. I am a cynical man who doesn't hold much hope that W's successor will understand, let alone change, the realities in America and on Earth.

In this speech, Obama proved he at leasts understands it. It isn't perfect, but it is both smarter and more real than his competition has come up with.

Dean Wormer said...

randal-

Please make it end.

don-

Agree whole-heartedly. I'm cynical but by nature but there is something genuine there. It will probably be crushed should he ever get into office but at least it's there.

Spirula said...

the antonym of the word "hope" is not "pragmitism."

Let me guess. McCain?

Dean Wormer said...

spirula-

:)

Xactly.

ladybug said...

Well, I finally know who I'm going to vote for in our primary...but can't wait until it's over as well.

Seems like they're beatin' a dead horse already.

Swinebread said...

"The first is that I'm just as sick of the whole thing as the rest of you are. I've spent almost my entire life as a political junkie and I still can't wait for this to end."

Tell me about it! I'm tired of it too. But at least McCain isn't in the news that much.

I had a dream about the two dems, it was a sign, I think, to just chill out about the whole thing.

Fran said...

I have yet to watch it,you may have persuaded me.

pissed off patricia said...

I watched it and was amazed. I had to call my husband at his lab and tell him about it. I was elated with the honesty and the elegance he showed with that speech.

I too had planned to lay off the pols for a while, but his speech had to be written about.

Dean Wormer said...

fran-

I think you may like it. I know you have a lot of questions about Obama, particularly with regards to religion and I believe he tackles some of that.

Patricia-

Agree 100%. One of the things I didn't like about Obama when the election started was he seemed all form and no substance.

That is not the speech of a lightweight.

I can't remember a politician speaking that directly and elegantly in my lifetime.

enigma4ever said...

It was amazing..thank you for posting...it was Historic.....and thank you for your post on the War....

( I would love to add you to my blogroll- would you mind ? Watergate Summer....let me know ...thanks)

Dean Wormer said...

enigma4ever-

Absolutely! Mind if I return the favor on blogroll?

Dr. Zaius said...

I loved that speech. It is amazing how quickly the media turned it into "but is it enough to offset the negative effect of the words of Jarimiah Wright..." instead of actually analyzing the words that Obama said.

Dean Wormer said...

zaius-

I don't think they know how to handle sincerity. It's something foreign to them, like the culinary delights of some remote tribe. They just don't get it.

I've listened to it again and I'm just stunned by what he did rhetorically. Can you imagine having a president that's more than semi-literate?