Obama's Challenge to American Voters
I watched a candidate I already knew was exceptional become a statesman
today.
In his speech on America's racial divide, Barack Obama was honest, direct,
personal and strong without being strident. He told unvarnished and complex
truths about his own life in black and white communities he has known -- and he
trusted all of us to be able to handle the lack of varnish and the complexity.
He never condescends or resorts to sound bites when the issue requires more. He
was at his best today.
This was more than political damage control. This was a challenge to American
voters. Obama is asking us to choose whether we are going to give in -- once
again -- to the forces that divide us, or work to unite our fractured national
community. And he reminds us that the choice is ours -- not the pundits' or
pollsters' or political insiders'. Few other national political figures have the
courage to make that challenge under any circumstances, let alone in the midst
of a presidential campaign. None of the remaining candidates in this election
do.
We have had a handful of transformational leaders in our history, leaders who
have reshaped and refocused what the American Dream means and revived our
commitment to it. Barack Obama showed again today that he is that kind of
leader.
