The New Republic

Wow, you're famous!

- virginiacentrist

December 12, 2007 at 7:17pm

Anyone who watched the baseball playoffs knows, this isn't Obama County, or Clinton Country.  To quote John Cougar, "This is ourrrrrrrrrr country!"

- Crock1701

December 12, 2007 at 7:21pm

My God, I hope Obama wins. His victory would give us four years of palatable banalities rather than four years of unpalatable ones. The man can move you with a blizzard of cliches. It's amazing.

- timcrim

December 12, 2007 at 7:59pm

Timcrim:

Amen! I'm a huge supporter of Obama, but I think his whole message is really just a clever PR strategy delivered by an incredibly charismatic individual. My god he is charismatic!!! I mean...read the text of that speech...and then listen to it. Obama would NEVER win an AOL Instant Messenger debate but he sure deliver an audible speech!

- virginiacentrist

December 12, 2007 at 8:14pm

I dunno. I thought Dreams from my Father was pretty terrific. On the other hand, Audacity of Hope was pretty bad. Maybe you guys are right.

- ralphnelle

December 12, 2007 at 8:35pm

Actually nevermind Ralph I take that back. Dreams from my father was amazing. I completely flip flop on this one.

- virginiacentrist

December 12, 2007 at 9:17pm

Dreams from my Father was a fine and elegant piece of writing.  I reread parts of it again and again. Audacity of Hope was a (well written) political document.  I never finished it.

As far as his speeches go, I've seen him twice him in person, once back in 2006 when he was campaigning for Claire McCaskil in her senate campaign, and once when he opened his Kansas City office last summer.  He gives a powerful stump speech, especially powerful in person when you feel his charisma as an almost tangible force that fills the room and sweeps you up and carrys you wherever Obama wants to take you.  But it's still a stump speech, and as such is a well delivered set of stirring platitudes, meant to get your ass moving rather than make you think.

On the other hand, his speech earlier in the year at Selma was fine and thoughtful rhetoric as well as a powerful sermon, and his discussion of faith and politics at the Sojourner's conference last year read just as good as it sounded, and (as a philosophical document) put Romney's speech in the shade.  He gives the speech he needs to give.  And every one isn't the Gettysburg Address.

The mark of a truly gifted polititican is what he can do with the platitudes that are the common currency of American political rhetoric

- vanwurs

December 13, 2007 at 12:45am

vanwurs,

I agree completely. That Selma speech is very underrated. I didn't see the speech from the Sojourner's conference. But I'll look it up on your thoughtful recommendation: it isn't all that common to find tnr bloggers who admire Obama's rhetorical crafts. I find his many modalities absolutely fascinating. It's hard to believe that the chummy guy who went on the Tyra Banks show is the same person we saw with Russert a few weeks back.

The man is a natural.

- ralphnelle

December 13, 2007 at 1:02am

And he can dance. (as he showed on the Ellen Degeneres show...)

and, a few years ago, just after he had come to the Senate, he was speaking at a High School in Newark, and looked out at the audience before he started his speech and spotted Dionne Warwick in the crowd.  He grinned at her and then proceeded to sing the first verse of "Walk on By".  Well.

That got a whole lot of cool points from me.

As a lifelong political junkie, it's just gratifying to see somebody come along that is this good.

- vanwurs

December 13, 2007 at 2:56am

I saw him last night in Seattle. Dead tired, still good. Adding new line, after he gives blurbs on his positions, what he believes: "That's why I'm in it." Very good.

- psantillana

December 13, 2007 at 3:03am

It's interesting that things have gotten to the point where tomorrow's debate probably means more to Hillary than it does to him. He just needs to do sufficient. Nothing special needed at this point.

- ralphnelle

December 13, 2007 at 4:00am

vanwurs,

Here's another one for you:

youtube.com/watch

- ralphnelle

December 13, 2007 at 4:13am