I picked a bad time to stop following the election race. For a week, over our spring break, I decided to take a break from what seemed to be a never-ending cycle of the same political stories from every media outlet. Of course, this happens to be the week when Obama’s pastor and his preachings come into controversy, and Obama responds with what I’ve heard described by many of my peers as “One of the Greatest Speeches of Our Generation.”
Many in the press are praising the speech as well. Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune said, “If political campaigns were political movies, Barack Obama’s big speech deserves a big Oscar…. He bravely fought to save his presidential campaign by affirming principles over expediency as an argument for improving politics.”
Deborah Griffith, an Arizona Republic reader, wrote in to the paper to say, “I want to thank the senator for giving me hope yet again for this country.”
After watching the speech, and seeing the words and emotion Obama and his staff can put together in just a day’s time, my respect for Obama and his staff has just gotten greater.
Obama handled the situation with class and dignity, and addressed the subject of racism without any disdain, even toward his pastor. Although his pastor a prominent part of Obama’s religious background, should not be seen as a mirror of the views of Obama himself.
