Is Obama's Rhetoric Enough?

Obama's "A More Perfect Union" Race Speech Should Inspire, Could Change History

Many undecided voters are cynical about all politicians and are considering not voting at all. Another group plans to vote but waits on the fence for a politician to inspire them.

Both these groups should really listen - for the first time or the 10th - to Barack Obama's speech on race, also known as the "More Perfect Union" speech. They just might find that inspiration in a politician, and a reason to vote and participate in this great 232-year-old experiment in democracy. Maybe it's time for another great orator in the White House. Presidents Lincoln, Kennedy and Reagan were also great orators with brief political experience, but they all changed history and shifted the mood of the country.

I don't agree with all of Barack Obama's policies, but my choice for president keeps coming back to his remarkable March speech. It laid bare many wounds and faults in the United States, but it also gave hope and reason to believe in a better tomorrow. That is unusual and powerful.

Everyone is pretty cynical now and it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking "Yeah, he's a great speaker, but ..." Maybe there should be no "but." Speeches can redefine history, they can create a movement and they can change people's hearts.

Obama's race speech has been largely forgotten in the hype about the economy, Sarah Palin and dozens of daily campaign issues. In fact, the speech was a reaction to the daily news cycle and the controversy over Rev. Jeremiah Wright that threatened to derail his campaign.

So maybe he was just trying to save his own political butt, but it sure didn't sound like it. He touched on something much deeper. The meat of the speech starts at about the 12-minute mark

"The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through - a part of our union that we have yet to perfect," he said. "And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American."