Barack Obama: Advancing Common Humanity in Berlin

It will be nice to have a President that the world can respect again.

Is it true that he stopped by to see his birthplace in Bethlehem before leaving Israel?

Uh, I believe he was born in Hawaii, Rocco.

It was a great speech. Lived up to the hype.

Why should we be unified when we can cower in fear and bomb every perceived threat to us?

Sometimes the people on the right are so goddamed stupid they give creedence to the argument for genetic testing at birth to cull out the moron from gene pool.

Idiots feel that rhetoric is nothing. Substance and action is everything. Idiots also don't read, understand or respect history. Below are two examples of rhetoric, flowery and without substance that if RWN had their way the author would not have had the chance to be the greatest Pres in our history, another Illinoinian, Abe Lincoln:


1st Inaugural Address:
"I am loth to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stre[t]ching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."


2nd Inaugural Address:

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

If the morons which call themselves conservatives still have coginitive ability after 8 years of neo-cons and Dubya, perhaps they might shut the hell up and listen to Obama, just like the billions world wide sick to death of the insanity known as American Republican conservatives.

I think Obama has a very good speech writer. Don't get me wrong I'm not a Republican and I won't vote for McCain but I don't believe in Obama either. I think if he wins the election all you people who want him so badly are in for a rude awakening.

good summary Diana. I prefer "common humanity" to "us and them". I think inspirational rhetoric is a good thing, so is action to go with it. The funny thing is, back when I first started listening to W's speeches, I said to myself uh oh this is not going to be followed by good things.

I'm just wondering who the "you people" are that you, Patricia, are referring to. No disrespect meant, just wondering.

Comments like Rocco's which suggest that anyone who supports Obama over McCain is some kind cultist just make no sense. I would - seriously - like to know who, and where, all the mesmerized weirdos who want Obama "so badly" are. I haven't met a single person like that.

It is as if he has already won. I am so happy he is weakening all of McCain's weak efforts. Maybe, if Obama wins, we won't have a major economic depression of several years, maybe we can actually get this country and our foreign policy back on its feet.

We WILL continue to have an economic downturn for some time to come, but maybe Obama can help stem the tide of damage done to our country by the 8 years of Bush administration.

Obama is the real thing. Some people are born leaders. Some people become leaders. A great president is both.

I won't say his name but I will give you the initials of the man who is both: B.O.

Hey, Rocco

Ha, ha. You really are a Joker aren't you?

(Just wait 'til The Batman catches up with you. You'll be sorry.)

Patricia,

If I'm not mistaken Obama writes most of his own speeches. In any event, and more importantly, he speaks from the heart.

I didn't see/hear this speech, just snippets on network news. I did, however, read through the text. It is eloquent, visionary, and inspirational. In it Obama mentions oppressed peoples in (almost) every corner of the world, and calls for a concerted, united effort to rectify injustices. One very glaring omission, however--especially in light of the the upcoming Olympic games--was Tibet. I wonder why?

Great article Diana. I was very pleased with the speech and there were moments when I began to feel proud again to be an American.

I hear that McCain is going to be talking to the Dalai Lama today, which I find extremely interesting, timingwise. Is he co-opting the Tibet issue? Is he trying to distance himself from Dubya, who is getting ready to kowtow to the Chinese at the Olympics? Curiouser and curiouser....

I don't think it matters whether you have a speech writer or not. To be truly effective, one must belive in the word they are speaking no matter who wrote them. Obama is a very effective speaker and I think can do do a lot of good for this country.

Sorry about the typos. I don't think it matters whether you have a speech writer or not. To be truly effective, one must believe in the words they are speaking, no matter who wrote them. Obama is a very effective speaker and I think can do do a lot of good for this country.

I see McCain gained 4%points while Obama was touring Europe. Maybe the American people are not so thrilled with empty rhetoric. When he learned that cameras and press were not going to be allowed in the hospitals where wounded
GI's were being treated he decided not to go! talk about dissing the troops! Also he got the history of the Berlin airlift completely wrong. I would expect more from a Harvard graduate.

he did make a mistake by not going to see the wounded GI's
that may cost him some big points...

I think he would have been criticized for going, had he gone. There is no such thing as the perfect politician.

If the only thing we needed in this country were a speech maker than I'd say Obama is the man. Unfortunately, he has too much bad baggage, and will never win. Of course if he wants to run on Hitler's ticket in Germany, he could win there. Fouled mouth lefties won't like this either.

I think it was a mistake not to see the wounded troups. He is getting much more criticism for going and working out instead.

Having been a young person when JFK was President and the whole world (or at least a large part of it) loved and respected our President and First Lady, it is a pleasure to think that that might actually happen again. I hope Obama has real substance so that he can be a good leader. The election and the passage of time will tell the story.