The Speech
Thunderous roars of applause erupted throughout the sports venue formerly known as Mile High Stadium (you know, before the corporations were granted total control of it).
Seismic sounds from the crowd continued and reverberated with a vigor that I thought could last for hours. Obama had to attempt to silence the crowd, his followers, three or four times before he began his speech.
Obama’s speech was a “best-of” compilation from many of his past speeches and also where he started to lay down some concrete glimpses into how he would deal with issues if elected. Obama made an extra effort to define what he has meant by change.
Obama continued to talk about “individual and mutual responsibility.” Like in his personal responsibility speeches earlier in his campaign, responsibility is a code word that could mean closing the books on social programs and replacing them with faith-based programs. It also signifies that blacks are not facing a system that keeps them down, but that since Obama has gained the presidential nomination, than so to can other African-Americans.
On issues that often divide us, he provided us with a glimpse into how he would seek to broker agreements between those engaged in fierce debate by indicating that the answer to the abortion issue is stopping unwanted pregnancies, an answer that discounts how Christianity is threatening the woman’s right to choose as well as rewriting science to fit an agenda.
All he could offer for gays and lesbians is that they could go see each other in the hospital. Civil unions or marriage were not offered.
On love for country, wars, military, foreign policy, and the rule of law, Obama shunned from rhetorically addressing these issues in the way a majority of Americans wish the next president would.
Bush’s and Obama’s Acceptance Speech
When comparing George W. Bush’s acceptance speech in 2000 and Barack Obama’s acceptance speech in 2008, the similarities are startling.
Bush said, “To every man and woman, a chance to succeed. To every child, a chance to learn. To every family, a chance to live with dignity and hope.” A few lines down Bush said, “This nation is daring and decent and ready for change.”
Obama’s campaign has been a campaign of hope and change and in his acceptance speech Obama said, “We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage, whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma.”
Bush wanted to “change the tone of Washington to one of civility and respect.” Obama’s campaign has vowed to change the “tone” of Washington and in his speech on Thursday he mentioned how we must “find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.”
Bush uttered this, “This is not a time for third chances, it is a time for new beginnings. The rising generations of this country have our own appointment with greatness.” Compare that to, “the next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third.”
When Bush spoke he said, “The world needs America's strength and leadership, and America's armed forces need better equipment, better training, and better pay.We will give our military the means to keep the peace, and we will give it one thing more ... a commander-in-chief who respects our men and women in uniform, and a commander-in-chief who earns their respect. Obama said he would rebuild the military and stated he would “restore our moral standing so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.”
Militaristically, Bush pledged this, “When America uses force in the world, the cause must be just, the goal must be clear, and the victory must be overwhelming.” Obama pledged this, “As commander-in-chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.”
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