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FinalCall.com News
National News
Sen. Barack Obama on keeping America's promise
By Ashahed M. Muhammad
Assistant Editor
Updated Sep 9, 2008 - 12:41:00 AM
Sen. Obama pushes forward with a united party, strong message in bid for White House
DENVER (FinalCall.com) - The world’s attention was focused on Invesco Field in Denver as Sen. Barack Obama officially accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president of the United States of America.
“With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States,” said Sen. Obama August 28 as the crowd of over 80,000 at Invesco Field roared in approval.
With those words, a memory had been created that would forever remain etched in America’s history and another important marker had been placed in the collective history of the sojourn of Black people in America.
Many see Sen. Obama’s political rise as fulfillment of the vision shared 45-years-ago, on the very same day in 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Others admit improvements in many areas regarding race relations, but say Dr. King’s dream is yet unfulfilled.
Sen. Obama offered new hope for many who are seeking to reclaim America’s promise and worried about the future.
“I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land—enough! This moment, this election, is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive,” said Sen. Obama. “We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On Nov. 4, we must stand up and say eight is enough!”
Sen. Obama’s entire acceptance speech was carried live on 10 TV networks—ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, BET, TV One, Univision and Telemundo.
According to Nielsen Ratings, it was viewed by 38.4 million people. The total does not include those who watched the speech on C-SPAN, which does not keep viewership numbers, nor does it include PBS, which televised the Obama speech but did not pay Nielsen for a count of its viewers. Based on a sampling of large cities, PBS estimates an additional four million viewed the speech via network, meaning viewership easily topped 40 million people.
Sen. Obama squarely took on Sen. John McCain and the Republicans in a particularly aggressive tone that had not been characteristic of previous campaign speeches, even at times when he was severely under attack.
“The record is clear. John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time. Sen. McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than 90 percent of the time?”
Sen. Obama blasted the “trickle down” theory of Reaganomics advocated by the most influential ideologues within the Republican Party.
“For over two decades, he’s subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy—give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the ‘Ownership Society,’ but what it really means is—you’re on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps—even if you don’t have boots. You’re on your own. Well it’s time for them to own their failure. It’s time for us to change America,” said Sen. Obama.
Throughout his 45-minute speech, Sen. Obama outlined his approach to bringing America back to economic strength by seeking to “reward drive and innovation and generate growth.” Government cannot solve all problems, however “what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves,” he said.
Referring to the Bush administration’s “oil addiction” Sen. Obama again took a swipe at his Republican opponent.
“Washington’s been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years, and John McCain has been there for 26 of them. In that time, he’s said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office,” he said. The Illinois senator would set a 10-year goal to end America’s dependence on oil from the Middle East. Sen. Obama also said every American should have the same healthcare as members of Congress as he continued to promote national healthcare as a major goal.
Sen. Obama said he would change bankruptcy laws, promote wage equality for men and women and support for those who need it.
“Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can’t replace parents; that government can’t turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need,” he said. “Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility—that’s the essence of America’s promise.”
Sen. Obama, who opposed the Iraq War, has been accused of having too little experience by Sen. McCain. “If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander-in-chief, that’s a debate I’m ready to have. For while Sen. McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face. ... John McCain likes to say that he’ll follow (Osama) bin Laden to the gates of hell—but he won’t even go to the cave where he lives,” said Sen. Obama. “John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war. That’s not the judgment we need. That won’t keep America safe. We need a President who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.”
Reflections on an historic day
Rev. Jesse Jackson, who made history with presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, delivered a historical perspective on what things were like Aug. 28, 1965.
“This is a glorious day of celebration,” Rev. Jackson told The Final Call. “On this day 45 years ago there was so much violence. People were in jail, Fannie Lou Hamer was being beaten into unconsciousness on that day, Washington, D.C. was under martial law, we didn’t have a Public Accommodations Bill, we didn’t have the right to vote—45 years later, we are winning, so this is a day of great transformation and great redemption.”
“It was part of the dream that one day this country would judge by character and not color—but that was ‘one day.’ I don’t think anybody felt it would come this soon, but my God is a great God and he moves in mysterious ways, and 1,000 years in his sight is like a day,” said Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, who in 1957 founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. King.
An emotional C.T. Vivian, another civil rights stalwart, told The Final Call, “I knew it would happen, I didn’t know how long it would take. It didn’t matter to me whether I saw it or not, as long as I was with it long enough to know that it was going to happen, and we got the voting rights bill, I knew we were going to make it happen,” he said.
Asked if Whites are ready to vote for a Black president, Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley of Atlanta’s historic Providence Missionary Baptist Church said change comes when God is ready, not always when people are ready.
“They weren’t ready for the civil rights bill to be passed, they weren’t ready for (equal) housing or transportation. It’s never when people are ready. When God is ready it happens. Right now this is a special moment. Iowa wasn’t ready but you see what happened in Iowa, which started the ball rolling. If we wait until when someone is ready, or ask the question if someone is ready—no one is ever ready for change.
“Change is uncomfortable and now America needs this and White people need this. So whether they are ready or not—I wasn’t ready for kindergarten, but when the time came, I had to go. So now, America has to reach that point.”
Charles Steele, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference agreed.
“I would like to think that they (Whites) are ready,” said Mr. Steele. “Racism is still a problem within this country, but many people have come to the conclusion that we must move forward and we cannot remain stagnant any longer. America cannot afford to come up with this ugly head of racism in terms of the past of 400 years of slavery, Jim Crow and the discrimination of the day.”
Mr. Steele also said those who have been critical of Sen. Obama’s reluctance to directly address Black concerns should understand big picture politics.
“They just have to have a little patience because he represents a large constituency in terms of the broader spectrum of politics and we must understand that this is non-traditional politics,” said Mr. Steele.
“I never thought I would see that in my lifetime,” said Rep. John Conyers, referring to the possibility of a Black president. “We now have the task of getting him elected.”
Award-winning actress Angela Bassett said, “This is a great historic moment and it is my honor to be here. It is a great civil rights moment.”
While proud of Sen. Obama’s achievement, Martin Luther King III said there is still much work to be done before he can say that his father’s dream has been fulfilled. “I would say that (Obama’s nomination) is a part of the fulfillment, but the dream of my dad won’t be fulfilled until justice appears in America,” he said.
What lies ahead?
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) said an Obama presidency should not be looked upon as the solution to every problem, though it would enhance America’s image.
“It would enhance the image of the United States in a tremendous way, but I think it’s important to lower expectations a little bit. The office of the president is not unlimited. There are limitations and we (have to) understand that people have to dig in and roll up their sleeves and help their communities. Having a president on your side helps but it does not solve the problem,” said the congressman.
Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, did not expect a Black man would be nominated for president by a major political party in his lifetime. The results of this election will be “interesting” and will show how much racial attitudes have changed, he said.
“He (Obama) succeeded in the primaries against very tough opposition. I think that to a lot of people, race is not a disqualifying factor and his success certainly indicates that for many people, race was not a disqualifying factor,” said Mr. Morial, who planned to attend the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Sept. 1-4.
CNN political analyst and WVON-AM radio talk show host Roland S. Martin said things look good for Sen. Obama because he is clearly getting support from all ethnicities, including White voters.
“You saw in the primary that obviously you can’t win the nomination without getting the White vote and Hispanics, so he’s already proven that. The question is, where do you go from there? George W. Bush won in 2004 with 65 million votes, and so he certainly has a long way to go. Latest polling shows in New Mexico, he is up 13 points, he’s up 5 points in Nevada and according to a Mason/Dixon poll he’s up 7 points in Florida, so it’s being proven out there already,” Mr. Martin told The Final Call.
Political scientist and author Dr. Ron Walters, said Sen. Barack Obama not only was able to achieve party unity, but the Democratic National Convention used a carefully controlled message and positive platform that allowed direct targeting of Republicans for the November election.
“I think the Democratic convention has been on the whole a unifying event which was the objective going in,” said Dr. Walters. “Most of the serious political issues that the Barack Obama campaign had coming into the convention have been resolved,” he added. Dr. Walters is currently working on his next book, “Barack Obama and the Joshua Problematic” which will address the challenges that facing Sen. Obama.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL.) has worked with Sen. Obama, is ready for the race toward Nov. 4 and ready to defend Sen. Obama’s character.
“Five decades after Martin Luther King Jr., gave his historic speech, it’s finally come around. America finally has a chance to make its word come true and not judge people by the color of their skin but the content of their character. If Barack Obama does not have character, then I don’t know who has been more qualified than him in the past. Obviously, that’s our challenge from now until November,” said Rep. Gutierrez.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan told The Final Call the Republican Party’s strategy of pointing to Mr. Obama’s supposed “inexperience” will fail. Mrs. Madigan said she and a unified Democratic Party are ready to defend Mr. Obama against those attacks.
“They are claiming that Barack doesn’t have the experience, well I can testify,” said Atty. General Madigan. “I sat next to him for four years in the state senate when it was controlled by Republicans. He was able to pass the most significant legislation during those years in spite of the fact that (Democrats) weren’t in the majority. He passed ethics reform, death penalty reform and earned income tax credit for Illinois, expanded family care, passed video taped interrogations, so Barack can work with the other party. He has been successful at that in Illinois and he is going to bring that exact same experience to the very difficult issue he’ll face at the federal level,” said Mrs. Madigan, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the seat that will be vacated by Sen. Obama should he win the presidency.
Following the close of the convention, Sen. Obama and vice presidential running mate Sen. Joe Biden immediately made a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, a very important state in the presidential election, then were off to Ohio and Michigan.
At Final Call press time, polls showed Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain in a virtual dead heat as the GOP hopeful unveiled Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his choice for vice president.
The choice of the rifle shooting, anti-abortion hockey mom, who was a small town mayor and has been in office less than two years, raised questions about whether the McCain strategy could continue to hammer away at Sen. Obama’s inexperience given the Arizona senator’s Aug. 29 choice of a political unknown. Sen. McCain only met Gov. Palin once before making the choice. But, analysts said, Gov. Palin had so far helped enthuse GOP voters, appeal to conservatives, generate excitement and had not hurt the ticket. Still a North Star Writers Group column read, “McCain Chooses Palin: It’s a Blind Date with Annie Oakley.”
