A Party and Country United
By Christopher Kuttruff
t r u t h o u t | Report
Wednesday 07 May 2008
After winning a sizable victory Tuesday night in the crucial state of North
Carolina and losing by a small margin in Indiana, Senator Barack Obama addressed
an enthusiastic crowd of supporters, laying out his vision for the party, and
for the country.
Senator Obama won by 56 percent to 42 percent in North Carolina, while Senator
Clinton prevailed by 51 percent to 49 percent in Indiana.
While CNN and other news networks focused heavily last night on exit polls
showing demographic divides and a statistic in North Carolina that only 45 percent
of Clinton supporters would back Obama if he is nominated, the senator from
Illinois sought to allay concerns about the state of the party with a more conciliatory
tone.
"I want to start by congratulating Senator Clinton on what appears to
be her victory in the great state of Indiana. I want to thank all the wonderful
people of Indiana who worked so hard on our behalf," Obama stated in the
early portions of his speech.
Despite a growing consensus that Hillary Clinton faces an uphill mathematical
battle for the nomination, Obama has stated on several occasions that Clinton
is a formidable candidate and should continue to compete as long as she feels
is appropriate.
He criticized what he views as the shallow and divisive media coverage of the
election: "Tonight, many of the pundits have suggested that this party
is inalterably divided, that Senator Clinton's supporters will not support me
and that my supporters would not support her. Well, I am here tonight to tell
you that I don't believe it. Yes, yes, there have been bruised feelings on both
sides. Yes, each side desperately wants their candidate to win. But ultimately
this race is not about Hillary Clinton; it's not about Barack Obama; it's not
about John McCain. This election is about you, the American people."
Obama highlighted this belief later in his speech by voicing the frustrations
of many people he encountered across the campaign trail. He reflectively spoke
of a mother in Wisconsin who had lost her son in Iraq and gave Obama a bracelet
inscribed with her son's name as a reminder of his sacrifice. He recalled meeting
a man in Pennsylvania who had lost his job and couldn't afford the gas to go
look for another.
Throughout these examples, Senator Obama asserted that the continuation of
the government's current domestic and international policies is not going to
solve the problems of our nation, and of our globe.
He explained that when the election is over, "we will have to remember
who we are as Democrats, that we are the party of Jefferson and Jackson, of
Roosevelt and Kennedy, and that we are at our best when we lead with principle,
when we lead with conviction, when we summon an entire nation to a common purpose
and a higher purpose."
Obama passionately emphasized the need for Democrats, and more generally Americans,
to emerge from this election unified - prepared to coalesce around a common
national vision.
Many critics have argued that Obama's hope and optimism stem from a lack of
experience, but the senator attempted to recognize the political challenges
ahead, stating, "You see, I didn't get into this race thinking that I could
avoid this kind of politics, but I am running for president because this is
the time to end it. We will end it this time not because I'm perfect. I think
we know at this phase of the campaign that I am not. We will end it not by duplicating
the same tactics and the same strategies as the other side, because that will
lead us down the same path of polarization and of gridlock. We will end it by
telling the truth."
Regarding foreign policy, the senator exclaimed: "I trust the American
people to understand that it is not weakness, but wisdom, to talk not just to
our friends, but to our enemies, like Roosevelt did, and Kennedy did, and Truman
did.
"Security and opportunity, compassion and prosperity aren't liberal values.
They are not conservative values. They are American values, and that is what
we are fighting for in this election."
He concluded his speech by declaring: "I love this country too much to
see it divided and distracted at this critical moment in history."
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