Photo credits: APTom Edsall, political editor of the Huffington Post, offers a sober assessment of Barack Obama’s acceptance speech from that fake “Greek temple” at Invesco Field Thursday night.
Edsall writes:
“There was mile-high Democratic euphoria in Denver last night as Barack Obama promised to restore the prosperity and national honor which have so gravely diminished during the past eight years.
“Still, along with the very real possibility of a new dynamism in the Democratic party that could motivate the grassroots, fuel voter registration, turbocharge turnout, and capture the White House, signs of possible political vulnerability could be seen in the leading sentences of Obama's speech tonight before 80,000-plus people gathered at Invesco Field:
‘“Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to. It is that promise that has always set this country apart -- that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.’
“This theme is profoundly appealing to his supporters, who see in Obama's personal story the embodiment of change, diversity, and a nation moving past racial and cultural conflict. But, at the same time, it plays directly into the Republican theme that the Obama campaign is more a celebration of Obama himself and of his own life story than a commitment to the interests of the American electorate. Obama's approach, according to this perspective, may serve to exacerbate what Pew Center pollster Andy Kohut has described as
‘“Receiving far more media coverage than John McCain "has proved a problem, not a blessing" for Obama, says Kohut. At the beginning of this month, a Pew poll “found 48 percent of respondents saying they had heard 'too much' about Barack Obama” compared to just 26 percent who said the same.”’
Read more.
Edsall writes:
“There was mile-high Democratic euphoria in Denver last night as Barack Obama promised to restore the prosperity and national honor which have so gravely diminished during the past eight years.
“Still, along with the very real possibility of a new dynamism in the Democratic party that could motivate the grassroots, fuel voter registration, turbocharge turnout, and capture the White House, signs of possible political vulnerability could be seen in the leading sentences of Obama's speech tonight before 80,000-plus people gathered at Invesco Field:
‘“Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to. It is that promise that has always set this country apart -- that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.’
“This theme is profoundly appealing to his supporters, who see in Obama's personal story the embodiment of change, diversity, and a nation moving past racial and cultural conflict. But, at the same time, it plays directly into the Republican theme that the Obama campaign is more a celebration of Obama himself and of his own life story than a commitment to the interests of the American electorate. Obama's approach, according to this perspective, may serve to exacerbate what Pew Center pollster Andy Kohut has described as
‘“Receiving far more media coverage than John McCain "has proved a problem, not a blessing" for Obama, says Kohut. At the beginning of this month, a Pew poll “found 48 percent of respondents saying they had heard 'too much' about Barack Obama” compared to just 26 percent who said the same.”’
Read more.
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