Obama balances on a tightwire in which he affirms everyone's basic humanity. I would hate to be judged solely on the basis of selected excerpts in other people's talk! His analysis is incisive: some people would prefer to perpetuate the myth that all whites are inherently racist, instead of promoting a politics that acknowledges growth and change as real. We are not limited by history, even if we foolishly choose to repeat it. The possibility of choice exists. A different future, diverging from the trajectories set so deeply in motion, is within reach. Such a future will not be secured by one vote, or even by one election. The pull of the familiar will persist, the risks of uncertainty continue to challenge. How deeply do we desire a new framework for our country and the world? We can set a new path, and not only this: we can follow through to the promise of absorbing pain and establishing new, healthier, and happier social and economic relations.
An analysis from the Boston Globe: "Obama goes beyond generalities...", which is a rhetorical skill he has utilized effectively all along.
