http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2011/01/with-the-presidents-state-of-the-union-soon-a-look-back-to-a-2008-speech-about-race/ Informed reflection on the events of the day Wed, 15 Jul 2015 17:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.23 http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2011/01/with-the-presidents-state-of-the-union-soon-a-look-back-to-a-2008-speech-about-race/comment-page-1/#comment-4787 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:24:13 +0000 http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/?p=1782#comment-4787 I believe we are going to hear Obama’s poetry this evening at the memorial service for the victims of the Tuscon massacre, and that it will be politically significant. I also think that people have overlooked the poetry of Obama’s speech on health care last year, which I hope to analyze in the near future. The poetry issue is not just about lyricism but rhetoric – persuasion and national purpose, as I think the film The King’s Speech and Pacifici’s analysis of the film in anticipation to the State of the Union address illuminate.

]]> http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2011/01/with-the-presidents-state-of-the-union-soon-a-look-back-to-a-2008-speech-about-race/comment-page-1/#comment-4782 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:27:26 +0000 http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/?p=1782#comment-4782 This is a very thoughful analysis of Obama’s “Race Speech” but I also ask, “Where is that politician now?” I think we saw what happens to poetic idealism under the pressures of being president. I wonder how such lyricism will ring during his campaign for re-election. My guess is that we won’t see a return to poetics.

]]> http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2011/01/with-the-presidents-state-of-the-union-soon-a-look-back-to-a-2008-speech-about-race/comment-page-1/#comment-4758 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 06:43:51 +0000 http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/?p=1782#comment-4758 Jeff,
Thanks for this post and reminding me of what I saw and heard in Obama. It is worth savoring and repeating,’able to say things that have not been “say-able.”‘ You point out how he delivered the speech on Race despite the counsel of his advisors. But where is that politician now? Where is that voice and the lyricism of the words that made the world notice? It is true, as you say, that the Jeremiah Wright comments ‘made people wonder who Obama was’. But, aren’t we reliving some aspect of that now? Why does it feel like the radio station that had been playing Miles Davis has now switched to a version of smooth jazz?

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