keptshut.com

I think that, for most people, the thought of political speeches conjures images of a dry, reserved and, well, boring delivery and message. I think that the past 8 years of terrible oration by President Bush has only strengthened America’s sense of disconnection and general apathy with the political machine. This is one of the reasons that I find Barack Obama’s speeches so fresh and moving. Barack Obama made a stirring concession speech when he lost the New Hampshire primary to Hillary Clinton. His words pull from Cesar Chavez’ speeches and the hopeful “Si Se Puede” slogan adopted by UFW in the early 70s. His message (which will be discounted by many as “naive”) contrasts greatly with the that of his opponents on both sides of the aisle. It is apparent that he finds that hope is a far greater motivator than fear. I hope that the electorate will prove this to be true.

I know that only a tiny fraction of the American population actively watches and participates in the primary election cycle, which is why it’s great that Obama’s NH speech was repackaged as a pop-culture pill that will entertain - and hopefully move - even the most disillusioned Americans.

The original speech is available here.
The transcript is available here.