Words have power.
The pen is mightier than the sword. Jaw-jaw is better than war-war. Pick your adage.
What the people of America did last night was to reject the politics of the sword and, instead, embrace the politics of the word.
Barack Obama's acceptance speech, nuanced with elements from Lincoln and Martin Luther King, was for me the most amazing moment of an utterly incredible, historic night. The first political speech I've ever watched that actually put a lump in my throat.
Yesterday, US citizens rejected the policies of the Bush Regime and the Republican Party. Rejection of a warmongering foreign policy, rejection of an economic strategy benefiting only those who already have wealth, rejection of the racial divisions that for so long have blighted the country. Yet for me the most important rejection was the rejection of the soundbite.
Obama's articulacy and verbal dexterity is so refreshing in a political world dominated by the 10-second soundbite for the evening news. His intelligence shines through in his delivery and, as someone on Twitter said a few moments ago, he is able to think in paragraphs.
I know that it's too early to decide, and that we must wait to see if President-Elect Obama is as able to deliver as he is to talk about delivering. But we can hope, can't we?
Yes. We Can.
4 comments:
i must admit, i actually felt a little emotional listening to the speech as well, insane how he can do that, i've got a lot of hope for America now.
Get. A. Life.
gottahatethemall:
I was going to delete your comment.
Instead - thank you for making my point.
Sitting here wondering when Bob the Builder sneaked on to the ballot paper.
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