Obama: Highest rated televised political speech ever

Back on topic, I was shocked to read those viewer numbers. Just shocked.

Really, more people than watched the Beijing opening ceremonies? A political speech is not nearly that entertaining. I think people just wanted to see the beautifully crafted stage, and of course the amazingly cute Obama daughters.

 

It was not only historic because he was the first african-american nominee of a major party, but because it is also the best run campaign nationwide in so many ways including financially, planning, turnout, ratings, etc. Most don't want to give the credit that is due for how this man is running a better campaign national team than any other person in history, BLACK OR WHITE OR OTHER!

That is EXECUTIVE experience that says you are ready to also be in charge of our economy, defense, etc. Clinton ran a compaign that come close but went over $20 million in debt...not a good sign of what she would do to the economy. Obama won and did it with a surplus, that is the kind of leadership I prefer to run our struggling economy, which is what most Americans say is their number one concern.

 

You know, on a tangent, I am still disappointed that our culture makes any mixed race person be fully the non-white part of their blood. But whatever. Maybe it beats coming up with 256 new words for various types of combinations.

But Barack is just as much a white guy as he is a black guy. I've always thought this was especially cool. (There's even the fact that a biologist would call this "hybrid vigor," an especially beneficial mix of different genetic material, resulting in very healthy and exceptional progeny, but I digress even more.)

 

I agree, B-Bob. I've always thought it one of the odd quirks in our culture.

 

That's where understanding history comes into play. Almost all of "african-americans" are called as such because the "african" slaves came from many different countries and no one can really say what african country they came from. Then you add in the fact that MOST if not a large number of pure black african women were raped by their slave masters and had children back in the day, but yet the "white" masters, many themselves from many different countries, refused to acknowledge the children as their own. So the kids, even when they had a white parent and a black parent were still always considered "black" or "NEGRO' in those days...no matter how light their skin. So American history is the cause of why children of mixed parentage with one parent being black is still considered "african-american". In Obama's case, it is even more true since his father is an actual "AFRICAN", Kenyan to be exact, and his mother is "AMERICAN", of some caucasian descent. Not to mention that the black genes of a child are usually more pronounced in the physical features of a mixed raced child. So don't get hung up on the name...95% of black people in this country have white, indian or some other race in their direct heritage. You can't say that same for most caucasians though.

 

The event was epic. His speech was epic. Gave me chills, and I'd watch it again.

 

Louisiana State law until 1970, deemed anyone having more than 1/32 African
blood to be deemed 'colored'. Since Louisian is probably the most interracially mixed state in the nation I assume that is where this distiction arises from.

You know everyone says Tiger Woods is black but he is 50% pure Thai and 50% mixed race.


The speech was very good political theater. It was written and staged for a specific effect and it achieved it. The 'common man' endorsement before the actual speech were great too. Having Bill just rip it up the night before and Obama then topping him .... priceless.

 

You're so right. History has no influence over modern perception of race at all.

 

Are you saying that African Americans (i.e. descendants of slaves) are indistinguishable from full-blooded Africans? Come on. There is definitely a historical aspect to our perception of race.

Umm... yeah. That was my point. Perception of race is entangled with how people are treated in society, which inevitably contains relics of the way race was handled in the past.