Obama’s Acceptance Speech at the DNC
Aug 29th, 2008 by nick
Barack Obama’s acceptance speech last night at the Democratic National Convention had an absurd amount of hype leading into it. Not to sound trite, but it lived up to all expectations. There’s no question that Obama is a powerful speaker. But the content of his speech impressed me most. Here are the three most important points that I feel he made in the address.
First, in order to address criticism that his campaign has been more empty rhetoric than substantive policy, Obama laid out specific proposals in the areas of tax cuts, energy independence, education, universal health care, bankruptcy laws, and the federal budget. I was particularly impressed with his pledge to end our dependence on oil from the Middle East in 10 years.
Second, Obama addressed four of the most controversial political wedge issues head-on: abortion, gun control, gay rights, and illegal immigration. For example, on abortion he said, “We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country.” On gay rights, he said, “I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in a hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.” His approach to these issues shows that while he won’t change his core positions for political posturing, he’s willing to work with opponents to find common ground and to make progress together where they can.
Finally, he strongly and directly criticized John McCain on national security while confidently presenting his own foreign policy. It was especially important for Obama to make this point, as foreign policy is supposedly McCain’s strongest issue. Obama said:
If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament and judgment to serve as the next commander-in-chief, that’s a debate I’m ready to have.
For — for while — while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats that we face.
When John McCain said we could just muddle through in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights.
You know, John McCain likes to say that he’ll follow bin Laden to the gates of Hell, but he won’t even follow him to the cave where he lives.
And today, today, as my call for a timeframe to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush administration, even after we learned that Iraq has $79 billion in surplus while we are wallowing in deficit, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.
That’s not the judgment we need; that won’t keep America safe. We need a president who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.
You don’t defeat — you don’t defeat a terrorist network that operates in 80 countries by occupying Iraq. You don’t protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can’t truly stand up for Georgia when you’ve strained our oldest alliances.
If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice, but that is not the change that America needs.
We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don’t tell me that Democrats won’t defend this country. Don’t tell me that Democrats won’t keep us safe.
The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans, Democrats and Republicans, have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.
As commander-in-chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.
I will end this war in Iraq responsibly and finish the fight against Al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts, but I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.
I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation, poverty and genocide, climate change and disease.
And I will restore our moral standing so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.
Watch the speech for yourself. If you don’t have time for the whole thing, he really gets warmed up around 21 minutes in.