As somebody "who has little pieces of America all in me"

Obama on identity politics, Rev. Wright, Robert Kennedy and what his campaign is about:

For more including Andrew Sullivan's great commentary click below!

Full transcript of speech here. Andrew Sullivan writes:

You also have a choice: to believe that this is a sincere message given by a sincere person; or a phony message delivered by a fraud. The only way to really know which is to look at his record. It seems to me that Obama has been motivated by the same themes from the very start, and still offers the same hope of unity that has been the core of his campaign for president from the beginning.

Those who ask questions and seek answers about the influence of Wright are doing their democratic duty. It is equally Obama's duty to answer them as candidly and respectfully and precisely as possible. But those who do not want to hear an answer that gives hope and reconciles our divisions are betraying themselves and this country's potential. Reveling in cynicism and partnisanship is the act of those who truly do not love America.

Keep Reading (if there's more)...

You're the Inspiration

Robert Reich, a member of Bill Clinton's Cabinet and long time friend of the former President, posts on his blog about Obama, Clinton, JFK & RFK:

...[Obama's] appeal is for more civic engagement, not necessarily more government. He has the voice and wields the techniques of a community organizer (which he was on the streets of Chicago), asking people to join together, calling the nation to form a more perfect union. Not since the sixties has America been so starkly summoned to its ideals. Not since then has America-- including, especially, the nation's youth --been so inspired....
...Neither John F. Kennedy nor his brother Robert were idealists. They were realists who understood the importance of idealism in the service of realism. They grasped the central political fact that little can be achieved in Washington unless or until the public is energized and mobilized to push for it; the status quo is simply too powerful. The ideals they enunciated helped mobilized the nation politically. That mobilization contributed to the subsequent passage of civil rights and voting rights laws, Medicare, and environmental protection. For purposes of practical electoral strategy as well as high-minded moral aspiration, they never tired of reminding the nation of its founding principles -- most fundamentally, that all men are created equal.

Oh, and yes, the title of this post is a Chicago reference.

Keep Reading (if there's more)...

Highlights to Consider Before You Vote

If you read nothing else: 

Why Obama? (LA Times Endorsement) - Great summary comparison of the two candidates and explanation of why Obama should (strongly) be your choice. If you just read one article, I recommend this.

The Electability Question

The Experience Question

The Race Question

Get Some Inspiration (and some Kennedys!)

Why Obama Over Clinton?

Don't Let Fear Make You Vote Differently Than You Might Feel!

Keep Reading (if there's more)...

Get Some Inspiration (& Some Kennedys!)

Obama

Obama + music + celebs

The Kennedys & Obama:

Caroline Kennedy's Endorsement "Like My Father"

Ted's Endorsement

Keep Reading (if there's more)...

Ask Not What JFK Can Do For Obama

Frank Rich's latest at the NY Times is interesting and wide ranging as always, discussing the JFK/Obama comparisons:

Before John F. Kennedy was a president, a legend, a myth and a poltergeist stalking America’s 2008 campaign, he was an upstart contender seen as a risky bet for the Democratic nomination in 1960...“He had to touch the secret fears and ambivalent longings of the American heart, divine and speak to the desires of a swiftly changing nation — his message grounded on his own intuition of some vague and spreading desire for national renewal.”

And some interesting tidbits about Clinton I wasn't aware of:

You’d never know from Mrs. Clinton’s criticisms of subprime lenders that one of the most notorious, Countrywide, was a client as recently as October of Burson-Marsteller, the public relations giant where her chief strategist, Mark Penn, is the sitting chief executive. Other high-level operatives in her campaign belong to Dewey Square Group, an outfit that just last year provided lobbying services for Countrywide.

Plus a discussion about how Obama's policy of "transparency" is really a method to reveal and then hopefully change, the influence of special interests. Keep Reading (if there's more)...

Say Chowda!

Highlights from Teddy Kennedy's endorsement of Obama at American University (along with Caroline Kennedy) - site of one of JFK's most famous speeches. It was pretty moving, and you can tell Ted is juiced.


He makes sure to specifically counter a lot of the Clinton claims - saying Obama is ready from day one, was always against the war (as he was), etc.

Full speeches:
Teddy
Caroline
Obama's acceptance
Keep Reading (if there's more)...

Caroline Kennedy on Obama: "Like My Father" and other endorsements

In the NY Times:
"OVER the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama."
Check it.

The San Francisco Chronicle Obama Endorsement - "Reprieve and Renewal"

Philadelphia Inquirer Endorsement

NY Observer Endorsement

St. Louis Post-Dispatch - "Barack Obama: The new generation" Keep Reading (if there's more)...