Patterico's Pontifications

Ironic symbolism, I’d say, given that he wants for himself exactly the opposite of what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of.

no one you know (1ebbb1) — 8/11/2008 @ 6:10 pm

I’m thinking coattails.

MLK, by the way, would turn over in his grave at the race hustler that is BHO.

His timely (overdue) message 40 years ago was pure and real. Nothing compared to the street rubes we get now in Politics.

Vermont Neighbor (a066ed) — 8/11/2008 @ 6:13 pm

Thanks for the link, BTW. Love that speech and it’s even better hearing it.

no one you know (1ebbb1) — 8/11/2008 @ 6:13 pm

I suspect that a direct comparison between the two speeches would not favour Obama.

Evil Pundit (646727) — 8/11/2008 @ 6:21 pm

I wonder what the over/under will be on how many times Baracky invokes MLK Jr in his speech? I will likely be wretching right around #14.

JD (5f0e11) — 8/11/2008 @ 6:28 pm

Barack Obama’s acceptance speech falls on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

— Which means that, since he will not let that fact go unmentioned, once again it will be Obama – the post-racial Messiah that brings up the issue of race in this campaign.

Icy Truth (9779ca) — 8/11/2008 @ 6:31 pm

“I suspect that a direct comparison between the two speeches would not favour Obama.”

Perhaps because it is 45 years later, and Obama’s audience is young, hip and much more nuanced that his speech just might be favorably compared to Dr. King’s.

There seems to be an increasing divide in the old school of those who were actively involved in Dr. King’s cause and the newer younger AA who seem to feel less marginalized and believe in their influences in the mainstream. They have more than any other generation, crossed the divide. (Think Jesse Jackson & Sharpton v. Obama & Deval Patrick).

From the UK Guardian,

“Cory Booker’s message was clear. Unveiling a plaque to commemorate deadly race riots in his city 41 years ago, the young black Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was thinking of the future as much as the past. Though 26 people died in the troubles and the city turned into a byword for racial tensions and crime, Booker was determined not to make the event about America’s past racism and segregation.

‘I am of a different generation,’ he told a crowd of onlookers in the stifling heat of a Newark summer’s day. ‘I have never in my life seen a sign, but in a museum, that says “Whites only”. I am from a generation that came about in a different era.’

Such honest words, wilfully breaking free from the Sixties civil rights struggle, would once have been unthinkable from a leading black politician, especially when speaking to a mostly black audience. But now, as Barack Obama runs to be America’s first black President, a new cadre of so-called ‘post-racial’ black politicians have moved to the fore. They are changing the face of black American politics.

Shaking off the traditional black power structures of civil rights groups and the black church, they have distanced themselves from figures such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. They have also posed a challenge to established black politicians with roots in the old civil rights era, such as South Carolina congressman Jim Clyburn and Georgia congressman John Lewis. The new politicians have based their appeal on anything but race. They have forged voter coalitions across racial boundaries, including whites and Hispanics. And it has worked. “

Dana (254946) — 8/11/2008 @ 6:40 pm

#7 — That seems like a positive development. If so, I will gladly be proved wrong.

Evil Pundit (646727) — 8/11/2008 @ 6:43 pm

Lately, several times over the last few weeks, I’ve come across information that Martin L King Jr was a registered Republican. I don’t have any confirmation to offer, but it should be something easy to check-out. Anyone know one way or the other?

However, it occurs to me that Democrats are likely to deny it because it might be true, and Republicans are also likely to deny it for exactly the same reason.

Ropelight (4a83c9) — 8/11/2008 @ 6:55 pm

Ropelight – Why would Republicans deny that?

JD (5f0e11) — 8/11/2008 @ 7:01 pm

Why would this be surprising?
The dominant political party in the South was the Democrats.
Why wouldn’t MLK be of a different party?
There were a lot of Republicans who marched with MLK.
If it hadn’t been for Republican votes, the Civil Rights Bill of ’64 would never have passed. A bigger majority of Republican Senators voted Aye, than Democrats in the Senate.
The GOP only got tarred because Goldwater’s opposition to the ’64 CRB was always described as racial in nature, when he was a strong believer in Individual Rights, and always believed that the Federal Government had no business telling individuals who they could, or could not, associate with, or do business with.
The man never had a racial bone in his body.

Another Drew (f60308) — 8/11/2008 @ 7:06 pm

Dunno Rev. King’s affiliation but like this quote:

“The first Republican that I knew was my father John Rice. And he is still the Republican that I admire most.

My father joined our party because the Democrats in Jim Crow Alabama of 1952 would not register him to vote. The Republicans did.”

–Condoleezza Rice, 2000 Republican Convention speech

no one you know (1ebbb1) — 8/11/2008 @ 7:13 pm

#9, according to the National Black Republican Association, MLK was indeed a Republican. They even have a campaign with billboards throughout Florida and t-shirts, etc., for sale, to spread the word.

http://www.nationalblackrepublicans.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.MLKProducts&tp_preview=true&CFID=30153960&CFTOKEN=51809405&x=2941972

Dana (254946) — 8/11/2008 @ 7:26 pm

Dana beat me to it but yes, according to the NBRA: “King registered as a Republican in 1956.” His father had been a Republican who supported JFK.

I would hasten to add that during the last few years of his life King’s statements were increasingly centrist or even left-leaning depending on the issue. Still, it would be interesting to see how King — with no foreknowledge of the race of the candidates — would react to the platforms of McCain versus Obama.

Icy Truth (9779ca) — 8/11/2008 @ 7:43 pm

I hear the MLK speech yesterday on a rerun of the old Cosby Show. Both MLK and Cosby tower above this empty man.

Patricia (f56a97) — 8/11/2008 @ 7:57 pm

Icy, it would be very interesting. Its hard to see that he would support a candidate whose basic premise is one of government dependency for the masses as well as a sense of entitlement, as opposed to being an independent entity and extolling pride in in self-sufficiency and self-determination. OTH, he was part of that old school. He could have easily gone the Jesse/Al path… (though he seemed to have such a root of common sense practicality, as well as a reasoned position, that that way may not have even been a possibility in his mind.

Dana (254946) — 8/11/2008 @ 8:00 pm

Inauguration will be around the time of MLK’s b-day too…Although I detest the thought of Barack Hussein Obama being any where near that event in 2009.

atmom (56a0a8) — 8/11/2008 @ 8:42 pm

Dana, I think King would be apalled to see the rate of single-motherhood and the makeup of the prison population today. His father supported Bobby Kennedy, who campaigned (I’ve seen the film of him saying it) on a platform of no government dependency.

Trading one form of slavery for another is no way to be free — a lesson that Jesse Jackson (who is one of King’s disciples!), the Rev. Al and Cornel West among others have not learned.

Icy Truth (9779ca) — 8/11/2008 @ 8:58 pm

Thanks Dana and Ice for confirming my impression. JD, its like a “trick question” there’s no one answer. Most dudes should be able to come up with at least 2.

Ice, what’s this about MLK’s father? I lived through the Civil Rights period, and I remember MLK Jr well enough. But I never heard word one from this Dad. The time line in #14 and 18 seems off. What’s up?

Ropelight (4a83c9) — 8/12/2008 @ 12:17 am

Leading conservatives from J. Edgar Hoover to Nixon to Reagan insisted King was a communist.

Leading Republicans from Thurmond to Reagan to McCain opposed the MLK holiday.

But hey, if it makes you FEEL better to note that King was a Republican, by all means. I guess you’ll take what you can get.

Major Bristols (da3978) — 8/12/2008 @ 5:05 am

Obama could call it the “I am the Dream” speech to commemorate King. His acolytes would slurp it up.

daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 8/12/2008 @ 7:32 am

No one I know considers J. Edgar Hoover a “conservative”.
Authoritarian ass-hole would be a better description.

As to Nixon: How could anyone who imposed wage & price controls while taking the country off of the Gold Standard, plus creating the EPA, be considered “conservative”?

Crack a book, and learn of which you plan to speak.

Another Drew (bfaaf5) — 8/12/2008 @ 7:43 am

and…
Please provide a cite as to Reagan calling King a Commie.

Another Drew (bfaaf5) — 8/12/2008 @ 7:45 am

Major Bristols – Are you a LIHOP or a MIHOP ? Inquiring minds, and all.

JD (75f5c3) — 8/12/2008 @ 7:45 am

Clearly Reagan did that, and likely worse, becasue as we all know, Ronnie RayGun was a racist.

JD (75f5c3) — 8/12/2008 @ 7:46 am

#19 Ropelight

— I wrote what I wrote based on the wiki for King, Sr.

In October 1960, when Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested at a peaceful sit-in in Atlanta, Robert Kennedy telephoned the judge and helped secure King’s release. Although King, Sr. had previously opposed Kennedy because he was a Catholic, he expressed his appreciation for these calls and switched his support to Kennedy. King, Sr. had been a lifelong registered Republican, and had endorsed Republican Richard Nixon. King, Jr. made no endorsement

Icy Truth (f4a81f) — 8/12/2008 @ 8:02 am

Mr Ice,

Thank you. I am now better informed because of your prompt response. Thanks again, and you get 2 flashes to show my appreciation.

Ropelight (4a83c9) — 8/12/2008 @ 10:29 am

8/11/2008

Obama’s Speech

27 Responses to “Obama’s Speech”

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