Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Charles Murray on Obama's Speech

Charles Murray himself, co-author of The Bell Curve, fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, hero to right-wing "race realists" like Steve Sailer and Half Sigma, had this to say about Obama's speech:
I read the various posts here on "The Corner," mostly pretty ho-hum or critical about Obama's speech. Then I figured I'd better read the text (I tried to find a video of it, but couldn't). I've just finished. Has any other major American politician ever made a speech on race that comes even close to this one? As far as I'm concerned, it is just plain flat out brilliant—rhetorically, but also in capturing a lot of nuance about race in America. It is so far above the standard we're used to from our pols.... But you know me. Starry-eyed Obama groupie.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU

A once-in-a-generation speech.

Johnson said...

Anyway, what does Murray think about the intractable IQ problems? Blacks are STILL going to lag whites in income and education, and Obama being president is going to make them really pissed about it.

Comrade Kevin said...

If we open up that Pandora's Box and we speak honestly, there will be a tremendous amount of anger and hostility that is going to occur.

The person who cannot admit he/she wrong will often get angry in response.

asher said...

I got ahold of Obama's original speech before the one that was presented. It follows:

My fellow Americans,

As you know I have been a member of the church of Pastor Jerimiah Wright for the past 20 years. I knew he was a rable rouser and a race baiter, a black racist and an anti-Zionist, but I didn't care. His church was the most popular one in the city of Chicago and being an astute politician I knew that joining it would make me more available to the afro-american citizens of that city and more visible to the citizens of Illinois.

Persuing my ambition, I made it a point of befriending the Rev Wright and making sure he was there for every photo op at my wedding, the baptism of my children and the blessing of my home. I also called him my personal friend, mentor and spiritual advisor. And I even appointed him to be a member of my campaign staff.

Well, my fellow Americans, some people who want to torpedo my bid for president did some digging and found out that the Rev Wright has some disturbing things. Of course I knew about these things...anyone who was a member of that church for two days would know that. But did I say anything? No. Did I, question Rev Wright about his speeches? No. Did I dissassociate myself from him or the church? No. And why? Because how would it look for me to leave this church and assert myself as an honorable person when I'm out here for myself?

I ask you, my fellow Americans, should I have admitted that this was going on, or hope against hope that no one would find out and if they did, it couldn't affect me?
What would you do? Screw up your chances for being president or just hope no one would care?

This is the Change I spoke about. The Change from the old style politics.

Plu-ease.....


Hey, the guy is toast.

Anonymous said...

Charles Murray is brilliant, but here he is completely wrong. Obama couldn't even address the issue without trying to deflect criticism away from Wright using Ferraro and granny. Just another cheap stunt from a Chicago politician.