Missing the Story

Amy, that dude didn't intentionally kill Roberta softly with his song, he just did. That's how powerful emotions work.

Well said, Amy. The right-leaning TV networks want to politely ignore the unmitigated joy that abounds in the land with the departure of George W. Bush and his minions. Good riddance. You bet everyone is sick of it.

As usual the on air pundits and anchors had no clue about the feelings of the public. Much comment was made about the speech not being one of his best. When reporters asked random members of the public what they thought, most of the public thought the speech set the right tone. Most replied that there was a lot of work to do to set the country on the right course. The pundits were oblivious.

When GW 's Executive One took off, I felt such a sense of relief. Seeing Cheney in a wheelchair (temporariliy) Spoke volumes about hoW the Bush administration was perceived.

I do think that the Obamas give the country a different perspective of African-Americans than can be transmitted by the mostly Whitebread MSM news anchors and pundits. That is important for the country and minority youth.

Excellent observation, Amy. The "conventional wisdom" purveyors are trying too hard to shape the perception of this President, and I expect him to confound them.

He didn't "dwell" on it, but he did acknowledge the historical element of the election as the first black president.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

I think the real point is that pundits were searching for punchlines which would make their life much easier. Instead Obama gave us a speech that was thought provoking as well as unifying throughout. To disect his speech you have to be able to peel back the layers and actually engage in deep thinking, something the MSM folks haven't had to do for at least the last 8 years if not more. And thats why you see all the grumbling today.

The reason regular folks were felt good about the speech is because it was real to us. It didn't feel like a stump speech filled with "youtube" moments because it wasn't. Instead it was an open and honest monologue about where we have been, where we are, where we are yet to go and what it will take to get there.

bad formating. The last two paragraphs shouldn't be double blockquoted.

Do any of the highlight reels include this paragraph?
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As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake
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They are, after all, among the most important words in the entire speesh.

I'll repeat what I said in a comment yesterday to AS's Obama Zen pt 2 post, which went on a bit about Obama and MLK:

I am white, so there is no way I would even try to work out or imagine how the election and thankfully soon to come inauguration of Barack Obama appears and feels to African Americans, especially those around my age (mid 50s) and older. I revere Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and legacy, and Obama may be a realization of parts of King's dreams (and of the dreams of the brave and bloodied civil rights movement he and others led), but I think the greatest success of that work comes from the fact that Obama can step from that historical platform to a much larger stage. Irrespective of race and background, Barack Obama is the President of the United States, he is my President, if you like (and I am enormously happy that he is). I think to see Obama and his role in the world today through a lens based in part on the role of Martin Luther King in US history is fundamentally mistaken. That may be the way to tell the historical story, the "narrative arc" as they say, but Obama as a political leader and as a political agent stepped away from that arc a long time ago. This is not to say that the joy with which people of all races view Obama's success is unrelated to the admiration they feel for the cruel struggles that Dr King and the civil rights movement fought. But I frankly think that incessant discussion of Obama as the "heir of King" etc does more to shackle Obama's possibilities and opportunities than to enlarge and clarify them.

Also, while Obama may be "young," Dr. King was younger at the time of his death.

Thoughtful and thought provoking. Lawrence O'Donnell and his tribe have great faith in their ability to tell me what I think. I see President Obama as my President who happens to be Black. He is the first African-American President and I know that. But he is more than that to me. After wandering in the desert for the past 8 years I am relieved to hear my President tell me that WE have to pull together to make things work. I was not told to go shopping.

The "doesn't he know he's the first black president?" schtick reminded me of a funny story about Paul McCartney. A few years after his marriage to Linda Eastman (who at the time of their marriage had a daughter, Heather), McCartney was taking grade school age (or whatever the English education system wording of that phrase should be) Heather to school. During the journey, Heather turned to step dad and said, "Are you Paul McCartney?"

So much for speed reading, Amy. because when I saw the "Missing the story", I thought this was a mea culpa on your career as a journalist. So much for wishful thinking.
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The missed story was contained in his speech about the past 8 years of government being wasted.
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I think many voters judged the President on "the content of his character" when they voted for him rather than the color of his skin, nor whether he was a good Christian.
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Yesterday was historic because:

a) An african american became President
b) A man who believes that government can work for the people became President.
c) Someone competent became President.
d) Someone who believes in the rule of law became President.
e) All of the above.

"E" is the correct description of yesterday. why should anyone be influence by the elctronic media Amy? They only provide infotainment.

Amy Sullivan: "[Obama] talked about...moving away from the politics and policies of the Bush era, the goal of making Americans proud of their country again, ...." "[M]aking Americans proud of their country again"? Evidently, Sullivan and Obama haven't heard that the members of the pro-America community (i.e., Republicans) do not hate America and don't need Obama and Sullivan in order to become "proud of their country again". Maybe Sullivan and Obama should stick to attempting to make themselves, their supporters and Michelle "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country" Obama "proud of their country again."

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BTW, what did that race baiting buffoon Joseph "Jeremiah Wright" Lowery mean when he pleaded for a time "when white will embrace what is right"?

[...] out how odd it is that the American media are going heavy on Obama’s race, and thusly are missing the story «: “Of course, the unrelenting focus on historic firsts is easier than pointing out that a [...]

dumdedumdum,I do believe that in the African-American community there will be an impact. Obama is "smooth and cool", but his is intelligent. A new role model exists for youth. The real race discussion will be going on in the African-American community out of earshot of w=the MSM punditry. Michael Baisden, Tom Joyner, etc will be bringing up the issue on Black radio.

Gw had limited verbal skills and intellect, yet he was elected President. Blacks understood that Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Vernon Jordan ,etc. would never have risen to their level if they were limited by the mental "gifts" of GW Bush.

Part of the reason for the boos that GW got from Blacks in the audience was a realization that he had benefited from being White and born into wealth. Thankfully, GW is no longer President. Obama will give rise to a discussion on race. The discussion will just happen in the African-American community and be carried on Black radio and by Bill Cosby James McWhorter and others. "MSM" will not keep the rest of the country in the loop.

Exactly, Amy. Thanks for putting it so well. Also, bitterpill8 (above): "Lawrence O'Donnell and his tribe have great faith in their ability to tell me what I think." Very quickly I had to turn off the TV yesterday, after Obama's speech. Just could not listen to another talking head tell me what this moment meant to ... ME! They just have no idea why their influence is shrinking, but I think part of the reason is that more people are realizing they kinda like to just have the facts laid out in full -- and then come to their own conclusions. At least, I do. We don't need to be told how to feel ... not that we ever really did.

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Hey! An Amy Sullivan post I can agree with! For me, anyway, this election was less about getting a black person or a Democrat into the White House and more about cutting the bullsh!t and getting this country back on track.
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Funny how the media's opinions always seem to lag about six months behind popular sentiment.
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(laughing, pointing at textee)

textee, the reason that most Americans needed to shower emotionally is that GW Bush, Cheney, and you make us feel dirty as Americans. You don't uphold the Constitution and play to the racists in the country.

Good riddance.

The reason that the historic crowd stood in the cold to see the change in administration was to document that your type of political thinking was being rejected.

Limbaugh has said that he hopes that Obama fails. The true Anti-Americans align with your political thought process.

Well, it's part of the story. It's tough for too many lazy/superficial media folk to see past a Sesame Street approach – "One of these things is not like the others."
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That said, the racial perspective is the easiest illustration of the change from exclusion to inclusion in the overall approach to governance embodied in the new president. African Americans' justified expressions of enthusiasm may also be the easiest illustrations of a broader resurgence of optimism.
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The story wasn't entirely missed – it was just presented superficially, largely due to the dumbing-down demands of commercial visual media.

rmrd, I'm sure Obama's candidacy, election and term(s I hope) as President will have an impact on the African American community that has to do with Obama's racial background. They will also have an impact on the white communities, one that is related to racial issues. But that is not the point of Obama's Presidency, and not part of the role of the President of the USA in the current situation. The more those issues are conflated, the less informative analysis will be.

Three cheers for free speech, which gives us the opportunity to judge our Limbaughs and textees by the content of their character.

But if the coverage was absurd leading up to Obama's speech yesterday [...]

Indeed, it was.

Completely agree Amy. In fact, it's not only insulting to Obama, it's insulting to the American electorate, as if we can't be intelligent enough to make the decision to vote for him simply because he was the most qualified candidate. As a minority, yes there are symbolic and very powerful overtures because he is the first 'MINORITY' president - that's right I made it for all of us not just African-Americans - but the fact of the matter is, I'm sure that for many, their vote for Obama was a clear repudiation of the ideologies and political policies of the GOP. Conservatives, or really the MSM in general can paint it however the want. The voters know the truth, this is just one more example of how the MSM fails us.

Good call Amy.

Okay, guys, this is a really good post. Everyone who gives Sullivan grief should man up and give her props. You'd do it for Joe, she deserves the same.

Well, I think you do "get to see the soul of the country" in the fact that America elected an African-American president - not because of his race but precisly because we think he'll do a better job.
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Otherwise this post is spot-on. As for "the choice between our safety and our ideals", the DC pundits are complicit with the outgoing gang on this one, so it's no wonder they don't care to dwell on it.
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rmrd: As usual the on air pundits and anchors had no clue about the feelings of the public. Yep. These are the same people who called every debate for McCain.

Good post, Amy. Although I haven't been spared the first black president hype entirely, thanks to C-span, I didn't have to listen to that or any other talking suit gibberish.