Barack Obama is going to give a speech on race tomorrow morning after the recent blow-up over certain of his pastor's remarks. Thank God (pun intended). Because there is nothing more important in America today than horrible, nasty, vile words that invoked the wrath of God against our solemn country, against our fellow Americans, against the land of liberty. Nothing....that is...except the economy, $4 per gallon gasoline, and the subprime mortgage meltdown which is causing families to lose their homes in horrifically high numbers.
More after the flip...
I don't mean to sound flippant about the issue of race in the country. I am aware of the institutional racism in this country. I am cognizant of the grotesque and pitiful attempts by outside forces (see Clinton campaign) to subversively slip race into this primary in order to stem the meteoric rise of a man who sometimes brings this writer to tears. I am saddened that the 24-hour talking heads have hung onto the current issue of Obama's pastor for almost a week now...giving fodder for the conservative pinheads to blast Obama. But a speech on race? Really? Tomorrow morning?
I will be the first to acknowledge, a speech is needed tomorrow morning. And the Obama campaign should be hyping it to all the news outlets, as they have done. Even better than the morning, Obama should try to get some prime-time coverage later in the evening. And Obama should put his heart and soul into the words that he will speak...it needs to be one of his best to date. But it shouldn't be on race. It should be on "...the economy, stupid."
Joe/Jane American has to figure out a way to pay for $4 a gallon gasoline in order to commute to work next week while still providing for his/her family (that's the last of the politically correct male/female verbage). Joe American woke up this morning to hear about the imminent collapse of the American financial markets. Joe American is wondering how the hell that's going to affect his savings, his retirement, his investments, his children's college fund. Joe American is worried as hell because all of this is coming and he's just barely hanging onto his house which the bank calls threatening to foreclose on every day.
Barack Obama has to reassure Americans that his administration will bring economic hope. Will bring financial security. Obama has to reassure Americans that he has a complete command of the financial mess in America...that he has a complete understanding of how financial markets work, how he will fix them, and how he will prevent this mess in the future. Barack Obama has to lay blame on the Bush administration for allowing the Wall Street firms to squander their ridiculous profits on bonuses and corporate extravagancies. And Barack Obama needs to do it soon.....maybe even tomorrow morning. Because Hillary Clinton will walk away with this thing if he doesn't. (I'm putting aside the delegate count to make a dramatic final point)