The Selma-off: Obama vs. Clinton

Just to be clear - i have watched both speeches in full by now... the updates reflect that... the points all still stand:

(lots of great comments, thanks guys, not so many rec's but i can live with that - yay blatant rec begging got me another, cheers!)

I started this when HRC had only just begun on CNN... but 1) I edited/updated after hearing the whole thing; 2) she just started out so horrendously in a very simple way, to my ear... by which I mean that she just completely blew her start.  Out of the gate her attempt at a religious rabble-rousing start just fell completely flat and sounded totally phony... and I am quite an HRC fan!  I guess she really cannot do it.  Really cannot speak to the religious side of things... no fault in my opinion, but probably an electoral liability...

Still... the purpose of writing this is to start a thread i can update later about the two speeches.  I just cannot help myself with Obama... he is winning me over again and again, despite not being my choice, despite my instinct away from his candidacy... his announcement speech was a tearing-at-the-eyes moment for me... this speech today, for someone like me who abhors the religiosity in politics in the US, was another great speech... he really is starting to make me believe.

I mean I still think Gore Obama 2008 is my preferred ticket.  But again and again BHO is showing that he truly appears to be someone else...

as I write this HRC is still going on and on... maybe we all read into things what we either want to or have been taught to by the media.  But this speech is sounding like checkboxes being ticked without the in-the-gut passion.  Yet the crazy thing is, I really believe that HRC is probably second to none in her genuine belief in and support for the goals and aims of the civil rights movement.  I think what she is saying, while probably having been artfully worded to meet focus-group results, is still true, and she believes it.  It just lacks something that makes the authenticity come through naturally....

any other thoughts?

[Update I:  

So, having watched the little bit of chit-chat afterwards, I agree with John Fund that her speech on paper will probably look every bit the equal to the Obama speech, but then why wouldn't it.  Strong speechwriters will always craft a decent yarn, as she would herself if she wrote it herself.  Problem is though, that isn't enough... if you write that kind of speech you need to be able to deliver that kind of speech... sometimes I wish HRC would just play the "fuck you, this is who I am and this is my style, let's get back to substance" card, but I know she won't...  ]

[Update II:

With kudos to MoDem for making the point below, of course the important thing in all of this was that the Democratic party comes out a winner... both speeches were good speeches.  Both will look good in print and reportage afterwards.  No negativity.  No attacks.  Nowhere the media could put an immediate negative spin on things... though they'll figure that out by dinnertime I am sure... just a great day for Dem's... two strong candidates, either of which would be a vastly superior President than anything the Republicans can offer (the current junta doesn't even merit a comparison), got to make good speeches and gained some positive TV coverage doing so]