Cometh the time. Cometh the man.
I didn’t see him deliver it but I’ve just read it and it is a thing of beauty. Balanced, potent, humble but strong, honest in that he positions America’s future from a point in time where the nation is in crisis. He speaks simply but uncompromisingly. (Essentially he is saying you are with us or against us. The subtext is ‘God help you if you are the latter.”)
Al Gore will be proud. He puts the climate centre stage.
He talks brilliantly about policy in a hugely Democratic way without actually uttering a word of rhetoric or specifying any particular bill. His critics might say this is vague. I see it as vision-setting and principled.
He talks about the ‘truth’ of America. America the brand. As an adman I buy into that full square. His vision is not of warmongering arrogance and doled out retribution for wrongdoings against the Bald Eagle. It’s about work – hard work – community, opportunity, reward and democracy.
In short this was a wonderful, humble, dignified moment in time, setting out his stall as a strong man of reason and very great intelligence.
Not one single word was difficult to understand, contrived, showy or jargony.
That is no mean feat.
So I say, Obama…Yes you can. (And he didn’t say that.)
I sincerely, truly hope and pray that I will not be eating these words a year from now, but I sincerely believe that I will not.
And why? Because Obama does not politicise, he engages and reasons.
Not a single word of overpromise was in his speech but its intent was crystal clear.
