Epic is not a word readily used in a political context. By rule of thumb, I sleep through or ignore political speeches of all stripes, just like I slept through 80% of my lectures in college. I have little use for them…mostly I settle in with a good book or good article and draw my conclusions from what I’ve learned on paper. Obama’s “epic speech” went the same way. I’ll be honest – Obama’s delivery was pure vanilla. There was strength, there was honesty, there was empathy. There was also a complete lack of passion, more like a tutor giving his class a lecture than a preacher calling upon the heavens to open up and rain fire and brimstone upon the unbelieving masses. Well, so maybe that was the whole point, but still…

What I did like was the content of the speech. The words, mere words, were infused with the power of history. What was it that was said of Winston Churchill? One could feel the strength and resolve behind them, like a fortress? Something like that. Obama’s speech was magnificent in content, if not quite in delivery. But then, I tended to find Churchill a bit droning as well (if you want me to admit it, I like Hitler’s oratory style).

The most spectacular thing about the speech, methinks, is the personal courage to stand up for his pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright even as the distorted sound bites (and yes, they were distorted – the technique is the same, whether on mass media or on internet forums - grab a single sentence from a 100 sentence statement and throw it back at the guy regardless of the context it was uttered in. Humans never change) caused tremors in the presidential race. I suppose the cynic in me ought to be considering this a well-thought out election ploy of the kind used by politicians to dodge a scandal. But, hell, even my cynical side is pretty impressed that Obama, in an age where political expediency so often trumps moral principles, chose to tackle that problem the way he did. Most politicians would have been content to simply ditch the extra baggage and roll with the wave, Obama turned his bows into it and rode it – it’s the kind of audacity you get from all-American heroes like David Farragut: “DAMN THE TORPEDOS, FULL SPEED AHEAD!”

Now THAT is guts.

Should I now take the opportunity to kick Clinton while she’s down?

…

Ok.

Clinton has never shown that kind of guts, even though she’s supposed to place great emphasis on the loyalty of her subordinates. When you’re expecting loyalty, maybe you should be willing to weather some stormy seas in turn for them? And she twists herself like a pretzel without even needing to. When Obama ran into foul weather (whether it was caused by Clinton, McCain or someone else should be beside the point), he seized the wheel and boldly went where no politician has gone before. When Clinton ran into stormy weather, she threw someone overboard and sailed on.

And she expects us to elect her Commander in Chief.

Alright, back to the speech

Anyway, from a Malaysian’s standpoint, Obama’s speech was spectacular from another angle – that of race (I keep going back to that…). The trouble with racial issues is that it’s what we call a “sensitive subject”. In Malaysia, they have laws that can dump you into jail without trial for even touching such subjects as “racial inequality”, “social discrimination” and “ethnically biased affirmative action”. In the US there are no such laws, but it would seem that a silent rule of society is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and You’d Better Not Make it a Political Issue!” Different methods, same result – racial issues get swept under the carpet which has a nice smiley face painted on it. And woe betide anyone who would so much as lift the +5 Rug of Happy Delusions.

And, suddenly along comes this black guy who picks up that rug and dusts it down on national television on the presidential campaign trail. And then he takes EVERYTHING that’s under the rug and sets it down in a calm, forthright manner saying, “Look, it’s all still there. Let’s fix it together.” Not “Look, it’s all still there and it’s YOUR fault!”, not “Look, it’s all still there and it’s OUR fault!”, nor “Look, it’s all still there and it’s THEIR fault!”

“Look, it’s all still there. Let’s fix it together.”

No blame games, no prostrating himself before one group or another while dissing someone else. Not trying to distract attention by bringing up other topics, not trying to tell you that it isn’t his fault. No racial calling, no apologetics or playing the victim, just a straightforward statement of facts that everyone is so goddamn scared of talking about. My only complaint is that he still spoke of the black community as somehow separate from the rest. Maybe it’s true, and it’s but a minor niggle, but still.

Anyway, what was it I keep carping about? The Malaysian elections? Well, I sure as hell wish this speech had been made then. As it is, the racialist propaganda of our ruling (but perhaps not for long) BN coalition came back and bit them hard. The winning formula? Cooperation, racial equality; the idea that all men and women are brothers and sisters, regardless of skin color and that it’s God’s plan that we help one another regardless as well. To work together towards a brighter future for EVERYONE.

THAT is a sentiment that EVERYONE should endorse, unequivocally.