Big In Print
Barack Obama Channels Bill Cosby
Challenges Black Men on Father's Day
Speaking at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Barack Obama serves up his Sister Souljah moment, calling out African-American men to stand up and be better fathers. According to The New York Times, Obama said: "We need fathers to realize that responsibility doesn't just end at conception. That doesn't just make you a father. What makes you a man is not the ability to have a child. Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father." Interestingly, what seems to be some of the strongest language of the speech wasn't in the prepared remarks (which can be seen here). ... Video after the jump
This might alienate a very few black men, but from a pragmatic point of view, the sort of guys alienated by this probably don't make up a strong voting block in the first place (and they'd certainly never vote for John McCain). But the speech should strike a chord with middle- and upper-class blacks and black women of all economic stripes. It will probably also impress a number of white voters.
The video is worth watching if for nothing else to see how Obama works the crowd. He even jokes that at the beginning of the campaign he wasn't black enough -- and now he's "too black." He quotes comedian Chris Rock and chides the crowd for not setting high enough standards. It's already garnered over 100,000 views. One wonders if clips from the video will be used in spots later on down the line:
This might alienate a very few black men, but from a pragmatic point of view, the sort of guys alienated by this probably don't make up a strong voting block in the first place (and they'd certainly never vote for John McCain). But the speech should strike a chord with middle- and upper-class blacks and black women of all economic stripes. It will probably also impress a number of white voters.
The video is worth watching if for nothing else to see how Obama works the crowd. He even jokes that at the beginning of the campaign he wasn't black enough -- and now he's "too black." He quotes comedian Chris Rock and chides the crowd for not setting high enough standards. It's already garnered over 100,000 views. One wonders if clips from the video will be used in spots later on down the line:
