AT THE NAACP CONVENTION

Tracking the 2008 Campaign in the Tennessee Valley

July 16th, 2008, 2:10 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Dan Lehr

Obama spoke at the NAACP convention yesterday, McCain today.

McCain first. He said something interesting to start off with:

“Let me begin with a few words about my opponent. Don’t tell him I said this, but he is an impressive fellow in many ways. He has inspired a great many Americans, some of whom had wrongly believed that a political campaign could hold no purpose or meaning for them. His success should make Americans, all Americans, proud. Of course, I would prefer his success not continue quite as long as he hopes. But it makes me proud to know the country I’ve loved and served all my life is still a work in progress, and always improving. Senator Obama talks about making history, and he’s made quite a bit of it already. And the way was prepared by this venerable organization and others like it. A few years before the NAACP was founded, President Theodore Roosevelt’s invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage and an insult in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the nomination of an African-American to be the presidential nominee of his party. Whatever the outcome in November, Senator Obama has achieved a great thing – for himself and for his country – and I thank him for it.”

Yes, it’s shrewd, but it’s also classy. Nice move. (Full McCain speech transcript here)

Here’s Obama yesterday (McCain clip will be in this post as soon as it’s available):

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UPDATE: Here’s the full speech, in 4 parts:

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Aside: With polls showing a near-monolithic African-American voting block swinging Obama, McCain could easily have just blown a speech like this - one which talks about the problems facing the African-American community - off. Even though it would be political suicide to do otherwise, he does get credit for trying here.