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all this time i’ve been instinctively skeptical — maybe even a little bit susceptible to the clinton meme about pretty words vs. substance — but no more. obama is for real.

today’s speech was just about the most truthful, meaningful, and eloquent commentary on race and american history that i’ve heard from a mainstream politician in my lifetime. it would have been easy to retreat, or spin, or counterattack, or throw jeremiah wright under the bus. but instead he took the opportunity — not the bait — to talk about the perennial elephant-in-the-room in an authentic and profoundly insightful way, without resorting to either sharptonian histrionics or cosbyan homilies, without being drawn into a race fight and yet without “disowning the black community.” i don’t know how he did it, but he turned pure shit into gold.

if this doesn’t undo any damage wrought by the manufactured controversy over wright, nothing will. anybody who listened to the speech and still thinks that obama is just another smooth talker with no authentic vision is never going to get it. and if, after today, voters are actually influenced by the wright bullshit, it’s not obama’s fault — it can only mean we’re not ready and probably never will be. but obama is definitely ready. consider me a believer as of today.

update: video