The Smidgin

Time has a very insightful article on Barack Obama’s speech on race last week, recognizing both why Obama took the route he did and why it is a very dangerous move.  From the conclusion:

By asking voters to understand the context of Wright’s anger, though, Obama is counting on voters to accept nuance in an arena that almost always rewards simplicity over complexity. Politicians tend to offer deliberately banal choices: Either we move forward or we fall backward, either we let the economy falter or we help it grow, either we succumb to our enemies or we defeat them — the choice is up to you, America! Obama’s formulation was different. Explicitly asking Americans to grapple with racial divisions and then transcend them — that’s a bolder, riskier request.

As for me, I believe Obama did exactly what he needed to do, both for the campaign and for his conscience.  The result was one of the most inspiring speeches I have ever heard.